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Whilst much of this site focuses on the performance and compatibility of EqualLogic iSCSI SAN storage with VMware, it is important to highlight that the platform also offers excellent compatibility and support for virtualization with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V.
The relationship between EqualLogic and Microsoft is long and well documented. EqualLogic was the first platform to be recognised as a Microsoft Simple SAN Full solution Partner, the platform offers tight integration with Microsoft features such as VSS, VDS and MPIO. Interestingly, a Microsoft technet document relating to the use of iSCSI storage features screenshots taken from an EqualLogic array - certainly a firm recommendation, even if it was informally made.
EqualLogic iSCSI SAN offers extensive support for hosting Hyper-V virtual machines, application aware tools allow consistent snapshots to be taken at both application level (Exchange, SQL) and of full Hyper-V virtual machines.
As with VMware, many advanced aspects of the Hyper-V platform such as Quick Migrate, Live Migration, Cluster Shared Volume and other latest features introduced with Windows Server 2008 R2 either require or are greatly enhanced through the use of an intelligent iSCSI SAN platform.
The EqualLogic storage platform continues to evolve and develop. New and improved tools are provided free of charge to existing users through their support agreement - a simple firmware update or download from the EqualLogic support site can provide increased resilience and greater performance.
There is no doubt that Hyper-V is a cost effective alternative to VMware - let's face it a VMware Enterprise Plus licence doesn't come cheap - so a low price iSCSI SAN platform is usually the next consideration. The EqualLogic PS4000 series offers full redundancy and enterprise features for under £10K, bringing a resilient virtual environment within reach of organisations of almost any size.
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