Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Hybrid Cloud Storage

Cloud Storage is a form of  networked online storage where data is stored in virtualized pools of storage. The data center operators, in the background, virtualize the resources according to the requirements of the customer and expose them as storage pools, which the customers can themselves use to store files or data objects. Physically, the resource may span across multiple servers and multiple locations. Cloud storage services may be accessed through a web service application programming interface (API) or by applications that utilize the API, such as cloud desktop storage, a cloud storage gateway or Web-based content management systems.
Hybrid cloud storage is a type of cloud storage model that derives and combines the functionality of public and private cloud storage models to provide storage services. This storage technique uses internal and external cloud applications, infrastructure and storage systems to form integrated storage architecture.
Hybrid cloud storage overcomes the problems of managing data and storage by integrating on-premises storage with cloud storage services. In this architecture, on-premises storage uses the capacity on internal SSDs and HDDs, as well on the expanded storage resources that are provided by cloud storage. A key element of the architecture is that the distance over which data is stored is extended far beyond the on-premises data center, thereby providing disaster protection.
Cloud Storage Provider's on-premise storage components vary widely in architecture, functionality, cloud integration and form factors.  There are huge differences between what are called cloud storage gateways and cloud-integrated storage.  Gateways provide an access point from on-premises to cloud data  transfers, whereas cloud-integrated storage is an automated solution to some of IT’s biggest problems such as managing data growth, backup and recovery, archiving data and disaster preparation.
Cloud-integrated storage (CiS), like Microsoft’s recent StorSimple acquisition, is a full-featured on-premises storage system that integrates with the cloud (i.e. Windows Azure Storage). Enterprises can create a complete hybrid cloud storage architecture where they store their data locally and protect it with snapshots on-premises and in the cloud, and where dormant data can be seamlessly tiered to the cloud to make room for new data locally. This way, CiS gives IT an automated  “safety valve” to prevent running out of disk capacity, while also providing rapid disaster recovery via cloud snapshots.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Microsoft SQL Server 2014

Microsoft SQL Server 2014 brings to market lots of new features and enhancements over prior versions. SQL Server 2014 delivers mission critical performance across all workloads with in-memory built-in, faster insights from any data with familiar tools, and a platform for hybrid cloud enabling organizations to easily build, deploy, and manage solutions that span on-permises and cloud.
SQL Server 2014 delivers new in-memory capabilities built into the core database for OLTP and data warehousing, which complement our existing in-memory data warehousing and BI capabilities for the most comprehensive in-memory database solution in the market.
The Power of SQL Server 2014 includes:
Performance Enhancements:
  • In-Memory OLTP: Average 10x and up to 50x performance gains
  • Enhanced In-Memory ColumnStore for DW: Updatable, faster, better compression
  • In-Memory BI with PowerPivot: Fast insights
  • Buffer Pool Extension to SSDs: Faster paging
  • Enhanced Query Processing: Faster performance without any app changes
Data Retrieval Enhancements:
  • Power Query (codename “Data Explorer”): Easy access to internal and external data
  • Power Map (codename “Geo Flow”): Richer insights with 3D visualization
  • Parallel Data Warehouse with Polybase: Query big data with T-SQL
  • Data Mining Add-ins for Excel: Predictive analytics
Cloud based Enhancements:
  • Simplified cloud Backup: Reduce CAPEX & OPEX
  • Windows Azure SQL Database service: Develop new variable demand cloud apps quickly with HA built-in
  • HA/Always On in Azure: Helps to handle disaster recovery
  • Extend on-premises apps to the cloud: Gain cloud scale on demand
You can download  Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Community Technology Preview 1 (CTP1) at below location: