EMC has added new capabilities for its EMC VMAX and EMC Disk Library for mainframe storage products. VMAX support for mainframe, in both the VMAX3 and the new VMAX All Flash products, enables companies to modernize, automate and consolidate disparate data center technologies within a single data services platform. The additional capabilities of VMAX3 extend its automated performance tiering functionality to the mainframe. EMC is also announcing a scale-out automated snapshot solution for mainframe storage, called zDP, or Data Protector for z Systems.
EMC also announced updates to its EMC Disk Library for mainframe (DLm) technology. The new DLm4.4 breaks down data siloes associated with disk libraries by creating an all-encompassing view of two virtual tape systems with the ability to read from, write to and update the other.
“Leading companies around the world have come to rely on VMAX3 for its transformational capabilities,” said Fidelma Russo, senior vice president and general manager, enterprise and mainframe solutions, for the Core Technologies Division of EMC Corporation. “Now, we’re proud to extend our flagship enterprise data services platform to the mainframe, bringing automated storage performance, improved TCO, operational simplification and an industry-first data protection. Furthermore, customers pivoting to a completely modern data center now have the option to realize the potential of flash in their mainframe environment by accessing all these features in VMAX All Flash.”
EMC has continued to upgrade its primary storage and data protection solutions, adapting specific features designed to enhance mainframe operations helping to ensure maximum performance, availability and reliability.
VMAX support for mainframe includes dense-array packaging, processor cores and efficient use of power, and requires less floor space, less cooling and less power than comparable systems, the vendor claims.
EMC is also extending its Service Level Objective (SLO)-based storage tiering functionality across the VMAX3 range of products to now support mainframe. It is designed to simplify data management across the mainframe, automating tiering to pre-defined service levels based on response time demands for data. The new VMAX All Flash further simplifies the equation to a single service level (diamond), while delivering consistent response times, with the legendary and trusted mission-critical availability of VMAX.
VMAX All Flash and VMAX3 feature zDP technology, a data protection solution intended to simplify and automate the process of data protection, offering the capability to create snapshots at regular intervals. The zDP feature eliminates the need for mainframe admins to rely on a restore from their Business Continuance Volume (BCV) "gold copy" file in the event of data corruption. zDP is designed to take snapshots as frequently as every 10 minutes, reducing mainframe recovery point objectives.
The DLm 4.4, EMC is intended to create a view of two virtual tape systems that enables each to read from, write to, and update the other. This global virtual library improves availability, since either DLm can act as a substitute for the other. It also enables businesses to site-swap between geographically distributed pairs of EMC DLms, switching use from production storage to protection storage for prolonged periods of time.
Additional information about EMC can be found at www.emc.com.