Xsigo Virtual I/O one of the Highlights of VMworld that was “both new and real.”

lfredrickson | Nov 01, 2009 | Comments 0

CNET called virtual I/O one of the highlights of VMworld that was “both new and real.”

Computerworld called virtual I/O “one of the five virtualization trends to watch.”

Here are 3 reasons why virtual I/O is catching on now… and why it is especially critical with vSphere and the new Nehalem processors:

1) vSphere and Nehalem deliver 3X more I/O potential

With vSphere and Intel’s new Nehalem processor, you get 3X the I/O capacity of previous generation technologies. At VMworld, Xsigo proved this, running over 20Gbps continuous I/O traffic from a single 1U high server over a single cable.

To get the most from these technologies, you need I/O that is guaranteed not to be a bottleneck. Only virtual I/O lets you dynamically share bandwidth across multiple I/O requirements. And only Xsigo delivers the 20Gb bandwidth you need to capitalize on today’s server potential to run more VMs in less space and on less power.

2) vSphere requires more I/O connections

vSphere adds new fault tolerance capabilities that can boost availability. But it will require more network connections and more I/O bandwidth to accomplish this. Virtual I/O lets you configure additional network connections on demand, without re-cabling servers and without adding cost.

3) Cloud computing requires greater I/O flexibility

vSphere provides the platform for the cloud. But only if servers can be dynamically connected to the required network and storage resources. Virtual I/O gives you that flexibility by eliminating the constraints of traditional cards and cables.

Virtual I/O powered this year’s VMworld. Find out why in this video: