Sanbolic has released AppCluster version 2.0 (v2.0)—a Microsoft SQL Server specific module within its Melio Enterprise software that extends the agility, high availability (HA), and scalability of SQL Server workloads across physical, virtualized, and cloud environments. 

AppCluster v2.0 enhancements include:

• Storage Live Migration—Live migration of data within and across heterogeneous physical and virtual environments, for consolidation or to move from proof of concept (PoC) to production, with no downtime or disruption in service.

• Dynamic Load Balancing—Automatic or directly managed distribution of workload across all heterogeneous physical and virtual storage assets, for enhanced capacity management, optimization and performance.

• Individual Database Quality of Service (QoS)—Automated, policy-based management that identifies performance bottlenecks in real-time and reallocates resources to meet change in demand, thereby ensuring high availability and peak application performance.

 

The new AppCluster software module was created to address the challenges countless data centers face today due to the continuing proliferation of SQL Server deployments.  For these organizations, database consolidation has become a high-value and high-priority undertaking—and customers require an efficient and cost-effective solution.

“Achieving true SQL server consolidation is much more than just virtualized SQL instances. SQL consolidation should also deliverclustering, high availability, and load balancing on top of the newly consolidated footprint,” said Laura DuBois, program vice president, Storage Software, IDC. “Users that wish to garner the best possible ROI from their SQL environment should look at solutions such as Sanbolic’s Melio Enterprise which delivers this functionality embedded in its AppCluster solution.”

“By leveraging the new features and functionality in AppCluster v2.0, users will now be able to decouple SQL Server instances from rigid server and storage binding, thereby enabling a more flexible, scalable, and highly available SQL Server environment across both physical and virtualized database topologies,” said Momchil Michailov, co-founder and CEO,Sanbolic. “This translates into dramatic capital and operational savings, without sacrificing the requirements of mission critical business applications. Bottom line, AppCluster v2.0 allows users to fully appreciate the intended benefits of SQL Server and derive the most value from their information at the lowest total-cost-of-ownership.”

“Microsoft SQL Server continues to see strong customer adoption, and is now the leading database, as measured by unit market share,” said Claude Lorenson, Director, SQL Server Product Management, Microsoft. “Sanbolic’s Melio provides additional capability for SQL Server deployments on both physical and virtual infrastructures with the goal of helping customers see even greater value from their SQL Server investment.”

“The University of Illinois data center has a Citrix Provisioning Services (PVS) environment that leverages SQL Server databases. These databases must be constantly available in order to allow managers to maintain visibility and manageability of their desktop images and devices hosting those images,” said Robert Ferrer, system/network administrator, University of Illinois. “Sanbolic’s AppCluster v2.0 offers a simple, cost-effective solution for SQL Server HA that addresses this requirement—without introducing additional moving parts, complexities and costs.” He added, “For me, one of the best aspects of AppCluster v2.0 is that we can now also conduct PVS and OS updates without any risk of downtime, which is critical for our 24/7 always-on operation.”