EMC Isilon is a scale out NAS storage platform for big data, cloud storage, file sharing and more. The EMC Isilon OneFS operating system powers all EMC Isilon nodes, and creates a unified pool of storage with a proven utilization rate of 80 percent. SyncIQ is Isilon’s fast, policy-based replication software that can move millions of files and terabytes of data between EMC Isilon clusters. However, replication across longer distances and unreliable networks can hamper SyncIQ’s performance. That’s where Silver Peak can help. Silver Peak’s Replication Acceleration software provides consistently high replication throughput by overcoming network latency, bandwidth limitations, and repair dropped or out-of-order packets. Silver Peak software is application and protocol independent and can optimize Isilon SyncIQ replication and access for remote CIFS and NFS applications.
EMC and Silver Peak
Proven Results
EMC and Silver Peak conducted joint testing for Isilon SyncIQ, and analyzed results from real-world customers. Both initial data and incremental synchronization were measured. Below is a snapshot of how Silver Peak optimizes incremental synchronization on a 155Mbps MPLS WAN at 80 ms latency and 0.1% loss. Figure 1 shows throughput measurements across multiple latency and packet loss scenarios.
Figure 1. Isilon SyncIQ replication throughput before and after Silver Peak optimization over 155 Mbps MPLS WAN
You can view the complete test results in the report, Deploying Silver Peak VXOA with EMC Isilon SyncIQ.
| Replication throughput | |
| SyncIQ unoptimized | 10.9 Mbps |
| SyncIQ optimized with Silver Peak | 975 Mbps |
| The Silver Peak advantage | 90X increase in throughput |
Silver Peak VRX Software
Silver Peak VRX software is made for storage replication. Deployment takes less than 20 minutes and requires no networking expertise or assistance. By combining Silver Peak VRX software with EMC Isilon SyncIQ, you can:
- Meet Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) – Replicate more data in less time to remote locations
- Replicate more data – With VRX you can protect all data, not just some
- Replicate over longer distances – Eliminate distance limitations between source/target devices
- Improve business continuity – Maintain redundant data center(s)
- Lower disaster recovery costs – Eliminate costly dedicated networks for replication
Benefits
- Move more data - Extensive joint testing between EMC and Silver Peak shows that SyncIQ can move 90x more data with Silver Peak deployed
- Increase the geographic distance between facilities by improving performance in higher latency environments (up to 200 ms, for example)
- Overcome erratic networks by recovering lost and out-of-order packets in real time. Even with .1% packet loss, very common for MPLS and IP VPNs, network performance suffers significantly. Silver Peak software regenerates and/or reorders those packets, improving the performance of all applications on the WAN, including SyncIQ
- Reduce costs by sharing network with other applications – Silver Peak’s advanced QoS and traffic management features allow SyncIQ and other applications on the same WAN without interfering with one another, eliminating the costs of a separate WAN
- Avoid or delay WAN bandwidth upgrades by reducing the amount of data transferred
- Secure data in transit with an IPsec AES-256 site to site VPN.
Resources
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Silver Peak VRX Replication Acceleration software makes replication acceleration easy and affordable.
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This white paper details the joint benefits of deploying Silver Peak with EMC Isilon SyncIQ, and summarizes joint testing and deployment best practices.
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EMC® Isilon® enables enterprises to aggregate Big Data onto a single, shared, easy-to-use Network Attached Storage (NAS) platform. But when large amounts of data must be moved or replicated between geographically separated locations—and if these centralized applications must be accessed by remote users—challenges often arise due to poor Wide Area Network (WAN) performance. Limited bandwidth, long distances, and poor network quality can all take a toll on application performance, resulting in missed Recovery Point Objectives (RPO), excessive IT costs, and unhappy end users.