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Adaptive Flash Platform Features and Benefits

The Adaptive Flash platform is a feature-rich storage solution built on Nimble Storage's
Cache Accelerated Sequential Layout (CASL) architecture, and InfoSight, the engine
that monitors all Nimble arrays to maintain them in peak working condition

Nimbles Adaptive Flash solutions dynamically scale to support the demands of todays
enterprise applications and cloud environments, all within a compact footprint

Fully integrated data protection and InfoSight are included with every Nimble array.

Technology and Features Primer

Nimble Storage Product Brief

White Paper: Redefining Flash Storage

Nimble Storage Adaptive Flash Platform

Here are some of the key features that come standard in a Nimble Storage array:

Feature Function Benefit

Performance and Capacity Efficiency

Flexible Scaling of Flexibly and non-disruptively expands read cache up Supports the high performance demands of diverse enterprise
Flash to 16TBs per array applications to eliminates storage silos

Reads active data from flash cache, which is Accelerates read operations to achieve sub-millisecond
Dynamic Caching
populated on writes or first read latency

Write-Optimized Data Coalesces random writes and sequentially writes Accelerates writes as much as 100x and gets sub-millisecond
Layout them to disk as a full stripe latency, and optimal disk utilization

Provides always-on inline compression for all Reduces capacity needs by up to 75%, depending on the
Universal Compression
workloads workload, with no performance impact

Allocates disk space to a volume only as data is

Thin Provisioning Pools storage, shares free space, and maximizes utilization
written

Scalability

Non-disruptively upgrades controllers or swaps in Non-disruptively scales performance to manage large amounts
Performance Scaling
higher capacity SSDs of active data

Non-disruptively increases storage capacity to 100s of TBs per

Capacity Scaling Non-disruptively adds external disk shelves
system

Linearly scales beyond performance and capacity limits of a

Combines multiple arrays into a scale-out storage
Scale-Out single storage array while managing these multiple arrays as
cluster
one

Integrated Data Protection

Retains months of frequent snapshots (improving RPO) with

Instant Snapshot and Backs up and restores data using point-in-time,
no performance impacteliminating backup windows and
Recovery space-efficient snapshots taken at regular intervals
speeding up restores (improving RTO)

Compresses copies and change data to the Deploys affordable and verifiable disaster recovery and
Efficient Replication
secondary site for disaster recovery efficiently backs up remote sites over the WAN

Creates copies of existing active volumes without Creates clones in seconds and saves disk space ideal for
Zero-Copy Clones
needing to copy data VDI and test/development

Management and Proactive Wellness

Provides deep insights on the state of storage with actionable

reports and alerts on set events

Presents a single view to InfoSight including case
InfoSight Portal management, alerts/triggers, reports, performance
analysis, and capacity planning
Manages existing cases and creates new ones from one
location
Proactively addresses performance bottlenecks and plans for
capacity growth

Monitors and analyzes data to identify trends and Spots and remedies potential issues, maximizing uptime,
Proactive Wellness

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Flash Storage Features and Benefits | Nimble Storage http://www.nimblestorage.com/products/features.php

Feature Function Benefit

performance, and utilization

abnormal operations; sends alerts on critical issues

Secure Remote Allows remote troubleshooting, configuration, and

Reduces burden on IT staff and quickly resolves problems
Support problem resolution

Non-Disruptive Maximizes uptime and user productivity through continuous

Upgrades software with no disruption to applications
Upgrades availability

Roles-Based Access Customizes access to system management features,

Enhances security around storage and reduces risk to data
(RBAC) based upon an individual's role

Enables multi-tenant environments and complex enterprise

Identifies which Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)
VLAN Tagging class networks, where more efficient use of array network
I/O traffic is associated
ports is required

Triple-Parity RAID Offers greater redundancy for stored data Enhances reliability

Verifies block-level checksums and descriptors when Improves data integrity with no performance impact; eliminates
End-to-End Checksum
data is accessed erroneous data access due to incorrect addressing

Host and Application Integration

Pre-defines policies for block size, caching,

Custom Application Eliminates the need for manual tuning of storage including
compression, and data protection for Microsoft
Profiles data protection configuration
applications and VMware

Windows VSS Provides drivers for the Microsoft VSS framework Takes application-consistent backups and simplifies data
Enablement for consistent backups protection for Exchange and SQL Server

Monitors, provisions, and takes snapshots from Manages storage from vCenter and takes consistent backups
VMware Integration
VMware vCenter of virtual machines

VMware Site Recovery Supports disaster recovery automation for VMware

Simplifies disaster recovery, including testing failover/failback
Manager Adapter including failover/failback

Nimble Protection
Offers host plug-in for data protection Ensures application-consistent snapshots
Manager (NPM)

Nimble Connection
Enables automatic host connections Speeds up configuration and deployment of Nimble arrays
Manager (NCM)

Supports VMware vStorage API for Array

VAAI Support Accelerates provisioning and improve performance
Integration

Oracle Snapshot Provides application-consistent backups of Oracle

Simplifies backup and recovery of Oracle databases
Manager databases

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