Xsigo Systems, Inc., the leader in I/O virtualization, today announced a group of Xsigo virtual I/O customers who now deploy Xsigo in support of their Oracle database applications, including HiFX, a foreign-exchange broker, CARFAX, a vehicle history information provider, Bitbrains, a managed service provider, and Investec, a specialist bank and asset manager. Benefits cited by these users include 30% overall capital cost reduction, 70% less infrastructure complexity, and up to 25X faster job completion.
"To provide excellent customer service, we demand that our Oracle 11G-based transaction processing applications be accessible 24 x 7 and deliver a consistent user experience, even under peak demand loads, all of which demands a lot from our server I/O," said David Christie, CIO at HiFX. "Xsigo virtual I/O is unique because it combines the high-bandwidth and low latency of InfiniBand with the flexibility of software-controlled I/O resources, so our customers always get a great user experience."
Oracle database operations rely on high-speed data movement to and from data storage devices to ensure peak performance. The high-speed fabric interconnect employed by Xsigo delivers the industry's highest throughput at up to 40Gbps, or 4X the throughput of 10G Ethernet. It also minimizes performance-robbing transmission delays with overall latency less than 1/3 that of Ethernet.
An additional Xsigo benefit for Oracle users is the 70% reduction in I/O hardware required, which allows IT managers to save 50% on switch ports and costly I/O cards. Xsigo customers demonstrate further operational efficiencies in Oracle environments by capitalizing on the rapid re-configuration capabilities inherent in virtual I/O.
"At HiFX, high-availability is critical to our customers," Christie of HiFX continued. "Xsigo saves us 1/3 on our overall capital cost by eliminating the need for a dedicated disaster recovery facility, allowing us to leverage our test and development equipment for that purpose instead.Because Xsigo virtual I/O is configured in software, not hardware, we can reconfigure our test and development facility to replicate our entire Oracle production facility in just 3 minutes, which eliminates the need for expensive standby equipment."
Oracle recently highlighted its ongoing support for InfiniBand by investing in Mellanox, an InfiniBand technology supplier. When announcing this investment, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said, "InfiniBand is by far the fastest and most efficient switch fabric for running enterprise data centers."
The Xsigo VP780 and VP560 I/O Directors consolidate data center infrastructure and provide dynamic connectivity from any server to any Ethernet or Fibre Channel network, a key requirement of cloud computing. Xsigo recently announced two significant advancements in virtual I/O technology:
- An Ethernet-based Xsigo I/O Director -- the industry's first virtual I/O technology to leverage the standard Ethernet ports found on every x86 server
- An enhanced-performance I/O Director that delivers the industry's highest server throughput with 4X the I/O capacity of 10G Ethernet
"I/O performance makes all the difference in job performance and operating efficiency for customers running I/O intensive workloads such as Oracle," said Bruce Fingles, Xsigo's VP of Product Management, Alliances, and Support. "Only Xsigo converges Ethernet and Fibre Channel connectivity over the world's fastest 40Gb link to deliver the highest throughput and fastest job execution, benefits that translate directly to reduced costs and a better user experience."