LeftHand SANs Optimize Virtualized Environments with Simplified Storage Management and Cost-Effective, Multi-Site High Availability

LeftHand Networks, the leading provider of highly available iSCSI SANs that optimize virtual environments, today announced support for Microsoft’s virtualization strategy and set of virtualization solutions. LeftHand Networks iSCSI SAN solutions provide high availability and non-disruptive storage management, capabilities that become vital as customers seek to optimize the efficiencies and cost advantages of virtualized infrastructures.

With more than 3,000 customers, many running Microsoft applications, LeftHand Networks delivers SAN solutions that complement and extend the power of Microsoft’s new group of virtualization solutions, including Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 and Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5. Microsoft’s full set of technologies enables a compatible, end-to-end virtualized infrastructure. When combined with LeftHand Networks’ storage solutions customers have the ability to deploy a desktop-to-data center virtualization and storage strategy that is easy to manage and provides a compelling total cost of ownership.

“Virtualization drives substantial efficiencies and creates considerable flexibility within an IT infrastructure. Customers who deploy Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V can provision new applications and simplify storage management significantly with LeftHand SANs,” said Karl Chen, vice president of business development and alliances, LeftHand Networks. “Microsoft’s desktop and data center virtualization solutions with LeftHand Networks iSCSI SANs deliver a dynamic, virtualized infrastructure that helps customers achieve significant savings.”

“LeftHand Networks’ SAN solutions allow customers to achieve resource utilization and cost reduction through consolidation, also providing them with high manageability, agility and flexibility in their operations,” said Zane Adam, senior director of integrated virtualization at Microsoft. “LeftHand Networks’ SANs provide simplified management capabilities that work seamlessly with Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and the System Center offerings, helping to enable customers to maximize their virtualization infrastructure investments and keep pace with the ever-changing needs of their business.”

Server virtualization and consolidation create a dynamic application environment that requires an increasingly flexible and dynamic storage solution.