Load DynamiX has updated its storage performance validation solution including the introduction of Load DynamiX 5.0, which offers a new, automated workload acquisition and analysis solution - comprised of Workload Sensors, a Workload Data Importer, and a Workload Analyzer application - that provides insight into application workload behavior and its impact on storage infrastructure performance.
Load DynamiX 5.0 offers an automated way to acquire storage array and storage network workload data, and analyze that data for architecting, optimizing, and troubleshooting storage infrastructure. The storage performance analytics capabilities include new solutions for real-time and historical workload acquisition and analysis. These solutions build upon existing Load DynamiX existing capabilities in storage workload modeling and workload generation.
Load DynamiX Enterprise 5.0 has also received two new ways to acquire actual production storage workloads, analyze those workloads, and automatically create workload models:
1 - Load DynamiX Workload Sensors: These are hardware-based sensor devices that provide the ability to capture network switch data and statistically analyze the workloads in real-time. Using the switch SPAN ports or optical TAPs on 10G Ethernet and Fibre Channel switches, this data can be captured and then be imported into the Workload Analyzer module of Load DynamiX Enterprise for further analysis and to generate an accurate workload for replay in a test lab. This capture/analyze/replay capability accelerates storage performance problem identification and resolution.
2- Load DynamiX Workload Data Importer: Imports any production array I/O data from the storage array logs and other tools for workload profiling. It automates and simplifies the workload modeling and creation process and provides out-of-the-box policies for most major storage vendors.
The Load DynamiX Workload Analyzer is a new module of Load DynamiX Enterprise that allows storage engineers to analyze temporal and spatial workload behavior through visualization to better understand workload I/O patterns that affect storage performance.
The Workload Analyzer processes the data from both the Workload Data Importer and the Workload Sensors. It creates a workload profile that can be used to automatically generate a highly accurate workload. These workloads can then be applied to any file, block or object storage system via a Load DynamiX Workload Generation Appliance to fully evaluate its performance, to conduct what-if scenario analysis with modified workloads, and to efficiently troubleshoot performance problems.