VMworld 2014: Introducing VMware EVO RAIL

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Today at VMworld US 2014, VMware introduced a new tool to make the Software Defined Datacenter happen.

Introducing VMware EVO: RAIL

Simplify How You Buy, Deploy and Operate Your SDDC

EVO = Software with vSphere, Virtual SAN technology is the key enabler
Simple, streamlined deployment and ongoing SDDC lifecycle management
One support call, 100% powered by VMware.
Full EVO:RAIL set is delivered by qualified hardware vendor.

VMware is NOT entering the hardware market. The EVO: RAIL software bundle is available to qualifying EVO: RAIL partners. The partner, in turn, sells the hardware with integrated EVO: RAIL software, and provides all hardware and software support to customers.

Prescribed 2U / 4 Node platform from qualified partners.
Scale out up to 4 HCIAs (16 nodes)
General Purpose Server workloads ~100 VMs per HCIA
VDI ~250 VMs per HCIA
Time to value to first VM in minutes
Non disruptive patch & upgrade
Primary use cases: VDI, ROBO and Private Clouds.

Check out the new available papers and user guide, will give you a pretty good idea what EVO:RAIL is about: EVO-RAIL Introduction 1.0, EVO-RAIL Datasheet 1.0 and the EVO-RAIL User Guide 1.0

Single SKU
Single Point of Contact for support, Call VMware!

EVO:RAIL is an Ideal Building Block

EVO:RAIL Version 1.0 supports 4 EVO:RAIL Appliances (16 ESXi hosts) in a cluster

Per Compute, Storage and Network Node

Dual socket – Intel Xeon E5 2620v2 CPUs, 6-core
Memory – up to 192 GB
1 x Expansion Slots PCI-E
Disk controller with pass through capabilities (Virtual SAN requirement)
Internal Storage: 1 x 146 GB SAS 10K-RPM HDD or 32 GB SATADOM (ESXi boot) 1 x SSD up to 400 GB (Virtual SAN requirement for read/write cache 3 x 1.2 TB SAS 10K-RPM HDD (Virtual SAN data store)