A few days back, Andrew brought us word of an impending beta from DataCore. I caught up with Carlos Carreras from DataCore and have some additional information.
Here is how DataCore describes themselves:
DataCore Software – The Storage Virtualization Company
Mission: “Make it practical for organizations large and small to remove physical, geographical and device-specific restrictions of data storage equipment that slow down, interrupt or endanger their IT operations.”
DataCore Software Corporation develops the storage virtualization software required by virtual and physical IT environments to get the highest availability, fastest performance and maximum utilization from their online disks. We provide the critical 3rd dimension on which the success of server and desktop virtualization projects hinge, regardless of the models and brands of storage devices used. Our comprehensive, yet hardware-independent solutions fundamentally change the economics of provisioning, replicating and protecting storage for large enterprises and small to midsize businesses.
DataCore clients represent the broad spectrum of IT organizations around the globe, spanning all the major vertical industries. Their physical environments consists of systems from all the major storage manufacturers, including Dell, EMC, Fujitsu-Siemens, Hitachi, HP, IBM, NetApp, and many others.
Corporate headquarters are located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with subsidiaries and branch offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
DataCore storage virtualization software is sold through authorized distributors and integration partners across the world, many of which also specialize in server and desktop virtualization solutions. DataCore does not sell directly to end-users. 24×7 post sales technical assistance is provided through a highly talented customer service organization operating from key support centers in the U.S., U.K and Japan.
As a refresher, we recently brought you a detailed interview with DataCore here.
The News
DataCore is intending to ship a beta product in May 2011. The product will focus on the core functionality that Andrew mentioned before:
- Drive Pooling
- Mirroring
- Caching
Carlos tells me that the technical features are developed and in the can; the remaining work revolves around cleaning up the user interface. DataCore has an advantage here as they are taking an established product and leveraging that to fill a need in the WHS space. Since the codebase is consistent between WHS2011, SBS2011, Storage Server and Server 2008 R2, DataCore sees a great opportunity to bring their established product to each product in the Microsoft server family. WHS2011 is up first, and a call with the SBS MVP’s is forthcoming during the week of April 25th to outline their thoughts on bringing this product to the SBS platform.
The beta will roll out in three stages: starting with select OEM’s, then being opened up to WHS MVP’s, and lastly being opened up to all interested parties. This rollout should take about two weeks, so DataCore expects to be live with a full beta that our readers can participate in within two weeks of release to the OEM’s. They are targeting a 30-45 day beta period with most of their concern being around UI and usability of the features. As far as public beta participants, DataCore is expecting users familiar with version 1 WHS who are technical enough to generate valuable feedback via the beta program. They are looking to release their product to the market in June. Current plan is to release to the partnering OEM’s first and then evaluate shipping to the general market after that. Stay tuned for developments in bringing this product to the open market as the beta develops and DataCore finishes their preparations. DataCore intends to sell to self-builders but there are still details that need to be worked out in how they will go to market in this space.
As a WHS-MVP, I look forward to beta testing this addin and look forward to reading UWHS’s 2 WHS-MVP’s Andrew & Tim’s findings.
I agree that DataCore’s reputation will help consumers decide on drive pooling and data protection for WHS2011.
I heard about this some time ago from a partner, and to be honest, it was the first time I thought to myself that there might be hope.
The argument heard many times in the discussions of third party drive extenders, “If Microsoft could not, why can others?” for me only have some truth to it, because it was clear that Microsoft’s focus and resources shifted during the development of WHS 2011, and I believe they simply did not want to spend the resources needed to make the solution stable.
That being said, I do believe that the risc of leaving all my data to small companies with no experience in the field was not something I was too happy with.
In comes DataCore with promise of a solution based on many years of experience, and existing products that focuses on server environments, that is known to be a lot more demanding in stability than the average household solution.
From the look of the company, this was in my head the kind of company Microsoft could have turned to for help in developing a stable solution with WHS 2011, and it therefore also is the solution that would allow me to sleep well at night.
This very likely may not be fair to the other companies supplying drive extender solutions, but fact is that they company forward in a field where you just cannot risc to fail.
The main difference I see is that if one of the other companies fail with their solutions, they are back to where they started, as the main products here are only consumer products – however with DataCore, it is a different story. If DataCore fails here, and words gets around on the internet that a DataCore solution failed, and a high number of users looses data with their solution, this will damage not only their drive extender solution, but will destroy trust in the company on their server based business products as well.
I my mind, this is the kind of company that can’t afford to fail, and for that reason, they have only two options – deliver a product that really works, or deliver nothing at all.
The only two things I can think of that would be better:
1) If Microsoft adopted the solution they could put trust in, and put it back into the WHS 2011 product in a service pack,
2) If a hardware based solution came forward that companies could put into their WHS 2011 products when shipping, instead of a software based solution.
(I do not have any relation to DataCore or any of the other companies producing Drive Extender replacements, and do not at this point know if any of My Movies’ partners will deliever solutions based on any of these. This should be seen entirely as my personal view on it).
thanks Brian – I couldn’t agree with you more!
This sounds quite promising! Roll on the Beta …