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San Jose, Calif. - Oct 18, 2012 – Nimble Storage, the leading provider of flash-optimized, hybrid storage solutions, today announced a new reference architecture with Cisco Systems and VMware for 1,000 simultaneous VDI users, requiring only 3U of rack space, for $43 for storage per desktop. A preconfigured, fully-integrated system – built around the reference architecture, which consists of a Nimble CS220G-X2 array, Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) B-Series Blade server platform, and VMware View® 5.1 – enables customers to rapidly provision VDI, realize significant savings over deployment of physical desktops, and achieve high levels of security and central manageability.

Highlights

• Fully validated and tested Nimble Storage, Cisco and VMware reference architecture that eliminates the complexities of configuring compute, networking and storage
• Nimble Storage conducted load stress tests, including tests for boot storms and software patches, that optimize the system configuration
• Optimized desktop storage density: $43 per desktop for 1,000 users in 3U of rack space
• The architecture was tested with a moderate profile steady-state workload
• Modular product architecture provides easy scalability and support

Architecture

• Cisco UCS B-Series Blade server platform including six UCS B230 M2 blades, each with dual-socketed 10-core Intel CPU and 256GB RAM
• Dual, redundant 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections between the Nimble Storage array and Cisco UCS Fabric Interconnect
• Windows 7 Enterprise virtual desktops with 1.5GB vRAM and one vCPU per desktop
• One Nimble Storage CS220G-X2 array with twelve 1TB hard disk drives and four 160GB flash SSDs
• VMware View 5.1 with VMware vSphere®

Quotes

Suresh Vasudevan, CEO, Nimble Storage

“The economics of VDI are extremely compelling, but customers may balk at implementation if they foresee long ramp-up times, interoperability problems, performance issues or uncertain ROI. Nimble Storage has united with Cisco and VMware to eliminate the uncertainties of VDI with a reference architecture that has been proven under loads and in an extensive range of scenarios. There’s a common denominator in every scenario for VDI: the need for speed. Users simply won’t wait for their data. Built from the ground up for virtualized environments, Nimble arrays reduce latencies, effectively enabling end users to gain the responsiveness of a physical desktop with the convenience and security of VDI.”

Mason Uyeda, Director of Technical Marketing, End-User Computing, VMware

“VMware provides robust, easy-to-deploy desktop virtualization solutions that can enhance user productivity and provide IT with low-cost, secure and truly scalable platforms to support end users. VMware View together with Nimble and Cisco help drive this goal and ensures that customers can confidently leverage this technology to get up and running quickly and successfully.”

Andrew Pruett, IT Director, Teck

“When we were looking for storage to deploy VDI over our Cisco UCS infrastructure running VMware ESX and View, our primary criteria were performance, ease of use and price. Nimble has delivered on all these and then some. Today we have 700 desktops deployed, with a plan to scale this to 1,200-1,400 desktops, all supported by one 3U Nimble array.”

The Cisco Developer Network unites Cisco with third-party developers of hardware and software to deliver tested interoperable solutions to joint customers. As a Solution Developer, Nimble shares Cisco’s strong commitment to customer service and satisfaction, has completed interoperability verification testing based on criteria set forth by Cisco and can provide their customers 24-hour, 7-days-a-week customer support.