iSCSI

Servers Australia has a world-class Storage as a Service platform that utilises the leading Vendor HPE Nimble Storage to provide iSCSi block storage for virtualisation servers. The Nimble platform is one of the world’s fastest All-Flash Solid State Storage platforms and is a system that can provide not only a high Input-Output for Disk read and writes but also a redundant setup of multiple disks for each device as well as multiple controllers. This allows for multiple paths and connections to each iSCSI volume presented to virtualisation servers like Hyper-V or VMware vSphere (ESXi)

Nimble Devices enjoy 99.99997% uptime on a single Nimble Array and up to 280,000 sustained IOP’s (Input/Output Operations Per Second) (4K Byte Size) across the array.

We also have HPE Nimble Hybrid-based storage arrays for cheaper (slower) storage than the All-Flash Arrays. Customers that need replication can also have copies of their data stored on multiple nimble devices. 

The Nimble storage solution is great for customers that have many different types of servers and want more redundant storage than local disks; There are a few caveats on which type of servers you can connect.

Nimble Storage Pricing

All Flash Storage

• Primary Data Stores for Virtual Machines with high IO requirements like: 
  • Database 
  • Web Servers 
  • Application Servers 
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) 
  • Remote Desktops (RDP) 

Hybrid Storage 

• Secondary Data Stores for Virtual Machines for large data storage requirements with low IO requirements:
  • File Servers
  • Backup Servers
  • Archival Servers 

*All prices are ex. GST

Data Availability: Protection Plans

When we talk about Protection Policies this is in relation to storing snapshots (moments in time) of customer's data within the Nimble device. This provides customers “backups” in case of data corruption, deletion or malicious attacks.

Protection Plan Pricing

*All prices are ex. GST

Encryption

There is an option to purchase an encryption upgrade, allowing the Nimble array to encrypt ALL data that is written to the disks using AES-256 in XTS Cipher mode which is FIPS 140-2 approved. This system has a key per volume that is set by the end-user. If the end-user loses this key, then data can never be recovered, not even by Servers Australia or Nimble. Therefore this must be taken with precaution. If a disk or array is stolen from a DC (pretty much impossible) then the data remains encrypted at the disk level and can never be accessed.

Provisioned Input & Output Per Second (IOPS) with Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Use of Storage Services is subject to this Acceptable Use Policy. Each Nimble Array shelf can sustain in excess of 280,000 sustained IOP’s (4K Byte Size)per array. This allows us to provide burstable IO capacity and allows customers to utilise IOPS without having to worry about hitting any IO ceiling or receiving an unexpected bill. (which you could expect from AWS for example)

In the near future we will be implementing the following possible Quality of Service (QoS):

• All-Flash Volume - 25,000 IOPS per Volume
• Hybrid Volume- 250 IOPS (4K) per TB Provisioned 
  • For Example: 10TB would equate to allowing 2500 IOPs per Volume 

Each volume (iSCSI Target) will be able to achieve the designated IOPs included within that plan however will allow for burstable IO speeds in times of need. Examples could be; unscheduled media releases (causing huge spikes in IO load in servers). Malicious attacks that cause the services to “run away” or could be as simple as data-intensive tasks you run on a database.

This is monitored to ensure that individual customers that do use the burst capacity don’t impact other users on the platform and why we have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). If you are found to be consistently using more than the QoS targets we reserve the right to enforce QoS and/or charge substantially more if IO usage is exceptionally high.