Smart storage includes an open-source toolkit for managing data centre storage

Public and private cloud infrastructure suppliers are utilising open-source tools to simplify the configuration, deployment and management of their server storage platforms. Until now, companies were confronted with the difficulty of creating their tools to handle their storage adapters and embedded solutions for these platforms. Microchip Technology is claimed to be the first to address this demand by providing production-ready open source tools for managing its Adaptec Smart Storage HBA, SmartHBA and SmartRAID offerings in OpenStack data centres.

By investing in and providing readily deployable open source tools and plug-ins, the company removes complexity for customers that are attaching storage resources to its Adaptec lineup of storage controller solutions in heterogeneous data centres powered by OpenStack. The prequalified and tested tools are scalable and customisable, easing management of large networks of cloud servers within enterprise-class infrastructures.

The tools include three components: A plug-in for MaaS, a bare-metal deployment tool from cloud industry leader and Ubuntu creator Canonical Ltd.; a scripted service formula, or 'charm', created with Canonical’s Juju modelling tool that enables users to remotely deploy Adaptec ARCCONF in any type of cloud environment so the adapters and connected devices can be configured and managed remotely using the Juju dashboard; and a plug-in for the OpenStack Horizon GUI that enables users to discover, configure and conveniently manage both Adaptec Smart Storage standard adapters and custom embedded solutions.

“Microchip is excited to deliver new open source tools that ease the integration of our Adaptec Smart Storage solutions used in OpenStack software-defined infrastructure,” said Andrew Dieckmann, associate vice president of marketing in the Data Center Storage (DCS) business unit at Microchip Technology. “This unique offering will improve our customers’ ability to rapidly and efficiently deploy new storage assets within OpenStack’s market-leading open source cloud server management framework.”

“The $6.1 billion market for OpenStack continues to post double-digit growth rates globally, across public and private clouds in nearly every conceivable use case, including containers, VMs and bare metal,” said Danny Carreno, senior manager of ecosystem development and operations at the OpenStack Foundation. “The open infrastructure community driving this growth is itself growing, with companies like Microchip integrating projects like the OpenStack Horizon Dashboard to support Microchip's Adaptec lineup of storage controller solutions. Their investment in the open infrastructure community can make it easier for operators to rapidly configure, deploy and manage storage resources in data centres powered by OpenStack.”