DH2i™ Launches DxConsole 2012R2 - Featuring the Industry's First Microsoft SQL Server Instance Automated Load Balancer

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DH2i™ Company, the world's leading provider of hypervisor-less application virtualization solutions, today announced the general availability of DxConsole™ 2012R2 featuring DxSRM™ automated instance-level load balancer.  The new software module, available today for Microsoft SQL Server environments, enables systems/storage, application, and database administrators to simplify and improve application management across physical, virtual and cloud computing environments; resulting in dramatically enhanced performance, productivity, resource utilization (server and storage) and quality of service (QoS), as well as significant cost savings (typically over 50%). 

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DxConsole 2012R2, Featuring DxSRM, Enhancements:

• Increased Performance:  DxSRM enables users to achieve the highest performance for SQL Server instances by enabling the processing power of the servers to be intelligently leveraged. SQL Server instances are automatically and seamlessly redirected to servers with the lightest workloads, and therefore capable of providing the fastest performance.
• Added Intelligence:  DxSRM adds instance level management intelligence to SQL Server.  Policies can be pre-set for each instance (e.g., memory, CPU, and I/O usage, or network bandwidth) allowing instances to move automatically to support business objectives.
• Increased Flexibility and Scalability:  DxSRM enables SQL Server instances to be load-balanced, quickly and transparently, to onsite or remote resources (i.e., cloud) for virtually unlimited flexibility and scalability.  This also enables onsite resources to be fully optimized and capital expenditures to be deferred. 

The DxSRM automated instance-level load balancer resulted from direct customer and industry analyst feedback stating that one of the largest, most time consuming and expensive problems facing IT management today is that of Microsoft SQL Server sprawl. (Please see below for common SQL Server sprawl problems.)

Since its launch, DH2i's DxConsole has been helping customers to eliminate Microsoft SQL Server sprawl and its inevitable consequences, as outlined below.  Today, with the general availability introduction of DxSRM, DH2i has once again brought SQL Server management to the next level – with added performance and intelligence capabilities previously unavailable anywhere else in the industry. 

With DxSRM, customers can now set performance policies for each instance and server, utilizing metrics such as memory, CPU and I/O usage or network bandwidth.  DxSRM will then automatically monitor and move instances to meet the pre-set performance thresholds.  Moreover, unique response policies can be set allowing for alerts that range from a simple advisory with details regarding a change that has been made; to a change-request message requiring a response before any action is taken. 

"Today, many IT organizations dedicate an inordinate amount of time and energy to Microsoft SQL Server management," said Mark Bowker, Senior Analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group.  "I expect a solution such as DH2i's DxConsole 2012R2 which enables its users to more easily and effectively manage their IT environment – while lowering costs, will be very well received."

"DH2i's DxConsole is elegant in its simplicity, yet potent in its ability to enable its users to set policies and have actions occur the way they want them to – without their intervention, but with detailed notification," said Deni Connor, Founding Analyst, Storage Strategies NOW/Systems Strategies NOW. "One ideal use case is clearly an organization that has a physical infrastructure and/or private cloud in place, with access to a public cloud.  In this situation, parameters can be set stating that if the private cloud is not providing what the SQL Server instance requires, it can be moved to the public cloud in order to access virtually unlimited resources.  If and when the instance has completed its mission, it can be moved back in-house as required.  For some, this levels the playing field.  For all, it allows concentrated focus on core competencies, innovation and maintaining competitive advantage."

"Absolutely.  DxConsole 2012R2 enables Microsoft SQL Server instances to move freely and transparently within and between physical, virtual and cloud environments with very little interruption in service; and with the added DxSRM monitoring and policy setting capabilities, obligatory manual intervention is eliminated.  Instead of endless fire-drills, our customers can proactively plan and set strategies that align with business objectives," said Don Boxley, Co-Founder and CEO, DH2i.  "Moreover, the ROI of DxConsole is significant with most customers saving over 50% in the first year alone."

He added, "Another way to look at this, is that DH2i is strengthening the overall Windows SQL Server platform and ecosystem – making it easier to use and vastly more powerful."

DH2i DxConsole 2012R2 featuring DxSRM is now generally available and priced at $10,000 per CPU license.  To estimate the potential cost savings that could be appreciated from DxConsole, based on unique IT environment characteristics, please refer to DH2i's online ROI Calculator.

Common Microsoft SQL Server Sprawl Problems:

• Restrictive Deployment Model:  One instance tightly coupled to one server deployment means instance movement between servers is labor-intensive, time-consuming and prone to manual errors. 
  • Business Implication:  It becomes difficult, if not impossible, to respond to changes in workloads necessary to support the business – productivity, innovation, time-to-market and competitive advantage are threatened.
• Expensive High Availability:  Requires specialized redundant hardware or clustering – redundant hardware sits idle until failure.
  • Business Implication:  Overall corporate budget drain, as well as lost opportunity to allocate resources to IT assets and/or head-count that could be dedicated to activities directly related to business core competencies and the company's bottom line.
• Disruptive Technology Refresh / Migrations:  Typically, every 3 – 4 years server/storage hardware tech is refreshed – requiring a forklift upgrade or rip-and-replace.  Each refresh requires scheduled application downtime.  Afterwards, applications must be reinstalled.  If storage is refreshed, data must also be migrated. 
  • Business Implication:  Quite simply, most business organizations find it difficult to tolerate even a short interruption in service, let alone an extended disruption.  Moreover, there are typically errors during the reinstallation of applications and/or data migrations, causing additional business disruptions.
• Overall Poor Economic Value: Microsoft SQL Server sprawl leads to high licensing costs, over-provisioned servers and storage, and labor-intensive administration/management. 
  • Business Implication:  Again, the need to assign time and resource to this area of IT means a missed opportunity to assign funds and expertise to areas that would directly impact the bottom line.

About DH2i
Based in Fort Collins, CO, DH2i Company is the leader in providing hypervisor-less application virtualization solutions that enable agile, always-on infrastructures where enterprise applications can move freely and transparently within and between heterogeneous physical, virtual and cloud environments, with very little interruption in service.  Its flagship software product, DxConsole for SQL Server enables customers to create a private cloud utility that meets the high performance and availability needs of mission-critical SQL Server application environments.  By addressing all capital and operational cost elements (CapEx and OpEx) associated with managing SQL Server, it lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by over 50%.  For further information, please visit: www.dh2i.com, email: [email protected], or call: (970) 295-4505.

© DH2i Company. 2012.  DH2i, DxConsole, DxSRM, DxTransfer and InstanceMobility are trademarks of DH2i, Inc.  All other brand or product names contained in this press release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. 

PR Contact:

Nicole Gorman
Corporate Communications
DH2i Company
M: 508-397-0131
[email protected]

SOURCE DH2I