Amito’s StorPool CloudStack Triumph

Summary

This article details how Amito, a UK-based managed service provider, leveraged StorPool and CloudStack to build a robust, multi-terabyte storage solution. It outlines the challenges Amito faced, their selection process, and the ultimate benefits they achieved. This case study provides a practical guide for others seeking to optimize their cloud storage infrastructure.

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** Main Story**

Amito’s Storage Story: A Challenge Many MSPs Know Well

Let’s be honest, for many businesses, especially Managed Service Providers (MSPs) like Amito, storage is a huge headache. It can be the most complex part of building a highly available virtualized server infrastructure. Amito, with a team averaging 15 years of hosting experience, knew this pain all too well. Their existing setup, a mix of solutions from big-name vendors and their own ZFS-based SANs, just wasn’t cutting it. It couldn’t deliver the performance and reliability they needed, and honestly, I’ve seen this same problem time and time again.

Something had to change. So, Amito went on the hunt for a partner who could deliver top-notch performance and a modern approach to storage. I mean, who wants to be stuck with outdated tech, right?

Finding the Right Fit: Evaluation and Selection

Amito didn’t just jump at the first shiny object. They went through a thorough evaluation of various storage vendors. They quickly narrowed their focus to StorPool, Nimble Storage, and Pure Storage. You see, they understood the need for a contemporary solution, something that could actually keep up with their growth. Legacy systems? They just couldn’t handle the pace. I remember when one of my clients decided not to upgrade their legacy system and the operational efficiencies just weren’t there.

Building the Dream: Deployment and Integration

StorPool stepped up and worked closely with Amito to deploy an initial 12 storage clusters, packing hundreds of terabytes of capacity. These clusters, built with Intel NVMe drives, Juniper 25G/100G switching, and AMD EPYC CPUs, were seamlessly integrated with KVM and CloudStack. It’s a pretty powerful setup. This supports a ton of Windows and Linux virtual machines and takes care of the diverse performance and availability demands of Amito’s various applications. And it doesn’t stop there; they’re already planning further expansion, with more clusters on the way. Because, you know, growth!

The Sweet Rewards: Performance, Efficiency, and Reliability

Since going with StorPool, Amito’s seen some seriously impressive results:

• Zero Downtime: The StorPool clusters have been rock solid, eliminating those dreaded and costly disruptions.
• Increased Efficiency: Thanks to StorPool’s smart snapshot implementation, Amito has slashed storage consumption by around 35%. That’s a significant saving, isn’t it?
• Enhanced Performance: Clients have noticed a huge boost in performance, which was a top priority for Amito.
• Proactive Monitoring: StorPool’s comprehensive statistics and monitoring tools let Amito spot and fix potential issues before they cause any problems. It’s like having a storage crystal ball!

Lessons Learned: A Step-by-Step Guide from Amito’s Experience

Amito’s success provides a roadmap for others looking to level up their cloud storage game. So, how do you get there? Well, let’s break it down:

1. Acknowledge the Beast: Realize that storage is often the most demanding part of a robust virtualized infrastructure. Ignoring this is like ignoring a leaky faucet – it will only get worse.
2. Embrace the New: Focus on modern storage technologies that offer scalability, performance, and reliability. Don’t be afraid to ditch those old legacy systems.
3. Choose Wisely: Look for a vendor that offers not only cutting-edge tech but also awesome support and a genuine partnership. A vendor should be more than just a tech-provider. They should be a collaborator.
4. Think Big (Picture): Design your storage solution with future expansion in mind. Go for a system that can easily scale to meet growing demands. There’s nothing worse than outgrowing your solution in a year.
5. Keep an Eye On Things: Use comprehensive monitoring tools to get valuable insights into your storage performance and nip potential problems in the bud before they affect your users. This is key, and you’d be surprised how many people skip this step.

By following these steps, and learning from Amito’s journey, businesses can build a solid and scalable cloud storage solution that boosts performance and efficiency. After all, as Amito’s CEO, Ed Butler, says, choosing the right storage partner is critical for achieving excellence.