VMware Acquires Virsto, the Performance-Enhancing Drug of Virtualization

VMWare is in the pen-and-paper stage of getting an agreement signed in which it will acquire Virsto Software, a company that has revolutionized storage in hypervised environments.

A long-standing problem with virtualization is that the more machines you add, the less performance you get out of them. This forces you to invest in costly enhanced storage devices, turning virtualization into an ornamental art rather than a real money-saver. As more costs pile up, it really might not be worth all the fuss when you notice a 38 percent drop in performance after adding eight virtual machines. To counter this problem, Virsto introduces its own storage solution that acts as an I/O layer within the ESXi environment. Its organization of I/O structures allow for an organized, predictable pattern for data allocation that leads to a mere 4 percent drop in performance in an eight-machine situation!

So, the magic I/O company's bright idea will soon be property of the very makers of vSphere. VMWare's plan with Virsto is as follows, according to John Gilmartin, VP of Storage & Availability at VMWare.

"First, we'll continue to offer Virsto's standalone virtual appliance to help accelerate storage performance and improve efficiency in VMware vSphere environments. This means we'll continue to support existing Virsto customers while also introducing Virsto's capabilities to new users,” Gilmartin said.

And, of course, VMware will swallow up Virsto's ingenious idea and integrate it into its products.

It sure sounds like VMware is starting to push for first place among all virtualization environments. The boost in performance that vSphere will receive will likely attract a larger number of enterprises to the product. After all, saving money is somewhere on the top of the list of reasons why people go through the pains of overhauling their infrastructures into virtualized environments!