IT MANAGEMENT RESEARCH,

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS AND CONSULTING

Executive Summary

Virtualization delivers many benefits for cost reduction, resource efficiency, and flexibility.

However, a comprehensive, centralized storage system is critical to achieving the leading goals of

server virtualization, including:

• Server Consolidation – Offloading backup, snapshot, provisioning, etc. onto storage

devices reduces server load and allows higher consolidation ratios.

• Reduce Hardware Costs – Eliminating local disks reduces server and power costs, while

thin provisioning, image cloning, and data de-duplication reduce storage costs.

• Flexibility and Agility – Central storage, thin provisioning, and image cloning allow ‘on-

demand’ provisioning and migration in response to business needs.

• Reduce Downtime – Offloading storage activity reduces offline time for maintenance (e.g.,

backups), while live migration can virtually eliminate downtime.

• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity – Centralized storage and cross-site replication

allows fast disaster recovery to new systems or entirely new sites.

Citrix and NetApp deliver comprehensive, integrated functions

for server virtualization and centralized storage management,

to deliver these benefits for the Citrix Delivery Center and

Citrix Cloud Center solutions, including Citrix XenServer, Citrix

XenDesktop, and Citrix XenApp.

Guy M. Turner, Inc. exemplifies these benefits, with their “disas-

ter-proof ” XenServer/NetApp infrastructure, consolidating mul-

tiple servers, eliminating potential downtime costs of $150,000 per

day, improving user experience, accelerating response to business

Citrix virtualization and NetApp

storage adds substantial and

measurable value, drives

specific and measurable

success, and provides many

valuable, unique functions

requests, and cutting support costs, all at a third of the cost of

alternative solutions.

ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES® (EMA™) analysts believe the combination of

Citrix virtualization and NetApp storage adds substantial and measurable value, drives specific and

measurable success, and provides many valuable, unique functions that will help organizations to

achieve the leading benefits of virtualization.

Virtualization Benefits of Comprehensive Storage

EMA research consistently shows that virtualization delivers many benefits for cost reduction,

resource efficiency, and flexibility. Indeed, 90% of enterprises report measurable cost savings, and

93% report they are achieving multiple objectives simultaneously1.

However, the best results require more than simply deploying a hypervisor. Of the top 5

virtualization outcomes in EMA research2, it is clear that all benefit from integration with compre-

hensive, highly-functional, centralized storage:

1 See EMA Research Report, Virtualization and Management: Trends, Forecasts, and Recommendations,

http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/research/asset.php?id=721

2 Virtualization and Management: Trends, Forecasts, and Recommendations

Better Virtualization Outcomes with Citrix Essentials for XenServer and NetApp Storage

©2009 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Page 1