Maxta this week added an analytics component to its core hyperconvergence software. The intent is to deliver better system management and operational improvements, including less downtime and reduced manual management.
The new reporting software, called MxIQ, collects operational data across the entire customer base to “create a collection of trends and issues that can then be applied to any of its customers, “Mike Leone, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, said.
Metadata is collected via pre-installed agents on customer servers and transmitted securely to the MxIQ cloud-based service where correlated issues are analysed and resolved.
“What this does,” Leone said, “is allow Maxta to predict an issue – whether it’s the need to add capacity or recognize a future failure of a specific drive – as well as recommend a solution before an outage occurs.”
Yoram Novick, Maxta founder and CEO, issued a canned quote: “With MxIQ, we are using information in a new way that allows us to predict future trends and probable outcomes to help customers plan more accurately and provide extended peace of mind. ”
MxIQ is an integrated component of Maxta Hyperconvergence software. The basic version is free and added extras come at an undisclosed cost. You can find out more from your reseller.
Nimble by name, Nimble by nature
With this launch Maxta follows in the footsteps of Nimble Software, a trailblazer in storage software systems management.
Nimble changed the game with its InfoSight array sensor-based metrics. The software pumped operational data from the entire array base to a Nimble data centre in the cloud where they were aggregated and analysed to find patterns of problems around components, performance and capacity. Customers were alerted to likely problems before they occurred.
HPE, which bought Nimble, is applying a similar analytics scheme to its 3PAR arrays and has ambitions to extend its scope to servers and networking.
Pure Storage and other suppliers have followed in Nimble’s footsteps and now Maxta is worshipping at the same system management analytics temple.
Soon the provision of sensor data from deployed products to a cloud data centre where it is aggregated and analysed for the benefit of the products’ customer base will become table stakes for every IT system supplier.
