Industry leaders announce next MS architecture blueprint

EMC Corporation, Brocade, CommVault Systems, Dell, Emulex Corporation, NetIQ Corp, KVS Inc and Nortel Networks have announced the first partner-led Microsoft Systems Architecture (MSA) blueprint for the Enterprise Data Center (EDC).

Alex Robertson, Technology Solutions Group Manager, EMC SA, says the EDC Blueprint for Replication and Recovery is a pre-tested solution that provides implementation guidance for a proven, integrated IT infrastructure delivering scalability and high availability in Microsoft Windows Server environments.

"This Blueprint provides fully documented guidance for planning, building and managing an enterprise data centre configuration with data replication and recovery designed into every aspect," he says.

Incorporating core Windows Server System components, including Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, the MSA EDC blueprint has been pre-tested and validated to provide lower cost of ownership and high-quality service while supporting multiple interconnected sites.

The blueprint includes hardware, software and enterprise IT services such as messaging, authentication, access control, database, file and print, and Web-access network connectivity. Customers can leverage the blueprint to provide integrated solutions that can consolidate and optimise Windows-based IT infrastructures.

The MSA EDC blueprint, developed through extensive engineering activities by the partners, provides detailed guidance on configurations for central, departmental and regional data centres with increased IT availability, reliability and scalability.

It extends the work that began last year between EMC, Brocade, Dell, Emulex, Nortel Networks and Microsoft for the MSA Internet Data Center. These industry partners are also working on another MSA Enterprise Data Center blueprint that focuses on multiple levels of consolidation and multiple site disaster recovery.