Nutanix Era
Automates and simplifies database operations

Automate your database operations

Nutanix Era is a suite of software which automates and simplifies database management, bringing one-click simplicity and invisible operations to database provisioning and lifecycle management (LCM).

Copy Data Management Service

Copy data management is Nutanix Era’s first offering. This feature is powered by a time machine technology that is built on innovative algorithms, efficient database snapshots, and intelligent log management systems.

Time machine for the database
Nutanix Era leverages Nutanix's space and time efficient snapshot technology, integrates it with application-specific APIs to achieve app-centric snapshots, point-in-time recovery.

One-click database time machine
Leveraging the integrated Nutanix snapshot technology, Era creates space-efficient database snapshots and enables databases running on Nutanix to be cloned or restored to any specific point in time, up to the last database transaction.

1-click database clone/refresh
Nutanix Era lowers OpEx costs for enterprises by enabling one-click clone/restore database operations in just a few minutes, up to the last database transaction.

Nutanix Era: Databases Made Simple

Nutanix first made datacenter infrastructure invisible with enterprise cloud built on hyperconverged infrastructure. The company next transformed and simplified virtualization from stand-alone product to feature. Today, with Nutanix Era, Nutanix announces a revolution in provisioning and managing databases. Nutanix Era is expected to be available in the second half of 2018.

The Challenge with Legacy Database Environments

IDC’s 2016 report on Copy Data Management (CDM) showed that 77% of the organizations surveyed have more than 200 database instances while 82% have more than 10 copies of each instance. The typical database administrator (DBA) must provision, manage, refresh, restore and perform other database operations for 2,000 database instances. The complexity and time-consuming nature of managing all these instances is further exacerbated when the databases run on a wide variety of legacy software and hardware technologies.

Provisioning each database requires considerations such as configuring compute as a single VM or multiple VMs in a cluster. Storage provisioning often requires multiple disk groups to handle different kinds of database data such as data files, software, online logs, logfiles, local backups, etc. Once the DBA identifies the compute and storage and has a ready environment, the database server setup process starts with installing the database software. A clustered system requires installation, configuration and testing of additional components. The DBA must also protect the database by configuring backup policies requiring integration with different backup software and hardware technologies.

Cloning and data refresh processes are complex as well. Cloning requires backup set identification along with any log files that are needed for clone creation. The DBA must first locate the backups (tapes or secondary sources) and then perform a complex recovery process that includes setting up the database server, connecting to the database, restoring database backups, and finally replaying the database logs to a specific time. Then the DBA must regularly refresh all these database copies and clones with the source data to be useful. Now imagine scaling that effort to hundreds of databases to support different groups (test/dev, BI, QA, etc.) within the organization.

Nutanix Era

Nutanix Era is a suite of software which automates and simplifies database management, bringing one-click simplicity and invisible operations to database provisioning and lifecycle management (LCM). Starting with Copy Data Management (CDM) as its first offering, Nutanix Era enables database admins to provision, clone, refresh and restore their databases to any point in time. Through a rich, but simple to use, UI and CLI, they can restore to the latest application-consistent transaction.

One-Click time machine: Leveraging Nutanix space and time-efficient snapshots and application-centric APIs, Nutanix Era lowers CapEx costs for enterprise customers who are managing many copies of databases.

One-Click database clone/refresh: Eliminates the time consuming, complex process of database clone/refresh. Allows admins to create database clones/refresh to any point in time in just a few minutes, saving immensely on enterprise OpEx.

Your DBAs (and CFO) will Love You

In summary, Nutanix Era automates database provisioning and lifecycle management – slashing both DBA time and the cost of managing databases with traditional technologies. Nutanix Era initially supports Oracle and Postgres databases, but will expand over time to include an increasing number of popular databases, starting with Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL. With Nutanix Era, your DBAs will be delighted by getting back their weekends, and your CIOs contented with lowered TCO of their Database estate.