We’re happy to announce the availability of the following features in Microsoft Azure StorSimple:

• Bandwidth templates
• Controller management
• Configuration of email addresses for notification alerts
• Availability of StorSimple in the AUS geo

Bandwidth Templates

You can now configure multiple time-of-day schedules to tier the data from the StorSimple device to the cloud and avoid potential network contention issues. Users can create, modify, delete, and save these schedules as templates. These bandwidth templates can then be applied on volume containers to control the bandwidth consumed by the StorSimple device when performing operations involving the cloud.

You now have the ability to:

• Specify schedules that customize bandwidth usage for specific days of the week/times of the day.
• Centralize management and reuse schedules across multiple appliances in a seamless manner.

Detailed information on creation, modification and usage of Bandwidth templates is available in the MSDN documentation here.

Controller Management

You can now manage the dual controllers on your 8000 series StorSimple appliances from the Azure StorSimple Manager Service.

While restarting a controller or shutting down your StorSimple device is not required as part of normal system operation, if you do need to shut down the controllers for hardware maintenance purposes, this can now be initiated from the Maintenance page on the Device tab of the StorSimple Manager Service. You can also power on a shutdown controller or restart a powered-on controller. More information on the recommended usage is available as part of the MSDN documentation here.

Note: To use the bandwidth templates and controller management features, you first need to install the updates available on the Maintenance page on the Device tab of the StorSimple Manager Service. For more information on these updates, check StorSimple Updates. We recommend that you scan for and apply these updates as a part of your regular maintenance routine. You can also turn on automatic updates to download and install high-priority updates from Microsoft as soon as they’re released. For more information, see how to install Updates.

Email Settings

If you want to send device health and other monitoring alerts to specific email addresses, you can enable them in Alert Settings on the Configure page on the Device tab of the StorSimple Manager Service. You can configure a maximum of 20 email addresses per device. These settings can be changed at any time. More information is available in the MSDN documentation here.

Microsoft Azure StorSimple in Australia

Microsoft Azure StorSimple is now available in Australia with the same service-level agreement coverage available in other regions worldwide. StorSimple offers a unique hybrid cloud storage solution which provides large on-premises capacity for SSD and HDD, data protection, as well as data mobility through access to enterprise data in Microsoft Azure through the StorSimple Virtual Appliance. This solution optimizes total storage costs and data protection for enterprises, with consolidated management through Azure portal.

Learn more about getting started with StorSimple.
For more information about services regional availability, please visit our Azure Regions page.