AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - Dec 1, 2011) - Server virtualization can greatly improve network efficiency; it can also bring about a variety of new challenges that demand unique responses. [ SolarWinds ]® Inc. (NYSE: [ SWI ]), a leading provider of powerful and affordable [ IT management ] software, today announced its latest virtualization and storage free tool -- [ SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor ], to help target storage IO problems caused by server virtualization in real time.

"If a user is experiencing a slow response time on a virtual machine (VM), SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor can quickly and easily give a snapshot report into how VMware datastores are performing direct from the user's desktop in real time," said Jonathan Reeve, SolarWinds' Senior Director of Product Management. "Using this data, the user can then determine whether there is a VM issue or if the issue is related to storage."

SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor connects to VMware vSphere and monitors the top five host to datastore total storage response times, providing users with the top five virtual machines (VM) using the connections from an IO (IOPs) perspective.

For iSCSI and Fibre channel datastore types, SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor breaks down the total response time into "kernel latency" (time spent in the host) and "device latency" (time spent in the SAN).

SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor highlights:

• Get at-a-glance insight into host to datastore connections with the worst response times, and the busiest VMs using those connections
• See a breakdown of the datastore including type, and device versus kernel latency to understand if the bottleneck is in the host or the SAN

Users that need more insight into storage performance and capacity should download a free trial of [ SolarWinds Storage Manager, Powered by Profiler ] to quickly and easily monitor storage performance, isolate hotspots, automate storage capacity planning, map VMs to physical storage, and more.

To gain a comprehensive and historical view of all datastores, users should trial [ SolarWinds Virtualization Manager ].

Used together, SolarWinds Storage Manager and SolarWinds Virtualization Manager integrate to provide unprecedented visibility from the virtualization layer all the way to the underlying physical storage.

Pricing and Availability

• SolarWinds Storage Response Time Monitor is free and available on the SolarWinds website.
• Pricing for SolarWinds Virtualization Manager and SolarWinds Storage Manager start at $2,995. For more information, visit the [ SolarWinds website ], download a free 30-day evaluation, or call 866.530.8100.

About SolarWinds
SolarWinds (NYSE: [ SWI ]) provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide -- from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses. We work to put our users first and remove the obstacles that have become "status quo" in traditional enterprise software. SolarWinds products are downloadable, easy to use and maintain, and provide the power, scale, and flexibility needed to address users' management priorities. Our online user community, [ thwack ], is a gathering-place where tens of thousands of IT pros solve problems, share technology, and participate in product development for all of SolarWinds' products. Learn more today at [ http://www.solarwinds.com ].

SolarWinds, SolarWinds.com, and Orion are registered trademarks of SolarWinds. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.