What is Enginuity?

Enginuity™ is the name of the storage operating environment that controls components in an EMC Symmetrix storage array. This specialized operating environment is optimized for data storage functions. It is driven by real-time events related to the input and output of data and applies self-optimizing intelligence to deliver performance, availability and data integrity for EMC advanced storage arrays.

Advancements in Enginuity are carried forward in each successive EMC platform generation. This means that all of the reliability, availability, and serviceability features; all of the interoperability and host operating systems coverage; and all of the application software capabilities developed by EMC and its partners continue to perform productively and seamlessly as underlying hardware technology is refreshed.

Enginuity encompasses four key concepts:

* Foundation—Preemptive multi-tasking, operational consistency, and security. Managing multiple shared resources across Symmetrix systems, Enginuity provides built-in security capabilities while insulating storage applications from technology changes.
* Performance—Maximizing speed. Utilizing patented intelligent adaptive algorithms to manage data flow across channels, memory, and disks, Enginuity dynamically controls events in complex and highly variable environments to maximize application performance under varying workloads.
* Availability—Always accessible data. Enginuity manages data integrity through redundant functions in hardware and software including mirrored memory, redundant disk placement and infrastructure to assure data availability and reliability. Availability and reliability includes trend analysis and early detection as well as automatic failover and fully automated escalation upon problem detection.
* Open integration—Comprehensive coverage, guaranteed interoperability, and investment protection.

EMC maintains a storage networking interoperability program for hardware and software. In addition, using openly available application programming interfaces (APIs) and supporting SMI industry standards, independent software vendors are able to utilize Enginuity functions in their own packages.

Enginuity on Symmetrix provides multiple RAID protection levels as well as copies of data locally, on the same array, or remotely on another remote Symmetrix array with EMC’s Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF). Importantly, Enginuity can control the consistency of data copies at various locations allowing for multiple application uses as well as full security and data integrity in the event of a catastrophic shutdown at any client site. Enginuity also includes capabilities like Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST) and Virtual Provisioning – EMC’s thin provisioning option.