Converged storage
Encyclopedia
Converged storage is a storage
architecture that combines storage and compute into a single entity. This can result in the development of platforms for server centric, storage centric or hybrid workloads where applications and data come together to improve application performance and delivery. The combination of storage and compute differs to the traditional IT model in which computation and storage take place in separate or siloed computer equipment. The traditional model can become a bottleneck as data sets gets bigger and the time to access that data gets shorter.
enclosure, applications and storage can be brought together within a server by virtualization
. Server and storage can be managed as a resource pool, for example in infrastructure- as-a-service (IaaS).
for both server and storage.
technology. These virtual servers could be running traditional server tasks, such as applications programming. By using storage controller software, these servers could also be made into data storage systems. This latter architecture is known as virtual machine
-based storage. The storage software is often called a VSA−virtual SAN appliance or virtual storage appliance. VSA is the name of software from HP that allows users to build storage-area networks using their existing servers. It is also the name of software from VMware
that enables shared storage for virtual machines.
is to provide a pool of resources that can be quickly deployed to deliver new services. This requires a service designer to lay out the required characteristics for a new service or application and an orchestration (computing) engine to configure the underlying infrastructure to deliver the new service.
and EMC
provide scale-out storage to address both the growth of unstructured data
and the need to simplify data center operations.
Scale-out storage differs from scale-up architectures in traditional storage, which primarily scales by adding many individual disk drives to a single non-clustered storage controller. In a scale-out architecture, management software is used to manage the multiple storage devices, to act like a single system. Storage analyst company, Enterprise Strategy Group, writes that scale-out storage can help to provide timely IT provisioning, improve system availability and provide better resource utilization.
, in which multiple machines or users access the virtual and physical resources at the same time. In addition to storage, the other resources accessed in this architecture are processors and networks. A converged storage does this by moving application workloads between disk systems.
(SAN) and network-attached storage
(NAS) architectures can be shared among several server applications.
Storage
Storage may refer to:-Storage of goods:* Warehouse, a commercial building for storage of goods* Self storage, public storage facility-Containers:* Dry cask storage, storing high-level radioactive waste* Food storage...
architecture that combines storage and compute into a single entity. This can result in the development of platforms for server centric, storage centric or hybrid workloads where applications and data come together to improve application performance and delivery. The combination of storage and compute differs to the traditional IT model in which computation and storage take place in separate or siloed computer equipment. The traditional model can become a bottleneck as data sets gets bigger and the time to access that data gets shorter.
Design considerations
The goal of converged storage is to bring together server and storage and/or application and data to deliver services that are better optimized for target workloads. This can mean server and storage converged within a common hardware platform. For example, a blade serverBlade server
A blade server is a stripped down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Whereas a standard rack-mount server can function with a power cord and network cable, blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power...
enclosure, applications and storage can be brought together within a server by virtualization
Virtualization
Virtualization, in computing, is the creation of a virtual version of something, such as a hardware platform, operating system, a storage device or network resources....
. Server and storage can be managed as a resource pool, for example in infrastructure- as-a-service (IaaS).
Common hardware platform
Industry standard servers, such as those using Intel processors (x86), form the basis of converged storage. As these servers follow Moore’s Law and increase power and performance they have the capabilities to run storage workloads, in addition to being compute servers. Data centers can further consolidate and minimize the use of physical space and energy by using industry-standard –based blade serverBlade server
A blade server is a stripped down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Whereas a standard rack-mount server can function with a power cord and network cable, blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power...
for both server and storage.
Common software
In server virtualization, multiple “virtual” servers operate on a single platform using hypervisorHypervisor
In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
technology. These virtual servers could be running traditional server tasks, such as applications programming. By using storage controller software, these servers could also be made into data storage systems. This latter architecture is known as virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
-based storage. The storage software is often called a VSA−virtual SAN appliance or virtual storage appliance. VSA is the name of software from HP that allows users to build storage-area networks using their existing servers. It is also the name of software from VMware
VMware
VMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
that enables shared storage for virtual machines.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
The goal of IaaSIAAS
IAAS can refer to the following:*Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors, British professional body renamed 1993 as the Association of Building Engineers* Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, institute of Tribhuvan University, Nepal...
is to provide a pool of resources that can be quickly deployed to deliver new services. This requires a service designer to lay out the required characteristics for a new service or application and an orchestration (computing) engine to configure the underlying infrastructure to deliver the new service.
Scale-out architecture
Scale-out architecture is a component of converged storage. Scale-out storage is the combination of modular computers and standardized storage components to create federated storage pools. The result is an increase of computer power, bandwidth and storage capacity that can exceed that of a single traditional storage array or high performance computer. Storage vendors such as Hewlett-PackardHewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
and EMC
EMC
EMC may refer to:In organizations:* EMC Corporation, an information management company* IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society, a worldwide professional engineering society* Eastern Media Centre, a television channel in the UK...
provide scale-out storage to address both the growth of unstructured data
Unstructured data
Unstructured Data refers to information that either does not have a pre-defined data model and/or does not fit well into relational tables. Unstructured information is typically text-heavy, but may contain data such as dates, numbers, and facts as well...
and the need to simplify data center operations.
Scale-out storage differs from scale-up architectures in traditional storage, which primarily scales by adding many individual disk drives to a single non-clustered storage controller. In a scale-out architecture, management software is used to manage the multiple storage devices, to act like a single system. Storage analyst company, Enterprise Strategy Group, writes that scale-out storage can help to provide timely IT provisioning, improve system availability and provide better resource utilization.
Federation
Storage federation (also known as federated storage) uses distributed volume management to shift workloads from busy arrays to those with available capacity. This is done using native peer-to-peer communication. Multiple autonomous storage systems are combined and managed as a single storage pool. This helps to improve storage utilization, balance workloads and ease storage migration.Multitenant architecture
Converged storage supports the multitenant (multitenancy) architecture of cloud computingCloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
, in which multiple machines or users access the virtual and physical resources at the same time. In addition to storage, the other resources accessed in this architecture are processors and networks. A converged storage does this by moving application workloads between disk systems.
Monolithic storage architectures
Monolithic storage architectures have been characterized as large storage arrays that require a large upfront investment and resources. Hitachi Data Systems, is quoted as saying such storage requires enterprises to spend $500,000 on customizing their data centers to support the power requirements of monolithic equipment. Monolithic arrays provide failover benefits. The shared cache architecture of monolithic arrays ensures that if one cache module fails, another cache is used to process the user's request. However once you have more than a single system this architecture is complex and requires investment to manage and control the interactions between the different components. Monolithic architectures support both block and file-based architectures, either independently or in a unified storage system that brings together both block and file.Direct-attached storage
Direct-attached storage (DAS) provides scaling of storage directly attached to the server. The storage is dedicated to a single server and is not sharable among multiple servers. Data stored on a Storage area networkStorage area network
A storage area network is a dedicated network that provides access to consolidated, block level data storage. SANs are primarily used to make storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes, accessible to servers so that the devices appear like locally attached devices...
(SAN) and network-attached storage
Network-attached storage
Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous clients. NAS not only operates as a file server, but is specialized for this task either by its hardware, software, or configuration of those elements...
(NAS) architectures can be shared among several server applications.