Deep Dive Into Storage Virtualization By Shivam and Rishabh

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So firstly the question arises what is storage virtualization?

We can say that it is a group of physical storage from multiple network storage which appears to be a single storage device. Through this technique, the user does not have to be worried about the location of their data, which can be identified using a logical path

Reasons which bring us to storage virtualization:-

1. Better storage utilization.

2. Managing storage becomes easier.

3. Availability of data increases.

4. Improved backup and recovery process.

5. Data replication and disaster recovery.

• All these features are present because storage virtualization uses the most popular technique to store data known as SAN (Storage Area Network).
• Storage Virtualization consists of SAN and Object storage (HTTP).

Before proceeding with SAN we should take a look around other storage techniques:
1. NAS (Network Attached storage)
2. DAS (Direct Attached storage)
3. SAN (Storage Area Network)

DAS (Direct Attached Storage)
DAS is appropriate for a little to medium measured business where adequate measures of capacity can be designed at a low startup cost. The DAS nook will be a different nearby bureau that contains the extra plate drives. An interior PCI-based RAID controller is regularly arranged in the server to associate with the storage. The SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) innovation is utilized to interface the circle exhibits.

NAS (Network Attached Storage)
NAS is a storage device connected to a network that allows storage and retrieval of data from a central location for authorized network users and various clients. NAS stockpiling commonly has a lower startup cost on the grounds that the current syste can be used. This can be exceptionally alluring to little to-medium size businesses. Different conventions can be utilized for document sharing, for example, NFS for UNIX customers and CIF for Windows clients. Most NAS models execute the capacity exhibits as iSCSI focuses on that can be shared over the networks. Dedicated iSCSI systems can likewise be designed to boost the system throughput.

• Shared storage over shared network.
• Latency increases.
• Easy data backup.
• It consists of both structured and unstructured data.

SAN (Storage Area Network)

With Storage Area Networks (SAN), we regularly observe this arrangement utilized with medium-to-huge size organizations, basically because of the bigger beginning investment. SANs require a framework comprising of SAN switches, circle controllers, HBAs (have transport connectors) and fiber cables. SANs influence outside RAID controllers and plate fenced in areas to give fast stockpiling to various potential servers.

The primary advantage of a SAN-based capacity arrangement is the capacity to share the capacity clusters to different servers. This permits you to design the capacity limit varying, for the most part by a committed SAN administrator. Higher degrees of execution throughput are commonplace in a SAN domain, and information is profoundly accessible through repetitive plate controllers and drives. The impediments incorporate a lot of higher startup costs for SANs, and they are naturally

substantially more perplexing to oversee.

• Shared storage over dedicated network.
• Only structured data.
• Latency decreases.
• Block storage.

Object Storage

Object storage, also known as object-based storage, is a strategy that manages and manipulates data storage as distinct units, called objects. These objects are kept in a single storehouse and are not ingrained in files inside other folders. Instead, object storage combines the pieces of data that make up a file, adds all its relevant metadata to that file, and attaches a custom identifier. It is purely used for unstructured data. i.e; Audio, videos, media, Backup and log files, Large sets of historical data,

Archived data.

Advantages of storage virtualization

1. It allows for migrations to be performed quickly.

2. It creates better workflows.

3. More than one type of storage array.

4. A cheaper option for storage.

5. Better access to your data.

Disadvantages of storage virtualization

1. It requires you to deal with multiple vendors.

2. Problems in upgrading software.

3. There are data security issues.

4. It creates more links for data access instead of less.

References:

Fig 1:  https://www.educba.com/storage-virtualization/