The advent of software-defined storage and hyperconvergence technologies makes virtual data storage an attractive option for businesses looking to cut down on IT costs. These solutions can save a lot of money because they don’t require redundant hardware required in traditional enterprise storage systems to ensure disaster recovery.
Virtual data storage permits IT to pool physical data storage devices like SANs into what appears as a single device or virtual storage array. There are several ways to utilize the technology such as host-based virtualization and network-based storage (which combines storage devices from an FC or iSCSI storage device into one pool controlled by a central management console). Host-based virtualization can be found in HCI systems and cloud storage.
Virtual storage needs to be compatible with the underlying hardware infrastructure but also with servers, hypervisors and networking components. It should also be able to support data encryption as well as granular access and authentication controls, as well as robust backup and disaster recovery capabilities.
Additionally, virtual storage must be able of addressing issues of latency and performance. This includes ensuring that critical software can run without compromising performance or causing delay to retrieval of data. This means assessing storage controller capabilities, network bandwidth and capacity for disk I/O as much as deploying caching mechanisms. This also includes installing advanced storage functions such as tiering and replication at the virtualization level.
