SVM challenges the game of SVC Storage Virtualization Market

ESG A global survey found that companies deploying server virtualization are also likely to have storage virtualization. Of the surveyed 332 deployed server virtualization respondents, 24% have implemented storage virtualization, and another 33% are planning to implement storage virtualization over the next year or two years. As can be seen, storage virtualization is the trend of the general. ESG Analysts also point out that combining virtualization with storage technology is really a good move. The management tool for storage virtualization has played a game in the beginning of a good chess set.

Network Layer storage virtualization takes the initiative

Count the storage virtualization management tools now on the market, LSI SVM (Storage virtualization manager), IBM Svc (System Storage SAN, Volume Controller), HDS Tagmastore, and EMC Invista as more mature products. Among them, LSI and EMC are network Layer storage virtualization representative, adopt Out-of-band (Out-of-band) design principle. The IBM SVC uses an in-band (In-of-band) design principle. SVM 5 is the latest edition of the LSI at this year's Storage World Congress and launched in Beijing in November, and is the latest version of the SVM product after the LSI acquisition of Storeage. At the same time, the HP StorageWorks San Virtualization Service Platform has also chosen OEM SVM 5 to compete directly with IBM's storage virtualization management software SVC.

Nahum, academician and director of the Engenio Storage Division, a LSI company, said: "From a lot of previous practice, the network-tier storage virtualization is more flexible than other forms of virtualization, both in High-performance computing and in San environments, Cost is also cheaper. ”

In addition, based on the network layer of storage virtualization, the other is based on storage array virtualization, but faced with more problems. For example, in the case of access, using storage array virtualization requires that all channels must enter the same controller in the storage array, which is an unavoidable bottleneck. In order to break through this bottleneck, manufacturers must provide a huge controller, but this will lead to a rise in costs.

There is no such problem with storage virtualization based on the network layer, since all data interfaces are independent and do not require all channels to be in the same controller. The network-layer based storage virtualization product provided by LSI allows any form of access between any device at any time to be free. Rather than using a storage-array based virtualization approach that can only be accessed in a single direction, this is undoubtedly the opportunity for networked-layer storage virtualization.

In-band and in-band duel

In a virtual San construct, there are four ways to deliver storage virtualization services: In-band virtualization, Out-of-band virtualization, Spaid, and host-based virtualization. But the most intense debate is undoubtedly the use of band or Out-of-band mode. The SVC product in band is run on the device located on the data path, and all data must be processed by SVC before being allocated to the storage pool. This design principle relies on powerful I/O processing computing power and high scalability.

IBM has formed an I/O GROUP by combining a pair of redundant "storage Engines" based on IBM System X server technology. Each I/O group contains GB of high speed buffer memory. Through this design to achieve a high degree of uniformity of data processing and management. Of course, this kind of in-band design will inevitably encounter I/O bottlenecks, because how the user business changes is unpredictable.

The SVM of Out-of-band design adopts a kind of architecture of separating data path, separating control and data information and giving the virtualization device multiple paths. The SVM design principle makes the data path not participate in the data processing like the IBM SVC, can avoid the problem of I/O bottleneck.

Of course, there are some deficiencies in SVM, for example, in the maximum data management, SVM 5 of the largest data manageable amount of 2PB, while the IBM Svc reached a staggering 8PB, although the data management can not be measured by the maximum amount of data management, but in the face of the explosive increase in data volume, Higher capacity management is undoubtedly more attractive to customers, but the current amount of storage data of our enterprises is still rarely reached so high.

In addition, LSI SVM 5 can only allocate volumes to 2 TB of capacity, which will be the future of SVM needs to be improved. In an interview with reporters after the conference, LSI Global software business support director Gabi Cohen agreed, and said that future product improvements will provide greater capacity allocation.