Software-defined storage: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:31, 5 January 2022

Revision as of 14:01, 25 January 2022

Line 41:

In [[computing]], a '''storage hypervisor''' is a software program which can run on a physical server hardware platform, on a [[virtual machine]], inside a hypervisor OS or in the storage network. It may co-reside with virtual machine [[Supervisory program|supervisors]] or have exclusive control of its platform. Similar to virtual server [[hypervisor]]s a storage hypervisor may run on a specific hardware platform, a specific hardware architecture, or be hardware independent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comparison of virtualization technologies|url=http://virt.kernelnewbies.org/TechComparison}}</ref>

The storage hypervisor software virtualizes the individual storage resources it controls and creates one or more flexible pools of storage capacity. In this way it separates the direct link between physical and logical resources in parallel to virtual server hypervisors. By moving storage management into isolated layer it also helps to increase system uptime and [[High Availability]]. "Similarly, a storage hypervisor can be used to manage virtualized storage resources to increase utilization rates of disk while maintaining high reliability."<ref>{{cite journal |title=Evaluation and design of highly reliable and highly utilized cloud computing systems, Page |page=12 |publisherjournal=Journal of Cloud Computing | date=June 9, 2014 | authorfirst1= Brett |last1=Snyder, |first2=Jordan |last2=Ringenberg, |first3=Robert GreenEmail author,|last3=Green |first4=Vijay |last4=Devabhaktuni and |first5=Mansoor |last5=Alam |doi=10.1186/s13677-015-0036-6|s2cid=17909593}}</ref>

The storage hypervisor, a centrally-managed supervisory software program, provides a comprehensive set of storage control and monitoring functions that operate as a transparent virtual layer across consolidated disk pools to improve their [[high availability|availability]], speed and utilization.

Line 55:

The term "hypervisor" within "storage hypervisor" is so named because it goes beyond a supervisor,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hypervisor glossary definition|url=http://www.xen.org/files/xen_user_manual.pdf|work=Xen v2.0 for x86 Users' Manual (PDF)|publisher=Xen.org on August 20, 2011}}</ref> it is conceptually a level higher than a supervisor and therefore acts as the next higher level of management and intelligence that sits above and spans its control over device-level storage controllers, disk arrays, and virtualization middleware.

A storage hypervisor has also been defined as a higher level of storage virtualization <ref>{{cite web|title=SearchStorage.com definition|url=http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/storage-virtualization|publisher=What is storage virtualization? Definition on SearchStorage.com}}</ref> software, providing a "Consolidation and cost: Storage pooling increases utilization and decreases costs. Business availability: Data mobility of virtual volumes can improve availability. Application support: Tiered storage optimization aligns storage costs with required application service levels".<ref>{{cite book|title=IBM SmartCloud Virtual Storage Center|date = 6 March 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_pbABgAAQBAJ&pg=PA28|publisher=IBM Redbooks|isbn = 9780738440439}}</ref> The term has also been used in reference to use cases including its reference to its role with storage virtualization in disaster recovery <ref>{{cite web|title=SearchDisasterRecovery Article|url=http://searchdisasterrecovery.techtarget.com/news/2240037212/The-cloud-and-virtualization-havent-make-IT-disaster-recovery-plans-obsolete|publisherwebsite=Published in SearchDisasterRecovery.com on |date=June 23, 2011 and written by |first=Todd |last=Erickson}}</ref> and, in a more limited way, defined as a volume migration capability across SANs.<ref>{{cite web|title=ComputerWorld Article|url=http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/368886/compellent_adds_virtualization_hardware_upgrades_its_san/ |publisherdate=Published on November 23, 2010 and written by |first=Lucas |last=Mearian}}{{dead link}}</ref>

}}</ref>

===Server vs. storage hypervisor===