4ARCTIC

Virtualization Techniques

Chapter 4 (Part1)

Storage Virtualization
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Chapter Content

▪ Sec 1: Review of key Storage Concepts

▪ Sec 2 : What is Storage Virtualization ?

▪ Sec 3 : Storage virtualization types

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Review of key Storage

Concepts
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Review of key Storage Concepts
Storage architectures
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Common storage architecture (DAS vs. NAS vs. SAN)

▪ DAS - Direct Attached Storage

▪ Storage device was directly attached to a server or workstation, without a storage network in

between.

▪ NAS - Network Attached Storage

▪ File-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to

heterogeneous clients.

▪ SAN - Storage Area Network

▪ Attach remote storage devices to servers in such a way that the devices appear as locally
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attached to the operating system.
DAS Architecture
▪ It contains an array of drives

▪ It can be configured in a RAID (Redundant Array of

Independent Disks) array with a host-bus adapter
present on-board the server

▪ The connectivity between the server and the storage

devices are on a dedicated path separate from the
network cabling.

▪ Access is provided via an intelligent controller.

▪ The storage can only be accessed through the directly

attached server.

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Network Attached Storage (NAS)
▪ It provides file access to heterogeneous computer systems.

▪ It is directly accessed via the network.

▪ An additional layer is added to address the shared storage

files.

▪ It uses NFS (Network File System) or CIFS (Common

Internet File System) both of which are IP applications.

▪ A separate computer usually acts as the "filer" (a traffic and

security access controller) for the storage, which may be
incorporated into the unit itself.

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Storage Area Networks (SANs)
▪ SANs provide block-level access to shared data storage.

▪ Block level access refers to the specific blocks of data on a

storage device as opposed to file level access.

▪ One file will contain several blocks.

▪ SANs provide high availability and robust business continuity

for critical data environments.

▪ SANs are typically switched fabric architectures using Fibre

Channel (FC) for connectivity.

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DAS vs. NAS vs. SAN comparison
DAS NAS SAN
• Bloc Access (SAS/SATA) • File Access (Windows CIFS, Unix • Bloc Access (iSCSI, Fiber
• Increase server capacity (file NFS) Channel)
sharing, backup, storage • Transmission optimized for file • Transmission optimized for file
capacity) transactions transactions
• No data sharing • Used for file sharing • Separate LAN and SAN
• High cost of management • Used to store server backups • Increases data availability
• Inflexible • Storage traffic travels across the • Flexible and scalable
• Less expensive option, but. network • Used in backbone infrastructure
• Expensive to scale • Online storage only • Used for virtualized environment
• Single server needs access (No • NAS device= file server or filer • More expensive option
multiple access) • Online and offline storage
• SAN device= Storage Array

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DAS vs. NAS vs. SAN comparison

DAS NAS SAN

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Review of key Storage Concepts
Storage interconnection protocols
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Logical unit and Logical volume
▪ Logical unit ▪ Logical volume

▪ A logical unit number (LUN) is a unique ▪ A volume represents the storage

identifier for designating an individual or capacity of one or more disk drives.

collection of physical SCSI storage ▪ Logical volume management may sit

devices. between the file system and the
device drivers that control system I/O.
▪ LUN abstracts the identity and internal
▪ Volume management is responsible
functions of storage system(s) and
for creating and maintaining metadata
appear as physical storage to the
about storage capacity.
compute system.

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Storage interconnection protocol
▪ Fiber Channel: is a high speed network technology primary used to connect storage
components over SANs

▪ Requires dedicated network storage devices that are not

typically accessed through other LAN devices,

▪ Is commonly used for vSphere VMFS data stores and boot

LUNs for ESXi,

▪ VSphere provides native support for Fiber Channel

Protocols and Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE),

▪ Support Fiber Channel speeds from 2 Gbps to 16 Gbps

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Storage interconnection protocol (..)
▪ Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE): allows encapsulation of FC frames inside
Ethernet frames and send them over Ethernet network.

▪ Increases the use of the Ethernet infrastructure,

▪ Reduces the total number of network ports used in the network environment.

▪ The number of adapters, cables, and switches,

▪ The power and space consumption required in a data center

▪ Based on an enhanced Ethernet standard that ensures lossless transmission of FC traffic

over Ethernet

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Storage interconnection protocol (..)
▪ iSCSI: uses Ethernet connections between computer systems or host servers, and
high performance storage systems.

▪ Allows bloc level access to remote storage device over IP network

▪ Is commonly used for VMFS data stores,

▪ Does not require special-purpose cables and can be run over long distances,

▪ Supports thin provisioning on iSCSI LUNs (not possible with NFS)

▪ ESXi provides native support of iSCSI

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Storage interconnection protocol (..)
▪ Network File System (NFS): is an IP-based file sharing protocol used by NAS
systems to allow multiple remote systems to connect to a shared file systems.

▪ Uses file-level data access and the target NAS device controls the storage device,

▪ Is the only vSphere-supported NAS protocol, which supports NFS v.3 over TCP/IP with
simultaneous host access NFS volume.

▪ A NAS target cannot be initialized or formatted remotely

▪ The NAS server is in charge of managing the file system where the data is stored

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Review of key Storage Concepts
RAID Techniques
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Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)
▪ Definition: A storage technology in which data is written in blocks across multiple
disk drives that are combined into a logical unit called a RAID group.
▪ Improves storage system performance by serving I/Os from multiple drives simultaneously

▪ Provides data protection against drive failures (via redundancy and parity)

▪ Typically implemented by using a specialized hardware controller present either on the host or
on the array

▪ Three key techniques used for RAID:

▪ Striping,

▪ Mirroring,

▪ Parity 18
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)
▪ Striping: A RAID technique to spread data across multiple drives in order to use the
drives in parallel.
▪ Improves read and write transactions
▪ Requires two or more disks (No fault tolerance)

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Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)
▪ Mirroring: store the same data simultaneously on two different drives, yielding two
copies of the data.
▪ Is fault tolerance
▪ Requires two disks

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Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)
▪ Striping, mirroring, and parity techniques

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To be continued …
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