Storage virtualization enables abstraction of physical storage devices so they can be accessed as a pool of logical resources. This offers the advantage of separating or buffering the physical storage of data and devices from the management and use of data. IBM has been a leader in offering the advantages of virtualization with more than twenty years experience, beginning with mainframe technology.
There are five types of storage virtualization, and IBM offers virtualization solutions to address each.
Disk drive virtualization - Disk firmware abstracts the physical cylinder, head and sector into a single logical block address. This feature is inherent in all disk drives.
Storage system partitioning - The storage system creates multiple partitions from a single storage resource.
IBM TotalStorage DS8000 systems provide this type of virtualization.
Block virtualization - Software abstracts multiple disk arrays into a single storage resource.
IBM TotalStorage SAN Volume Controller provides block virtualization.
Tape virtualization - Software abstracts both tape drives and tape media onto a single disk resource. This type of virtualization is provided by
IBM TotalStorage 3494 Virtual Tape Server.
Key benefits
IBM is a leader in block and file virtualization solutions, which can improve storage management efficiency and flexibility, while reducing costs. They can help:
Enable a nondisruptive, tiered storage environment
Use one point of management for disk storage
Streamline storage management by individually managing physical devices
Reduce the cost and improve the flexibility of replication services
Accelerate application deployment with improved resource sharing
Reduce total cost of ownership
Improve application availability
Key offerings
The following key offerings focus on block and file virtualization:
IBM TotalStorage SAN Volume Controller Increase the flexibility of your storage infrastructure. This solution enables changes to physical storage with minimal or no disruption to applications.
Case studies
Pearson is a world leader in education, business information and consumer books, with international brands such as The Financial Times, Penguin Books and Pearson Education. Within the group, Pearson Shared Services provides a complete range of IT systems and support for around 1,500 people in the Penguin and Education divisions in Harlow, UK.
Business need:
Pearson Shared Services found that managing storage demands was expensive and slow, with spare capacity locked away in individual servers. Over-allocating storage as a tactic to avoid the costs of changing storage capacities was inefficient, and did not solve the basic problem of inflexibility.
Solution:
Working with IBM Premier Business Partner Tectrade, Pearson Shared Services implemented an IBM System Storage DS8100, IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller, and an IBM TotalStorage 3584 tape library.
Benefits:
Using SAN Volume Controller, Pearson Shared Services can allocate, move and change storage capacities on the fly with no interruption to the business. With more granular control of storage, more efficient use of existing and new capacity contributes to reduced costs – lower than the maintenance costs of the previous system.
