- Stefan Bernbo, founder and CEO of Compuverde, says:
As our lives become
increasingly digitized, the ability to store and access important information
online has become necessary. With the
emergence of the “cloud,” data can now be accessed from any location, at any
time. At just seven percent in 2011, the amount
of consumer content stored in the cloud by 2016 will rise to a 1/3. Storage providers will need to accommodate increased
demands of the growing consumer storage market. To do so, many service
providers are investigating new options in data center architecture that allow
for adaptability and control of hardware costs.
Software-defined storage is a
way to meet these new demands. A software-defined approach to data center
architecture moves features typically found in hardware to the software layer, eliminating
the reliance on expensive server “appliances” with built-in software.
Explaining the buzzword
“Software-defined” has become a
recent buzzword, even though many everyday electronic devices have been
software-defined for years. For example, users who purchase PCs can install software
on any hardware platform, allowing them to tailor both the hardware and
software accordingly. This approach allows for a more precise budget allocation;
a machine used for web browsing, for instance, does not have nearly the same
requirements as a high-powered graphic design setup.
Despite the flexibility of software-defined
technologies, data centers are one of the last sectors to embrace this trend.
The reluctance to switch is due largely to upfront costs. There is no denying
the move towards an increase in online storage, but changing systems with such complex
infrastructure involves high levels of investment right out of the gate.
Storage Today
Appliances — server hardware that
comes prepackaged with proprietary, mandatory software —are the benchmark in the
current storage market. Both the software and hardware come in one convenient,
bundled package. This consolidation can benefit data centers that do not employ
administrators with the skills necessary to configure a custom server.
Manufacturers of traditional
appliances typically include multiple required layers of expensive back-up mechanisms
designed to prevent failures. These extra copies of hardware generate higher
energy costs and add excess complexity. Compared to commodity servers, the
actual cost per appliance is quite high. When companies begin exploring how to
scale up their data centers, the projected cost of appliances makes budget
estimates grow exponentially.
These problems with appliances are
influencing IT professionals to consider a software-defined storage approach. Software-defined
may not be a new concept, but for data centers where appliances are the status
quo, a software-defined approach is groundbreaking.
Typical appliance-based systems
generally suffer from the following issues:
- Increased Costs
The convenience
of appliances carries a significant disadvantage. Traditionally, appliances
offer a built-in software package. However, the added costs associated with multiple
back-up layers of hardware and software lead to significant expenses for a data
center that needs to accommodate rapidly growing storage demands.
Software-defined
storage unties the knot between software and hardware, letting data centers utilize
inexpensive commodity servers. When used with efficient, software-defined
solutions, commodity servers lead to considerable savings for online service
providers.
- Inflexibility
Naturally, every
data center will have different storage requirements. A major international
bank differs greatly from a cloud services provider, yet both have important storage
needs. Appliances might meet most of these needs, but software-defined storage can
produce substantial gains in economies of scale.
Using
appliances with built in software prevents users from customizing based on the
individual needs of a company. Fully
uncoupling software from hardware gives administrators the freedom to customize
specific components to meet the needs of their business and reinforce their
growth goals. While this method does require hiring more technically trained
staff, the flexibility afforded by software-defined solutions pays for itself
in the long run.
- Slow to React
A rigid
network environment built on appliances severely limits the ability of an organization
to react to market demands. The storage market can rapidly change corporate budgets,
network environments and priorities. Appliances do not allow data centers to anticipate
or even respond to these changes in a proactive manner.
The
continually-growing demands for cheap storage and reliance on expensive,
inflexible appliances will force data centers to develop the storage capacity they
need to meet customer demand. Software-defined storage presents an attractive
alternative to companies looking to “future-proof” their data centers. Since
the software and hardware are separate objects, either may be upgraded at any
time with minimal cost.
The Global Stage
Software-defined storage can
also benefit global companies. Since cloud services need to be accessed from international
locations, storage providers must host data centers located across the globe to
minimize load time. Load is active in the data center in a company’s region,
which is problematic, since data from every location must be synchronized. Additionally,
companies are often required to restrict global data storage from transferring
between certain regions. Another important consideration for global companies
is that global data centers must be prepared for local disasters such as power
outages. If a local data center or server goes down, global servers must
reroute data quickly to available data centers to minimize downtime.
The solutions that currently
exist to fix these problems work in the application layer. Solving these issues
through a system that makes up the foundation of data center infrastructure—rather
than at the storage level—incurs great costs. The ability to resolve these
issues directly at the storage level can save significant time and money.
The Future
The future of storage is here. The improved capabilities provided
by software-defined storage are just the beginning. Many companies are beginning to investigate the
potential of software-defined storage in data center implementation. For data
center administrators facing the challenge of scalability, software-defined storage
is the clear answer.
About the Author:
Stefan Bernbo is the founder and
CEO of Compuverde. For 20 years, Stefan has designed and built numerous
enterprise scale data storage solutions designed to be cost effective for
storing huge data sets. From 2004 to 2010 Stefan worked within this field for
Storegate, the wide-reaching Internet based storage solution for consumer and
business markets, with the highest possible availability and scalability
requirements. Previously, Stefan has worked with system and software
architecture on several projects with Swedish giant Ericsson, the world-leading
provider of telecommunications equipment and services to mobile and fixed
network operators.
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