subject: Asian Data Storage Solutions And Virtualization [print this page] Virtualization is a big deal in IT right nowVirtualization is a big deal in IT right now. It has big implications for data security, for disaster recovery, for application management, and for everyday Asian network operations. However, these big impacts don't come from a tiny change - they require a completely new system. Virtualization touches every part of the IT consultant's work, and needs a thorough approach to implementation in order to maximize cost benefits.
Storage growth is increasing with the overwhelming advent of rich media, and in a virtualized environment, more and more of this data needs active management. Storage costs threaten to make VOE projects less cost effective if they aren't managed properly ... but through analysis, tracking and utilization they can actually reduce on a continual basis.
Historically, every server in the physical environment had it's own discrete storage - hence the term 'discrete special purpose environment'. There is no contention for disk space by the other servers. However, virtualization creates a shared storage environment; the storage of each physical server needs to be analyzed by IT consultants to ensure that the best balance between capacity and performance can be reached within the virtual environment.
The cost implications of the storage element are the greatest within virtualization. However with proper planning by Asian network operations experts, these costs can actually reduce over time. A critical factor is creating different tiers of storage. Tier I storage, the sole type used in early virtualized environments, had very high costs associated with it.
Not all servers require high speed, expensive disks, and some can be moved by your Asian data storage solution expert to more cost effective storage with no impact on performance. They will use performance characterization tools to determine where in the virtual environment applications should be placed to for best cost/performance/capacity results. The downward impact on cost should be significant.
Storage utilization is growing by the day, helping organizations make the best use of their available resources. However getting to this level can be a complex process for your information technology consultant. Physical server storage environments have different usage layers within the supply chain which must be considered. A virtual operating environment adds another layer of complexity; with a 'virtual file system' that also requires storage.
Over-provisioning of storage has historically been prevalent across large organizations, but virtualization projects offer an excellent opportunity to fix them. Asian network operations and data security experts will first analyze the server utilization rates and application performance characteristics, track the storage requirements for a period, and then optimize utilization.
There is no single element of a virtualization project more important than planning, and this is where the time and effort spent with an Asian network operations expert really pays off. Careful architecture of the system ensures that it is scalable to meet growing demand (there won't be extra large capital outlays in the future for growth), that performance and capacity are optimal to begin with, And that security is well-implemented.
