From the only independent developer
of large scale archival storage systems, the
Versity Storage Manager brings
enterprise-class storage virtualization to the Linux platform.
Based on Open Source technology, with open
APIs, VSM is a purpose-built archiving system that
automatically manages data throughout its lifecycle –
with storage policies defined to support the requirements
of any business.
Proven, powerful technology
The rapid evolution of storage management technologies means that today’s purchase decisions will have long-term consequences for your data. Since a large percentage of your data’s lifespan will exceed the useful life of any individual storage product or platform, storage management software must be able to keep pace with hardware technology and give you the freedom to make optimal hardware choices.
The Versity Storage Manager (VSM) features an advanced, standards-based architecture, supports virtually unlimited archive size and is compatible with the widest range
of networks, drives, libraries, and clients, with no vendor lock-in and without traditional up front license fees.
Based on the industry-leading SAM-QFS open source technology, VSM capitalizes on a long operating history in some of the largest data archives in the world. Users can implement VSM with the confidence that the technology has been deployed in hundreds of sites, and has benefited from feature enhancements developed across a broad range of verticals – including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical, oil and gas, video surveillance, and media and entertainment. The VSM team is made up of the original designers and developers of the open source SAM-QFS technology, who have brought the feature set and proven capabilities of this powerful tool to the Linux community.
Superior architecture
Preserving the value of large data archives requires a multi-tiered storage management
strategy, with multiple types of media suited to the data access and protection needs of the organization. VSM provides that capability, automatically migrating and storing data on the most cost-effective storage media, while making it transparently accessible to users and applications. By continuously archiving according to defined policies, VSM protects data and also eliminates the need for traditional backup with its inherent limitations.
VSM is not a backup system or a file system with add-on archiving features – it is a storage virtualization tool designed from the ground up to support the challenges of managing large, complex archives.
VSM adds an extended set of archiving metadata to existing, standard, POSIX compliant metadata, and does so directly in the file inode. As a result, VSM requires no other applications to manage
or synchronize metadata with the file system, and supports file transfer rates near the raw transfer rate of most hardware devices. The files stored in VSM all appear
to be resident on primary disk. All standard network file protocols such as NFS and applications such as rcp and ftp can be used on files controlled by VSM. All data is stored in open, standard file formats, so files managed by VSM are accessible by standard unmodified applications, and are transparently accessible by clients including Linux,
Windows, and Macintosh.
We’re keepers, not kidnappers.
yep, we’re getting rid of long-term
storage contracts so we can prove
ourselves to you every month.
Open Source
Core
VerSIty StOrAge MAnAger
Proven reliability
•
Superior Architecture
•
Powerful, enterprise-Class Storage Management
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By complying with industry standards, VSM protects customer investment by providing compatibility with current and future networks and storage systems, and also provides the greatest possible connectivity and media interchange with other
computing environments.
enterprise-class storage
management policies
Protecting rapidly expanding data archives for both business and regulatory reasons requires a policy-driven approach that migrates, copies, verifies, tiers, and retains data in multiple locations throughout its lifecycle. Traditional backup systems create windows of vulnerability that are unacceptable for critical data sets. That’s why HSM tools are the gold standard for automating complex data management and storage virtualization in an active archive.
VSM provides an extensive array of tools to define, execute and monitor storage policies in an automated archive. The archiving process is triggered when file attribute values match a set of criteria set up by the system administrator as a policy. Data is then automatically and transparently migrated to and from the appropriate media based on that policy. Archives remain in their policy-driven storage locations until the policy is changed.
Multiple archival copies can be defined and sent to different devices or locations, ensuring file security in the event of system interruptions.
The system also provides robust file checking capability to identify problems and ensure the validity of archives, and provides extensive logs and management information in standard
formats. These controls can also be utilized to automatically repack offline media to eliminate obsolete archive copies, and to ensure efficient utilization of removable media.
VSM also automatically manages online disk resources. When storage levels on disk hit a defined capacity threshold, files that have been safely archived are released from disk. When the file is accessed again, it is staged back from archival media to primary disk.
Performance and performance tuning
There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution in storage management – and VSM provides extensive capabilities to fine tune the system to meet the performance requirements of your
business – to provide the maximum protection with the highest performance for any
individual configuration.
The base component of VSM is a file system designed specifically for archiving, so file movement is implemented as a core function. This results in a system that is able to manage an active archive at the highest possible performance rates – typically exceeding 95% of the hardware’s raw transfer rate – and VSM’s scalable architecture means that system performance will continue to improve as network and storage technology evolve.
Our hSM runs
on Linux. Because
your servers do too.
95% 96% 97% 98% 99% 100%
Write read 4hdd
3hdd 2hdd 1hdd
File system performance
% of hardware transfer rate
Storage
Virtualization
Generally, files are kept on the fastest tier of storage until defined thresholds are met. The system administrator has complete control over these thresholds and can use them to tune the system for optimum performance in any application environment. To prevent unnecessary staging which can degrade system performance, the first part of a file can be kept online (partial release) for applications that regularly scan the beginning of a file. When a file is retrieved from archive media, VSM allows the user to access the data even before the full file has been transferred to primary storage.
The VSM file system can also be configured to store metadata separately from file data for streaming I/O performance at raw device speeds, or to intersperse metadata with file data to optimize performance in transactional settings.
VSM also excels in its ability to address the inherent trade-offs between space allocation and transfer performance, by offering dual allocation technology that is configurable by the system administrator to support the highest transfer rates for large files while minimizing the space requirements for small files.
data recoverability
Backup procedures are still required for an archive system, but rather than copying data, restoring the archive is simply
a matter of restoring the file system metadata. VSM’s file system structure can be archived (samfsdump) as frequently as desired (even as often as once per minute), and can be stored with the archive data itself. In the case of a system interruption, all VSM needs to do is restore the file system (sammkfs
followed by samfsrestore), and data access can recommence immediately. As long as one archive copy exists, it will be visible to the user, and the file system will automatically reassert the storage policy. Since VSM archival storage is based on the open tar format, and file metadata is stored on the archival media along with the file, data is always recoverable, even if the VSM software itself is unavailable. VSM makes multiple copies simultaneously on different storage tiers to support any archival or retention requirements, including automatically duplicating in multiple locations. And VSM can check for and flag data integrity issues so that detection of damaged files occurs immediately instead of upon attempted retrieval. Verification of data integrity is a core feature of VSM, and one that will continue to evolve as standards for end–to-end archival data integrity progress.
HSMs are our life. And our focus. We have one goal. Deliver an HSM that delivers. Find out more by visiting www.versity.com
Multiple Copy
Protection
Superior Architecture
Proven reliability
Purpose-built archiving file system delivers industry-leading performance Advanced policy-based data
management application delivers automated storage tiering for continuous storage optimization Based on open source SAM-QFS
technology installed at hundreds of customer sites worldwide Writes to open tar file
format to minimize vendor specific dependencies Standard POSIX file system
implementation supports a broad range of applications with no customization
Supports virtually unlimited archive size
Base technology proven over years of use in some of the world’s largest data centers Broadly deployed across industry
verticals - including Automotive, Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Medical, Oil and gas, Video Surveillance, and Media and entertainment expansive feature set meets
data management challenges for data intensive industries Files and metadata stored
in an open format so they are always protected and accessible even in the absence of VSM software
enterprise-Class Storage Management
World-Class Speed
VSM offers a broad array of features for designing custom storage policies Set automated tiering policies
to maximize protection and minimize cost Supports multiple copies,
versioning, file integrity checking and file copy checking
hSM capabilities reduce or eliminate backup windows and downtime due to system interruptions
highly tunable system parameters adjust to any application, network type or storage technology Archiver moves files at nearly the
raw speed of storage hardware Metadata can be stored
separately to maximize throughput or interspersed with
data to accommodate transactional environments Variable dAU feature excels
in both large and small file performance and can be tuned to support differing workloads