Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Software defined Storage
The next generation of Storage virtualization
November 2013
Robin Keupers
SNIA Europe
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
Software defined not that well defined….
Chaos!
“To help clarify the market
and reduce confusion, IDC
has put a stake in the ground
by clearly defining
software-based storage and
developing the industry's first
comprehensive taxonomy
supporting this definition. “
IDC Press Release, April 15, 2013
“IDC Brings Clarity to Software-Based/Software-Defined Storage Markets” http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24068713
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Next CIO must talk about
Definition chaos was also seen with after all the
recent industry trends & ‘hypes’, like Cloud,
Convergence, VDI, BYOD, Big Data, etc.,
So it is very likely Software defined Storage (SdS)
has all the potential to become the next CIO agenda
topic again!
It is related to Software defined Networking and
Software defined Datacenter
There is a need for:
•Understanding - education
•Business benefits - value proposition
•Seeing opportunities - positioning
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
The Virtual Era is changing the IT landscape
MAINFRAME
MINI-COMPUTING
PC/CLIENT
SERVER ERA
INTERNET
ERA
1950s
1960s
1980s
1990s
2010s
VIRTUAL ERA
In the Virtual Era,
Storage Virtualization
was just the starting point
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
The Explosion of Data in the Virtual Era
Petabyte
Terabyte
Exabyte
Zettabyte
DATA
VOLUME
PC/Client
Era
Internet
Era
Virtual
Era
Mainframe/Mini
Era
2012
2020
Social
Interactions
Human Files
Transactional Data
Internet of Things
(IoT)
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
What if?
• We could control the Data Explosion?
• We could lower CapEx dramatically through true
Storage innovation?
• We improve Storage management finally?
•
Single pane of glass
•
Reduce the number of protocols
•
Having a consistent methodology in managing the datacenter
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Turning Arrays to App’s
•
Your future Storage Array could be an app
•
You will download it from a store
•
It gives you ‘on-demand’ storage
•
You can leverage existing and standard
Servers and Storage (JBOD) systems
•
Data Management will be done by
managing a Virtual Array
Think big, understand the big picture
and see the benefits for
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
Software defined Storage
is all about
The next generation of Storage virtualization
• Using the latest & greatest technology
• ‘On-demand’ storage
FLEXIBILITY
• Using standardized technology
• No need for upfront investments
• Scale-out Storage architecture
• Unlimited storage capacity
COST
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
What’s new?
Proprietary
hardware &
software
Time
Cost
Proprietary
software
Open
industry
hardware
Open
Industry
standard
hardware &
software
Software has always provided functionality to IT…
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
Industry behaviour
Legacy vendors
Time
Cost
Modern vendors
OpenSource
innovators
Protecting technology will dissatisfy Storage buyers & users
Protecting
Driving converge
infrastructures
High community
development
Sweet
spot
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Key transitions driving Storage standardization
Storage value is software
Active data moves to flash
Servers and storage converge
Data growth continues
Buying decisions become project and solution-based
I/O Intensive (Flash)
Cost Optimized
Performance Optimized
Key market transitions
Total addressable market
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
The Unstructured
Cold Data Challenge
I/O Intensive (Flash)
Cost Optimized
Performance Optimized
Total addressable market
Cold/
Static Data
Hot/
Active
Data
I/O intensive growing at 57% CAGR
as SSD price / performance becomes
attractive
Cost/Capacity Optimized 19% CAGR
growth is driven by the explosion of
unstructured data
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Software defined Storage
will come in flavors
Time
Lev
el
of
Vir
tu
aliz
atio
n
Application
(Native x86)
Where does SdS start and ends?
Virtual Machines
(VMs)
Vendor defined
(Vd)
SdSaaS
(Services)
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
Software defined Storage landscape
Time
Lev
el
of
Vir
tu
aliz
atio
n
Application
(Native x86)
Where does SdS start and ends?
Virtual Machines
(VMs)
Vendor defined
(Vd)
SdSaaS
(Services)
Large Scale
Computing
(Server
Scale-out)
‘Vendor Marketing’
(FUD)
Cloud
(Physical
& Logical
Storage
Hybrids)
Containerized
Storage
(Workloads)
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
SdS Evolution or Revolution?
Frame (monolithic) based inclusion
approach
Modernization of legacy platforms,
umbrella software layer
Highly Converged architectures
Supporting legacy infrastructures
Software
defined
Storage
Revolutionary
Evolutionary
Array to Software approach
Virtual array approach
Business Applications
OpenSource Community
based
Standardized x86 Systems
Commodity Disk storage
(JBOD) arrays
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
The challenge to get to Storage Apps
Humans prefer one to one relationship….
Improves understanding:
•Easy to learn
•Easy to manage
•Easy to make progress
(step-by-step)
That’s how IT was engineered
in the past as well
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Software relationships
Server
Operating System
Application
Server
Operating System
Apps
Apps
Apps
Server
OS
A
Hypervisor
OS
A
AA
A
A
AA
Server
OS
Hypervisor
Server
1:1
Multi tasking
Multi threating
Virtualization
VM’s
Workloads
Farms
Hosting
SaaS
OS
OS
OS
OS
A A
A A
A A
A A
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.
Hardware relationships
Server
Networking
Clients
1:1
DAS
Clustering
SAN
NAS
Blades
Modular
Converge
Storage
Storage
Server
Server
Networking
Clients
Storage
Server
Server
NW
Clients
Storage
NW
Clients
Cloud
IaaS
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks
Hardware de-dupe
Storage
Server
Server
NW
Clients
Storage
NW
Hardware Stack
Software Stack
Duplicated / Redundant
Logic (Hardware - Intelligence)
•
Processor (CPU)
•
Memory
•
(Embedded) Software
•
Management
•
Etc.
Components
(Embedded) Software
Interfaces /
Connectors
Clients
Server
OS
Hypervisor
Server
OS
OS
OS
OS
A A
A A
A A
A A
Technical Overview of Data Center Networks © 2013 Storage Networking Industry Association. All Rights Reserved.