Transcript Storage networking strategic decision-making

Storage Networking
Strategic Decision-Making
Randy Kerns
Evaluator Group, Inc.
www.evaluatorgroup.com
Agenda
 Recap – What you’ve heard
• Storage Networking
• Definition, what problem is being solved
•
Differing Solutions
• SAN – FC, IP (iSCSI, iFCP, FCIP)
• NAS
 Framework For Decision-Making
• Evaluation
• Requirements based on market segment
• Where proposed solutions best fit
• Considerations for your environment
•
Roadmap for choosing storage networking solution
• Methodology to approach problem
Storage Networking
 Definition – from SNIA
• The practice of creating, installing, administering, or using
networks whose primary purpose is the transfer of data
between computer systems and storage elements and among
storage elements.
 What problems are being solved
• Near-term: consolidation, backup
• Wider-view: storage growth
Different Solutions
 Storage Area Networks
• Fibre channel based
• Fabric switched network for SANs
– High bandwidth – 1, 2 Gb/s now, 10 Gb/s mid 2002
– Low latency – hardware intensive implementation
– Block I/O – SCSI as ULP for fibre channel
• Interoperability
– Solved with significant investment from vendors
– Independent lab and certification underway
– Maturing – significant deployment
• Major vendors
– Products
– Commitment for long term
• Management and the abstraction of storage
Different Solutions
 Storage Area Networks
• IP based
• Over Ethernet with TCPIP encapsulation for most
• Various methods – proposals for standards
– Block I/O via encapsulation
» iSCSI
– Tunneling
» iFCP
» FCIP
• Targeting OLTP at higher transaction rate than NAS
Different Solutions
 Storage Area Networks
• IP based – iSCSI - uses SCSI commands over IP
• Target is to provide block I/O using Ethernet infrastructure
• No mechanism in Ethernet/IP to allow for command-response structure
of SCSI
• SCSI is block oriented storage interface
• Uses a software driver to control SCSI protocol
•
Ethernet / IP has network characteristics
• No flow control – drops packets on congestion
• Packet size is limited – get smaller as contention increases
• iSCSI attempts to work within these constraints
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•
iSCSI standard proposes to encapsulate SCSI on TCP
Many vendors – some haven’t been in storage before
Different Solutions
 Storage Area Networks
• IP based – iFCP, internet Fibre Channel Protocol
• Transfers FCP across IP networks
• Gateways used to encapsulate FCP on IP
• Useful for extended distances for FC connections
• Translates FC frame addresses to new local IP address
– ‘Transparent’ view of storage devices
– Connects FC devices to TCP/IP backbone
•
IP based – FCIP, Fibre Channel Internet Protocol
• Tunneling FCP across IP
• Gateways/switches act as E-port extenders
• Useful for SAN to SAN linkage over extended distances
• Does not change FC address of frames between SANs
– Makes a large SAN with single address space
Different Solutions
 Storage Area Networks
• InfiniBand
• Developing technology to replace PCI in servers
• Will extend from server to fabric
– Connect storage, networks, etc.
– Switch / routers will be initial connect
• Question is: when will native InfiniBand devices appear?
• Infrastructure change – will happen
– Probably 5 years to reach into storage
Different Solutions
Network Attached Storage
 Network Attached
Storage
•
Application
NAS Appliances
• Remote file serving
• Clustering option
• Starting to see abstraction
within same vendor
File
Redirector
Computer
System
Local Area Network
solutions
Remote
File System
Disk
System
NAS Device
Different Solutions
 Network Attached Storage
•
DAFS
Application
• VI based
Buffers
• Remote DMA
• File-based access
• Targeting OLTP at higher
transaction rate than NAS
User
DAFS
File Access API
VIPL
VIPL API
VI NIC
Driver
Kernel
• YE2001 availability
Data
Hardware
VI NIC
Control
Different Solutions
LAN
 Convergence –
blurring of the lines
•
Network
Attached
Storage
Server
Gateway – NAS “head”
• Connect to SAN storage
• Benefits of scaling
storage, administration
SAN
Disk array
Fibre Channel
Link
for storage,
backup/
restore
Different Solutions
LAN
 Convergence –
Servers
blurring of the lines
•
Metadata server solutions
Block I/O
File Request
• NAS control for access
• SAN block I/O for data
SAN
to achieve high
performance
Location Information
Disk array
Disk array
Metadata Server
Different Solutions
 Convergence –
blurring of the lines
•
Distributed SAN file
systems
• SAN data can be local
file system
Single File System
Common file system on
shared storage
Highly available
Application transparent
Host A
Host B
Host C
Cluster Sfw
Cluster Sfw
Cluster Sfw
Cluster
File System
Cluster
File System
Cluster
File System
Cluster Vol
Cluster Vol
Cluster Vol
SAN
Framework for Decision making
 Evaluation
•
Understand your requirements
• Business
• Technical
• Understand the vendor offerings
• Targeted at a specific market segment
• Characteristics may not fit your requirements
• Need to have long-term view
Markets
Today's Bifurcated Storage Market
Proliferation of SAN and NAS
Traditional IT
New e-Business
Enterprise
Large
Mid
S
A
N
S
A
N
Entry
Departmental
N
A
S
S
A
N
Work Group
N
A
S
N
A
S
S
A
N
N
A
S
Storage Service Providers
Professional Services
Requirements by Segment
 Enterprise DataCenter
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Reliability – 100% availability of data
Guaranteed performance – response time, data rate
Scalability – capacity and performance
Security – guaranteed and provable
Long-term support from vendor
Tools for storage and performance management
Integration into mature procedural environment
Requirements by Segment
 Departmental (Small Business) / Workgroup
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•
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Cost
Simple administration
Quick ROI
Multi vendor: server, OS, storage systems
 New E-business
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Cost
Simple administration
Potential large capacity
Availability by replication
Mature into traditional IT environment
Where Does Solution Best Fit
 Enterprise DataCenter
•
FC-based SANs
• High performance, highly scalable
• Designed for storage – fits requirements for enterprise
storage
• Security implementation / control familiar to storage
professionals
• Significant deployment in enterprise (Fortune 1000
companies)
•
NAS
• Appliances in mainly R/O environments
• Metadata server in file sharing / performance
environments
Where Does Solution Best Fit
 Departmental (Small Business) / Workgroup
•
IP based SANs
• May be least cost
• Few storage-only professionals (normally system administrators
with multiple responsibilities)
• Perception of simplicity
• NAS
• Appliances
• SAN file systems
• Gateway
• FC based SANs
• Complete solutions without major installation effort
Where Does Solution Best Fit
 New E-business
•
In SSP and professional service installed / managed environments:
FC based SANs
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IP-based SANs for existing and growth environments
NAS
• Appliances
• Gateway
•
All of the above
Other Considerations
 Considerations for your environment
•
Will there be multiple storage networks?
• Independent?
• Distance
• What information needs to flow?
• What are the bandwidth, response time requirements?
• Plan for the future
• Growth
• Additional requirements
– Security
– applications
Storage Network Linkage
 Enterprise to Enterprise
•
Data migration over extended distances
• Performance requirements and distance dictate connection
• Transfer over IP
– Multiple solutions
• ATM, other tunneling solutions
• Business continuance
• Remote copy – critical performance characteristic drive
connection topology
• SAN may be utilized by storage system to storage system
copy (example PPRC)
• System-level issue not just data movement
Storage Network Linkage
 Enterprise to Enterprise
Server
Server
FC
SAN
Server
b
b
Switch /
Router
IP
Infrastructure
b
Server
FC
SAN
b
Switch /
Router
MAN / WAN
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage Network Linkage
Departmental to Enterprise
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•
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Data distribution, upload, etc.
Data protection
Dynamic access based on demand frequency
IP or FC based – depends on economics, performance,
administration, etc.
• Distance required – campus based vs. extended distance
• Centralized management, security, etc.
Storage Network Linkage
 Departmental to Enterprise
Server
Server
FC
SAN
Server
b
b
Switch /
Router
IP
Infrastructure
b
Server
IP
SAN
b
Switch /
Router
MAN / WAN
Storage
Storage
Enterprise Operation
Storage
Storage
Departmental Operation
Roadmap for Making Decisions
 Determine strategic business
requirements
•
business environment dictates
requirements
 Determine storage capacity and
expected growth
•
benefit for implementing storage
network
•
management costs with growth
 Current operational changes
required
•
•
short term and long term
staffing and infrastructure
Getting Started
 Make an informed decision: use
a solution provider or roll your
own
•
•
expertise required
who do you call when there is a
problem
•
•
who’s going to manage this
who guarantees it and will make
good
 Become educated in either
case
Deployment
 Consider a phased
implementation
•
new technology introduction
requires learning curve
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asset protection
ease of integration
minimize risk
 Start building infrastructure
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•
physical plant
skilled staff
Deployment
 Start with simple configuration
•
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bring online first as shake-out
make it local
use the storage management software
chosen
• ensure common reporting
mechanisms
• make sure it works from the
console you’ve chosen
 Build larger configuration when
satisfied
 Get guarantee of
interoperability!!!
Deployment
 Test
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•
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•
failure modes
addition to capacity
addition of servers
addition of switches and hubs
service / maintenance (7X24)
performance
• normal operations
• degraded
• limits
•
•
backup
restore
Deployment
 If solution provider is also
a storage vendor - test
replacement of their
storage device with a
competitor
 Review your management
choice – it is the most
important one to make
Summary
 Many different solutions
• Many from companies with no experience in storage products
• Great deal of hype and mis-information now
 One size does not fit all
• Differing requirements
• Economics matter
• Administration value
• Extensibility – handle growth
 Linking Storage Networks is important planning
requirement
• Multiple organizations involved
 Critical decision for your company – choose wisely