A data storage virtualization method lets you decrease the number of physical hardware resources needed to support applications. It is doing this by simply abstracting fundamental disk http://virtualdataspace.biz/what-is-a-bolt-on-acquisition and drive components and aggregating their very own capacity as a single pool of storage space available to applications for use. This pool of storage can then be managed with a central gaming system to deliver functional and monetary benefits just like faster resource provisioning and disaster recovery capabilities.
The key to storage virtualization is computer software that intercepts input/output (I/O) requests right from physical and virtual servers and routes them to the appropriate physical site on a shared pool of storage. For the application, the virtual safe-keeping appears like a single, continuous storage or reasonable unit quantity (LUN) to accept regular read and write treatments.
While simple storage gadgets, such as single hard disk drives and basic hard disk drive arrays, will not provide virtually any kind of virtualization, advanced disk arrays offer a rational to physical abstraction through RAID techniques and a host-based volume supervisor. This type of virtualization enables features like snapshots, cloning and replication being supported across different vendors.
Network-based safe-keeping virtualization is the most prevalent form of the technology. From this approach, a purpose-built machine connects to all or any the storage hardware in an FC or perhaps iSCSI storage area network (SAN) and gives them like a single pool area of safe-keeping. To the operating system or perhaps application, the resulting digital disks or LUNs seem as though they will reside about the same physical disk and have complete functionality, which includes multi-pathing software.