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Published: 18 Oct 2012
Solid-state storage guide

This article is part of the Vol. 11 Num. 1 March 2012 issue of Solid-state storage guide

Virtualizing network resources can help reduce the contention for services and significantly improve performance. The network -- both storage and IP -- is the next target in the march toward a totally virtualized data center. Virtual I/O is more than a nice-to-have feature; it’s essential to providing a more economical infrastructure that can meet the new I/O demands being placed on storage systems by server and desktop virtualization. Virtual I/O can be implemented in the host that’s connecting to the network and storage system, or it can be deployed in the infrastructure. Where it’s implemented may slightly alter the definition of virtual I/O. We’ll look at both approaches and describe how they’re different, as well as how they can work together. Today’s server/host barely resembles its predecessors from four or five years ago. In the past, when a single server supported a single application, all its I/O capabilities where dedicated to that application. In the virtualized data center, the network interface cards (NICs) and storage host bus adapters (HBAs) ... Access >>>

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What's Inside

Features
    • Virtual I/O for storage networks by George Crump

      Virtualizing network resources can help reduce the contention for services and significantly improve performance.

    • Steady march toward storage virtualization by Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

      Fifty-six percent of our readers have virtualized at least some of their installed storage. Those who have cite easier management of storage systems and data as a key benefit.

    • NetApp tops enterprise array field again by Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

      If it hasn't done so already, NetApp is shaking off that "only NAS" label with yet another big win in the Quality Awards for Enterprise Arrays.

    • Get the most out of solid-state storage by Dennis Martin

      The benefits of solid-state state storage are clear; it’s fast, cool and sips power. But the technology is also changing the fundamental ways we use data center storage.

  • Columns
    • Consumerization may undo all your good deeds by Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

      If you’ve been struggling with protecting data at your company’s remote locations, look out, it’s only going to get worse.

    • 2012: Year of the infrastruggle by Jon William Toigo

      Don’t let yourself be dazzled by bright lights and other storage bling -- the hardware might be cool to look at, but it’s the software that’s going to make a difference.

    • Buying and managing online file collaboration tools by Terri McClure

      IT departments can endorse a single offering that best balances collaboration and file sharing needs with their security and control requirements.

    • Instrumenting your storage infrastructure by Jeff Boles, Contributor

      You might think you have good insight into your infrastructure, but for next-generation data centers, it probably isn’t good enough.

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