Dispelling myths about clustering NAS and file servers

Dispelling myths about clustering NAS and file servers

What you will learn: Many myths have sprouted up about clustered storage because the term is used to describe so many different kinds of vendor offerings. Here we'll dispel some of these myths.

Myth: Clusters are not grids, grids are not clusters.
Reality: The grid police may not agree, but a cluster is a grid and a grid is a cluster. A cluster can be local or remote and can use proprietary or open solutions just like a storage grid. Some vendors will try to mask a cluster by calling it a grid in an attempt to make it sound unique.

Myth: Clustered storage is only for HPC.
Reality: Some vendors only support high-performance computing (HPC) parallel or sequential data access. Others support concurrent and random small I/Os, including metadata lookup from any node in the cluster.

Myth: Clustered storage is only for parallel or sequential access.
Reality: Some solutions also support OLTP, as well as general file serving, while others can handle bulk storage applications cost-effectively.

Myth: Clustered storage is only for large IT environments.
Reality: Clustered storage can simplify things for small sites leveraging modular growth in terms of performance or capacity or ease of management.

Myth: Clustered storage is only for performance applications.
Reality: Clustered storage

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

    When you register for SearchStorage.com, you’ll also receive targeted emails from my team of award-winning editorial writers. Our goal is to keep you informed on the hottest topics, the latest news and the biggest challenges you face as a storage professional today.

    Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchStorage.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchStorage.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

is effective for NAS consolidation, as well as home directors, and bulk storage, including near-line archiving of structured and unstructured data.

Myth: More ports, processors, nodes, networks and devices guarantee more performance.
Reality: It's not just about the number of components or speeds and feeds. More nodes, ports, memory and disks do not guarantee more performance for applications.; It depends on how those resources are deployed and how the storage management software enables those resources to avoid bottlenecks. For some clustered NAS and storage systems, more nodes are required to compensate for overhead or performance congestion owhen f processing diverse application workload and performance characteristics.

About the author: Greg Schulz is founder and senior analyst with the IT infrastructure analyst and consulting firm StorageIO Group. He is also the author of the definitive book on storage networking, Resilient Storage Networks, published by Elsevier, and is a regular contributor to Storage magazine and other TechTarget venues.

This was first published in April 2008

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.

    Disclaimer: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.

    Back to top