What is Software Defined Storage? Find Out Here
Software defined storage continues to be a hot topic for 2015, though the verdict is still out on the exact definition. Our Perseus offering is one of the best SDS solutions in the industry for GPFS. In this post, we offer a few examples of what industry thought leaders define as software defined storage (and what is not SDS), followed by our own example of its use in Genomic research workflows. Feel free to comment on your own success with SDS in the comments section!
From TechTarget: “experts agree that all software-defined storage products are software that abstract storage management from the physical devices so that IT professionals have better control of storage features.”
Webopedia on the difference between software defined storage (SDS) and storage virtualization: “Software-defined storage is sometimes confused with the term storage virtualization, but as an article from CRN explains, while the latter term involves separating capacity from specific storage hardware resources (and thereby pooling storage devices), SDS involves separating the storage capabilities and services from the storage hardware.”
From SNIA.org: “SDS can be an element within a Software Defined Data Center but can also function as a stand-alone technology… While SDS builds on the virtualization of the Data Path, SDS is not virtualization alone. The Control Path needs to be abstracted as a service as well. The storage service interface needs to allow the data owner to express requirements on both the data, and the needed service level requirements.”
From InfoStor: This emerging technology offers to turn the fragmented world of data storage – often a disparate patchwork of networked silos – into one seamless pool of easily monitored storage that practically runs itself. Aided by a robust SDS solution, database admins aren’t so focused on, say, that rack of aging servers. Instead they look at a single-pane monitoring screen that displays metrics like total storage available and relative access speeds of storage medium.
RAID, Inc.’s Perseus solution is a software-defined storage option which uses standard commodity hardware and implements important storage and management functions such as ILM, disk caching, snapshots, replication, striping, and clustering through intelligent software. We have implemented Perseus for many clients looking for a next-level storage solution.
