Storage hypervisor
Encyclopedia
In computing
, a storage hypervisor is a portable software program that runs on a physical hardware platform, on a virtual machine
, inside a hypervisor OS or in all three places. It may co-reside with virtual machine supervisors
or have exclusive control of its platform. The portable nature of the storage hypervisor software refers to its flexibility to run on on virtual machine or be hosted on many different platforms in a hardware independent manner similar to virtual server hypervisors.
The storage hypervisor, a centrally-managed supervisory
software program, provides a comprehensive set of storage control and monitoring functions that operate as a transparent virtual layer across consolidated disk pools to improve their availability
, speed and utilization.
Storage hypervisors enhance the combined value of multiple disk storage
systems, including dissimilar and incompatible models, by supplementing their individual capabilities with extended provisioning, data protection, replication and performance acceleration services.
In contrast to embedded software or disk controller firmware
confined to a packaged storage system or appliance, the storage hypervisor and its functionality spans different models and brands and types of storage [including SSD (solid state disks), SAN (storage area network
) and DAS (direct attached storage
) and Unified Storage(SAN and NAS)] covering a wide range of price and performance characteristics or tiers. The underlying devices need not be explicitly integrated with each other nor bundled together.
A storage hypervisor enables hardware interchangeability. The storage hardware underlying a storage hypervisor matters only in a generic way with regard to performance and capacity. While underlying "features" may be passed through the hypervisor, the benefits of a storage hypervisor underline its ability to present uniform virtual devices and services from dissimilar and incompatible hardware, thus making these devices interchangeable. Continuous replacement and substitution of the underlying physical storage may take place, without altering or interrupting the virtual storage environment that is presented.
The storage hypervisor manages, virtualizes and controls all storage resources, allocating and providing the needed attributes (performance, availability) and services (automated provisioning
, snapshots, replication
), either directly or over a storage network, as required to serve the needs of each individual environment.
The term hypervisor
within "storage hypervisor" is so named because it goes beyond a supervisor, it is conceptually a level higher than a supervisor and therefore acts as the next higher level of management and intelligence that sits above and spans its control over device-level storage controllers, disk arrays, and virtualization middleware.
A storage hypervisor has also been defined as a higher level of storage virtualization software, providing a "comprehensive set of storage control and monitoring functions operating as a transparent virtual layer across consolidated disk pools to improve their availability, speed and utilization". The term has also been used in reference to use cases including its reference to its role with storage virtualization in disaster recovery and, in a more limited way, defined as a volume migration capability across SANs.
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, a storage hypervisor is a portable software program that runs on a physical hardware platform, on a virtual machine
Virtual machine
A virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
, inside a hypervisor OS or in all three places. It may co-reside with virtual machine supervisors
Supervisory program
A supervisory program or supervisor is a computer program, usually part of an operating system, that controls the execution of other routines and regulates work scheduling, input/output operations, error actions, and similar functions and regulates the flow of work in a data processing system.It...
or have exclusive control of its platform. The portable nature of the storage hypervisor software refers to its flexibility to run on on virtual machine or be hosted on many different platforms in a hardware independent manner similar to virtual server hypervisors.
The storage hypervisor, a centrally-managed supervisory
Supervisory program
A supervisory program or supervisor is a computer program, usually part of an operating system, that controls the execution of other routines and regulates work scheduling, input/output operations, error actions, and similar functions and regulates the flow of work in a data processing system.It...
software program, provides a comprehensive set of storage control and monitoring functions that operate as a transparent virtual layer across consolidated disk pools to improve their availability
High availability
High availability is a system design approach and associated service implementation that ensures a prearranged level of operational performance will be met during a contractual measurement period....
, speed and utilization.
Storage hypervisors enhance the combined value of multiple disk storage
Disk storage
Disk storage or disc storage is a general category of storage mechanisms, in which data are digitally recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical methods on a surface layer deposited of one or more planar, round and rotating disks...
systems, including dissimilar and incompatible models, by supplementing their individual capabilities with extended provisioning, data protection, replication and performance acceleration services.
In contrast to embedded software or disk controller firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
confined to a packaged storage system or appliance, the storage hypervisor and its functionality spans different models and brands and types of storage [including SSD (solid state disks), SAN (storage area network
Storage area network
A storage area network is a dedicated network that provides access to consolidated, block level data storage. SANs are primarily used to make storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical jukeboxes, accessible to servers so that the devices appear like locally attached devices...
) and DAS (direct attached storage
Direct Attached Storage
Direct-attached storage refers to a digital storage system directly attached to a server or workstation, without a storage network in between...
) and Unified Storage(SAN and NAS)] covering a wide range of price and performance characteristics or tiers. The underlying devices need not be explicitly integrated with each other nor bundled together.
A storage hypervisor enables hardware interchangeability. The storage hardware underlying a storage hypervisor matters only in a generic way with regard to performance and capacity. While underlying "features" may be passed through the hypervisor, the benefits of a storage hypervisor underline its ability to present uniform virtual devices and services from dissimilar and incompatible hardware, thus making these devices interchangeable. Continuous replacement and substitution of the underlying physical storage may take place, without altering or interrupting the virtual storage environment that is presented.
The storage hypervisor manages, virtualizes and controls all storage resources, allocating and providing the needed attributes (performance, availability) and services (automated provisioning
Thin Provisioning
Thin provisioning is the act of using virtualization technology to give the appearance of more physical resource than is actually available. If you always have enough resource to simultaneously support all of the virtualized resources then you are not thin provisioned...
, snapshots, replication
Replication (computer science)
Replication is the process of sharing information so as to ensure consistency between redundant resources, such as software or hardware components, to improve reliability, fault-tolerance, or accessibility. It could be data replication if the same data is stored on multiple storage devices, or...
), either directly or over a storage network, as required to serve the needs of each individual environment.
The term hypervisor
Hypervisor
In computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
within "storage hypervisor" is so named because it goes beyond a supervisor, it is conceptually a level higher than a supervisor and therefore acts as the next higher level of management and intelligence that sits above and spans its control over device-level storage controllers, disk arrays, and virtualization middleware.
A storage hypervisor has also been defined as a higher level of storage virtualization software, providing a "comprehensive set of storage control and monitoring functions operating as a transparent virtual layer across consolidated disk pools to improve their availability, speed and utilization". The term has also been used in reference to use cases including its reference to its role with storage virtualization in disaster recovery and, in a more limited way, defined as a volume migration capability across SANs.
See also
- HypervisorHypervisorIn computing, a hypervisor, also called virtual machine manager , is one of many hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. It is so named because it is conceptually one level higher than a supervisory program...
- VirtualizationVirtualizationVirtualization, in computing, is the creation of a virtual version of something, such as a hardware platform, operating system, a storage device or network resources....
- Virtual MachineVirtual machineA virtual machine is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization or both together.-VM Definitions:A virtual machine is a software...
- Storage VirtualizationStorage VirtualizationStorage virtualization or storage virtualisation is a concept and term used within computer science. Specifically, storage systems may use virtualization concepts as a tool to enable better functionality and more advanced features within the storage system.Broadly speaking, a 'storage system' is...