Storage Platform: Defining LeadershipStorage Platform: Defining Leadership

Jeffrey GoldnerArchitectWDEGjeffgo @ microsoft.comMicrosoft Corporation

Session OutlineSession Outline

Trends affecting Windows storage featuresMarket

Standards

Customer Requirements

Intersections with the hardware industry

Key challengesToday’s situation

Current initiatives to address these challenges

What comes next

Session GoalsSession Goals

Attendees should leave this session with the following:

A better understanding of the trends that impact Windows Storage

A better understanding of current Microsoft initiatives dealing with some key storage industry challenges

A better understanding of how storage hardware and software vendors can align with these goals

The knowledge to find resources for these initiatives

Storage Devices: Key Windows StrategiesStorage Devices: Key Windows Strategies

Optical Platform Optical Platform Client/ConsumerClient/Consumer

Storage FabricsStorage Fabrics Server/EnterpriseServer/Enterprise

Personal Storage Personal Storage Client/ConsumerClient/Consumer

Preferred Preferred Storage Platform Storage Platform Partner/CustomerPartner/Customer

Timely, comprehensive, quality platform support for optical devices

Optimized platform features enabling new customer scenarios in Personal Storage

Leading platform supporting storage fabrics

Preferred platform for developing, Preferred platform for developing, integrating, and deploying storage devices integrating, and deploying storage devices

Key trends affecting Windows StorageKey trends affecting Windows Storage

Market Movement from direct to fabric attached storage

Declining disk prices Higher capacity drives

lower-cost consumer drivetechnologies

Standards Moving beyond device interfaces

Management

Security

Data integrity

Compliance

2003 Open Systems External Storage

Fabric Attach

59%

Direct Attach

41%

2008 Open Systems External Storage

Direct Attach

17%

Fabric Attach

83%

Key Trends Affecting Windows Storage (con’t)Key Trends Affecting Windows Storage (con’t)

Customer Requirements More global businesses

Want data 24x7Want fast access

More diverse, high volume data Scientific data, video images, etc.

Data protection more complexBackup and retention

Now requires management of multiple copies of data

Archiving often overlooked when using disk-based backupDisaster recovery

Need for greater distance between sitesMore businesses now using replication solutions

SecurityGrowing recognition of need for secure solutions

Especially problematic with small form factors devices

Intersections With the Hardware IndustryIntersections With the Hardware Industry

Working jointly with the industry to ease the complexity of storage networks

Interoperability

Reliability

Management

Security

Performance

Goal is to integrate storage capabilities into the operating system

Alignment of the Windows platform and hardware capabilities

Enable new classes of applications to use these capabilities

Enable vendors to take advantage of their value-added functions

Make sure end-to-end scenarios are covered

Ensure customer data is available and secure

Today’s Today’s challenges have challenges have lead to initiatives lead to initiatives

to produce to produce solutionssolutions

Key ChallengesKey Challenges

InteroperabilityInteroperability

ReliabilityReliabilitySecuritySecurity

ManageabilityManageability

PerformancePerformance

Today’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

Larger, hotter drives placed closer togetherUse of redundant arrays: is it more reliable in the desktop market?

Hidden corruption on mirrors

Not enough focus on mechanical layouts

Fabric attached storage has additional complexityMore components that could fail

High availability is achieved through redundancyComes at a high cost

OS may not be able to interpret true cause of errorsTransient conditions, maintenance operations

Backup and recoveryDevice, driver, application reliability

Consistency of data

Limited backup window precludes complete backups

Access to previous versions

ReliabilityReliability

Microsoft data:Disk drive is least reliable component

Desktop, notebook and server

Only covers component failure

Not random corruptions

Loss of data

Co

mp

on

ent

Fai

lure

s

Desktop4%

4%

4%

4%

8%

8%

9%10%

11%

34%

Hard Disk

Power Supply

Fan

System Board

Input Device

Video

Removable Media Drive

Multimedia

Memory

Network

Processor

Other

SERVER

34%

27%

11%

10%

5%

4%2%2%2%

Hard Drive

Power Supply

Fan

System Board

Network

Removable MediaDriveMemory

Input Device

External Bus

Processor

Video

Multimedia

Challenges:Challenges:Reliability (MS Internal Study)Reliability (MS Internal Study)

ReliabilityReliability

Customer impact Larger volume of data at risk in catastrophic failures

Risk of backup failure still high

Are customers willing to pay more for higher reliability?Additional disk devices for backup purposes?

ReliabilityReliabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

DisksPredictive failure analysis for disk drivesDrive industry to standardized implementationsDisk diagnostics and background processes to check data integrityQualification program enhancements

FabricsNew tools for viewing fabricsIncreased resilience in the OSCoordinating with management applications

BackupUse snapshot solutions coordinated with the OSFollow driver and provider models New device handling approach

Reliability ProblemsDisk drives

HeatVibration Random corruption

FabricCable failureMaintenance operations

Managing errors Backup Integrity

Open filesUnreadable tape mediaDevice driver problems

ReliabilityReliabilityInitiativesInitiatives

Performance Challenges Sequential performance is most commonly cited statistic

This statistic gives an “idealized” performance measurement

Vendor performance metrics look good

Driving customers to lower-cost technologies before they can assess the impact to business goals

BUT most I/O in a multitasking operating system is not sequential

Random performanceAt the device level, little performance improvement over the last 5 years

Requires expensive hardware solutions to improve random I/O performance (spindles vs. capacity)

Disk drive margins tend to be low, so market opposition to improving mechanical performance

Customer impactAlthough system performance has improved, not able to take advantage of full potential if you can’t get to the data

Drive customers to higher-priced storage

PerformancePerformanceToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

Performance Initiatives System and application optimizations

Help decrease random I/OMemory Manager optimized to increase use of sequential I/O

“Pre-fetch” for application launch and OS boot

Rearrange data to increase Speed of OS loadingSpeed of application launch

Low Priority I/O Allows some applications to run in the background; user application gets disk priority

Scheduled File I/OApplication can reserve bandwidth for specific file (such as audio playback)I/O takes priority (counterpart to low priority)

Volume alignmentBest practice analyzers

Application and load-specific tools to ensure adequate storage performance

Performance ProblemsMultitasking system means there are always multiple processes accessing disk drives

Random I/O access slow

PerformancePerformanceInitiativesInitiatives

Manageability ChallengesToo many storage management pieces

Number of tools increases with number of components

Interfaces

Standards

Integrating new Windows storage featuresTime-lag to industry adoption

Customer impactConfusion

Complex storage management

ManageabilityManageabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

Manageability Initiatives Better tools and interfaces

Storage management infrastructure reduces need for multiple vendor tools

Adopting and promoting standards

Interfaces for SATA, Fibre Channel and iSCSI

Applying Windows system initiatives to storage management

Windows Management Instrumentation

WS Management

Management ProblemsProliferation of tools, interfaces, standards

Time-lag for hardware industry adoption of new Windows storage features

ManageabilityManageabilityInitiativesInitiatives

Interoperability ChallengesHardware-hardware

Lack of standards conformance

Hardware-softwareNon-alignment with OS driver models

Integration with OSSlow adoption of infrastructure enhancements

Customer impactLimited choices when building storage infrastructure

Difficulty diagnosing problems

Potential data loss, downtime, disruption of business

InteroperabilityInteroperabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

Interoperability Initiatives New programs such as Simple SAN

Includes interoperability requirements for hardware and software vendors

Conformance to driver models

Adoption of storage interfaces

New Windows tools to help diagnose problems

Enhanced tests for hardware qualification

Vendor educationWindows driver and provider models

Refining models to meet vendor needs

The OS is the common denominator in all interoperability design

Requires conformance to standards

Interoperability ProblemsHardware

Drivers may not be optimal for all attached hardware

Lack of adherence to standards

Can lead toSuboptimal performance

Inability to access device

Hardware/softwareDrivers not conforming to current models

Prevents correct detection and recovery by the OS or applications

InteroperabilityInteroperabilityInitiativesInitiatives

Security Challenges Management interfaces

Each hardware component has its own security management interfaceDevice passwords rarely updatedNo integration of interfaces with the operating system (e.g., can’t distribute credentials) No standards on how the integration is done

Data Data on removable devices not protectedData in-flight may need to be encrypted

Devices Many connect to networks with protocols that are not secureImplementation of secure network infrastructure is difficult Currently few/no policies restricting the use of devices

Customer impactCorporate data at riskPersonal data at risk

SecuritySecurityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges

Security Initiatives Centralized infrastructure for fabric attached storage

Standards-based implementationRADIUS, CHAP

Fibre Channel and iSCSIProtection of management interfacesAuthentication of devicesEncryption where supported by the protocols

DataFile level encryptionBlock level encryption being investigatedOS integration with devices that have built-in encryption (such as flash media)

DevicesAdministrator policies for preventing user access to removable devicesStandardized implementation of rights management

Security ProblemsManagement Interfaces

Not integrated with OS

Not standardized

Data Data on removable devices not protected

DevicesSwitches/arrays access non-secure IP protocol

Few or no policies restricting device use

SecuritySecurityInitiativesInitiatives

Next Wave Storage Solution Initiatives Next Wave Storage Solution Initiatives

Small and medium businessesSimple SAN initiative aims to simplify SANs for the small and midsize market

Program qualification forSimple SAN solution components

Simple SAN complete solutions

Large/Enterprise marketMany challenges remain, especially with regard to interoperability and manageability

Increased focus on managing storageMore capability built in to the operating system

Industry prediction: by 2006, SAN management functions will be embedded as part of the OS

Microsoft DirectionsMicrosoft Directions

Driving initiatives for a better storage experience

Listening to customers, partners, industry

Making storage infrastructure a better fit with industry standards and partner needs

Adoption of system level management initiatives

Leading on providing a programmatic framework for storage vendors to deliver the best solutions on the Windows platform

Call To ActionCall To Action

Adopt Windows Storage InterfacesThese will improve the storage experience

Help us drive towards Greater reliability

Higher performance

Increased interoperability

Improved security

Better storage management

Follow the logo programSubmit products for qualification

Keep up with updates to the program

Community ResourcesCommunity Resources

Community Siteshttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/default.mspx

List of Newsgroupshttp://communities2.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx

Attend a free chat or webcasthttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/seminar/events/webcasts/default.mspx

Non-Microsoft Community Siteshttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/related/default.mspx

Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

Questions about this presentationhec5stor @ microsoft.com

Storage at Microsofthttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/storage/default.mspx

Community (Storage)http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/storage/community/default.mspx

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.storage

Logo program informationhttp://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/default.mspx

Standards organizations (Storage)http://www.t10.org

http://www.t13.org

http://www.snia.org