The Joy Of Bits

- 1 - Copyright 2008 Freeform Dynamics Ltd - 1 - Copyright 2008 Freeform Dynamics Ltd

Tony LockFreeform Dynamics Ltd

[email protected] 2008

www.freeformdynamics.com

The Joy Of Bits The Storage Landscape

Today and Tomorrow

- 2 - Copyright 2008 Freeform Dynamics Ltd

Challenges in Storage

► IT Trends► Virtualisation► Management► The Future ► Summary and Questions


Today, business want to…► Reduce costs

● Reduce time to market / Leverage existing investments● Rationalise infrastructure / Reduce power consumption

► Increase agility● information on demand / Streamlining communications● Support business initiatives quickly & effectively● Proactive versus reactive

► Manage risk● Legal & regulatory / Security and privacy● Information & IT / Continuity / resilience / Protect brand

► Be good corporate citizens● Governance / External obligations / Internal improvement


Storage Trends► Rapidly increasing volumes of data being generated

● Applications ● Data Base / Structured Material● E-Mail / Unstructured Data

► Social Site Usage growing rapidly● Facebook / MySpace / Schoolbank● Digital Images● Proactive versus reactive

► Managing storage growth is a major challenge● Data held for long time periods ● Archive / Destroyed at EOL ● Heterogeneous Platforms● Search / Retrieval



Social Networking


- 8 - Copyright 2008 Freeform Dynamics LtdCopyright 2008 Freeform Dynamics Ltd

To what degree are the following used in your data centres and how is this changing?

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Frequent disk todisk backup

High speed tapebackup

Simple mirroring ofstorage devices

Continuous dataprotection solutions

Smart distributeddata replication

High Medium Low

-40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Decreasing Increasing




► IT Trends Today► Virtualisation► Management► The Future of Storage► Summary and Questions


In your own mind, how clear is the rationale for adopting In your own mind, how clear is the rationale for adopting Virtualization? (250-4999 employees)Virtualization? (250-4999 employees)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Broad deployment ofbusiness applications on

x86 servers

Broad deployment ofbusiness applications on

other servers

Desktop / notebook PCs

Storage

Very clear Partially clear Not clear at all

The arguments for Storage and Desktop virtualization are less well developed or understood

The arguments for Storage and Desktop virtualization are less well developed or understood


How much has your organisation adopted Virtualization in How much has your organisation adopted Virtualization in the following areas? (<250 employees)the following areas? (<250 employees)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

X86 Servers running critical applications

X86 Servers running other businessapplications

Other servers running critical applications

Other servers running other businessapplications

Infrastructure use (app servers, databaseserving etc.)

Desktop / notebook PCs

Storage

Standard for live systems Deployed for live systems in some areasEvaluating or preparing for live use Only for R&D testing etcNo current activity


Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers Which of the following do you regard as significant drivers for implementing Virtualization - For Virtualized storage? for implementing Virtualization - For Virtualized storage? (>5000 employees)(>5000 employees)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Improving response to changing businessrequirements

Increasing IT service reliability

Improving operational service levelsInternal cost reduction, resource & space

optimisationReducing operational risk

Support for IT governance

Support for regulatory compliancePower consumption reduction /

optimizationGreen issues

Direct “cost reduction“ is not seen to be the most significant driver, unlike in most other areas of IT. Again this is true across all sizes of organization


Has virtualization had an effect on your hardware Has virtualization had an effect on your hardware acquisition strategy? acquisition strategy?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Tier 1: >5000 emps

Tier 2: 250-4999 emps

Tier 3: < 250 emps

Yes - we now buy all IT hardware with virtualization requirements in mindYes - but only in specific casesNot yet - but it mightNo

Virtualiz

ation is

changing

spending plans

Virtualiz

ation is

changing

spending plans





Storage Management Challenges► Managing growth

● Over half of organisations with >50 employees say managing the growth of “genuinely useful” and “superfluous” information is a burden

● Where to store it? / What protection does it need?● How long should it be kept on line or archived?

► How to find information rapidly when required?

► Storage Management tools are hard to use● Around half of organisations use more than one tool● Skills are difficult to obtain / maintain ● Functionality is incomplete

► Managing storage in virtualised environments is even harder


Would you say that your organisation places the right level of importance on the 'management of IT'?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Yes it's a top priority

Yes it's important, but simply keepingthe business running leaves little time for

anything else

No, but we know we have to improvemanageability in order to deliver what

the business needs

No, this isn't important at all

ANALYST COMMENTS

The biggest problem is obviously finding time to work on improvement initiatives.

Even though we know that investment in tools and/or training will free up time, this is one of those classic chicken-and-egg situations.

But in the question of investment, finding additional budget is always a challenge.

ANALYST COMMENTS

The biggest problem is obviously finding time to work on improvement initiatives.

Even though we know that investment in tools and/or training will free up time, this is one of those classic chicken-and-egg situations.

But in the question of investment, finding additional budget is always a challenge.


How much impact on management and support How much impact on management and support processes do you see from the move to the use of processes do you see from the move to the use of virtualized storage systems? virtualized storage systems?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Tier 1: > 5000 emps

Tier 2: 250-4999 emps

Tier 3: < 250 emps

Major impactSome impact, but no major changes requiredNoneHaven't worked it out yet


How well do you think vendors support How well do you think vendors support heterogeneous virtualized storage? heterogeneous virtualized storage?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Tier 1: > 5000emps

Tier 2: 250-4999emps

Tier 3: < 250emps

Very well indeed OK, but needs to be betterNot well at all Don't know





Virtualised ComputingPresentation Layer

Processing Layer

Data Management Layer

WebServers Portal

Server

MsgingServers

SecurityServerDir.

ServersIDServer

ProxyServer

AppServers

Integr’nServers

Trans’nServers

FileServers

DatabaseServers

AccessDevicesAccess

DevicesAccessDevices

Security & Access Management

Application & System Management

Data Management ILM and Power Costs visible as never before

WebServers Portal

Server

MsgingServers

SecurityServerDir.

ServersIDServer

ProxyServer

AppServers

Integr’nServers

Trans’nServers

FileServers

DatabaseServers

AccessDevicesAccess

DevicesAccessDevices

Security & Access Management

Application & System Management

Data ManagementMedia

Servers

Information Access – At All Times, and Fast with little / no IT intervention

Information Access – At All Times, and Fast with little / no IT intervention


► Virtualisation = Flexibility● Networks, Storage, Servers● Applications – Web Services / OOA● Users – Access Infrastructure / Thin Clients / Browsers / Portals

► All costs will become highly visible● Power, People, Media, Access

► Service Management / Charge Back ● Effective Management is Essential

► Tiered Service / Tiered Storage will become the norm► Access to information at all times, from all locations, from the

entire history of the organisation

Future Infrastructure


► iSCSI usage is growing● Slow start● Initial “lack of understanding”● Now being deployed, frequently under the covers

► Good fit for mid-market and SMB organisations● Price● Functionality● Understanding of IP networking● Workloads match capabilities

► Will spread into Enterprise● Branch office● Edge of network● Service Providers

IP Storage?





► Virtualisation = Reality► From ‘data storage’ to ‘information management’► Service Management / Charge Back

● Effective Management is Essential

► Need for more capable classification & discovery processes► Tiered Service is happening – ILM to manage data in relation to

its “business value” not just its age● Archive and Backup are both required

► Access to information at all times, from all locations, from the entire history of the organisation

► Again, costs are becoming more visible● Power, People, Media, Access● Archive functionality will grow in importance, rapidly

Summary

Technology

The Joy Of Bits