Storage virtualization abstracts the space in physical hardware to software-defined storage that can be accessed from any device with an end-user interface. It allows multiple storage devices to appear as one monolithic volume, and helps streamline data management.

Virtualization can be achieved in two ways: host-based or network-based. Host-based virtualization (typically utilized in HCI systems and cloud storage) makes use of software to manage traffic. Essentially, the host or a hyper-converged system comprised of multiple hosts, offers virtual drives to guest computers in any configuration, whether they are virtual machines within an enterprise or PCs connecting to servers for file storage or servers that use data via the cloud. The host utilizes software to convert the logical address of every block of data on physical disks to an offset within a larger logical drive.

Network-based virtualization uses an entirely different approach by moving the complexity of https://myvirtualstorage.blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-use-a-data-room the storage controller to an upper layer of the virtualization hardware. This is often requiring additional components, like an Ethernet switch to take on the additional I/O load. However, it is able to reduce costs while enhancing performance.

The layer that is above the virtualization hardware permits backup and recovery to be done without the virtualization impacting it. Furthermore, it makes it easier to troubleshoot issues remotely – either by internal IT teams or managed service providers which can speed up resolution time. Furthermore, it can aid with scalability by eliminating dependencies between the location of the files accessed at the level of file and where they are physically stored on physical disks. This can be used to improve storage, consolidate servers and perform non-disruptive file migrations.