The VMware Perspective on Software-Defined Storage
The VMware Perspective on
Software-Defined Storage
Executive Summary
Software-defined data centers have shown the promise to change how we think about delivering IT services:
from static, inflexible and inefficient – to dynamic, agile and optimized.
Expand virtual compute
to all applications
Transform storage by aligning
it with app demands
Virtualize the network for
speed and efficiency
Management tools give way
to automation
Figure 1: The Software-Defined Data Center
For many, software-defined storage can be the most interesting component of the proposition: storage is
responsible for the lion’s share of IT spend, growing constantly yet historically resistant to structural change.
In this white paper, we present the core ideas behind software-defined storage, and introduce the VMware
model. We additionally take a look at key technology trends, and offer our perspective on likely adoption
models, industry implications as well as customer impacts.
Motivations
Growth of Storage, Growth of Complexity
As we move to a digital world, storage demands continue to explode in many IT environments, with no end in sight.
More business models are now being driven by the need to acquire and harness ever-growing mountains of information.
Storage Growth
Most Pressing Storage Challenges
120M
41% YoY
42%
Meeting SLA
100M
31%
Troubleshooting
80M
Data Migrations
28%
Time/Budget
28%
60M
40M
Provisioning
26%
20M
Management
Complexity
M
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
24%
2016
Terabytes Sold
Figure 2: Today’s Challenge: Massive Increase in Storage Demand & Complexity
Left Graphic Source: IDC, Yezhkova, Worldwide Enterprise Storage Systems Forecast, November 2013, #244293
Right Graphic Source: IDC, Storage Predictions 2014, January 2014, General Storage Quick Poll, #243511, n=307
While the costs associated with storage hardware continue to decline, capacity growth is outstripping cost
reductions for many. And as volumes grow, storage operational efficiency is attracting more scrutiny as
environments move from terabytes to petabytes and beyond.
In VMware’s view, software-defined storage will redefine the technology and operational model for storage: leveraging
the economics of industry-standard technology while introducing a vastly more efficient operational model.
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The VMware Perspective on
Software-Defined Storage
Software Defined Data Center
Expand virtual compute
to all applications
Virtualize the network for
speed and efficiency
Transform storage by aligning
it with app demands
Management tools give way
to automation
Figure 3: The Software-Defined Data Center
The next generation of data centers is clearly software-defined: all infrastructure is virtualized and delivered as
a service, with control entirely automated by software.
To fully realize the potential of the software-defined data center, all infrastructure disciplines must therefore
be virtualized, and put under automated control. This creates a separate, more strategic motivation for
software-defined storage.
Current Challenges
The state of enterprise storage today is a mixed bag, with clear opportunities for improvement. On one hand,
modern storage arrays offer powerful capabilities to store, manage and protect data. However, they are largely
worlds unto themselves: each with unique features, each with a unique management model. Creating a consistent
operational model across multiple storage types continues to remain a challenge.
• Different capabilities
• Difficult to react to dynamic changes
• Different management models and interfaces
• Storage services tied to specific hardware
• Poor knowledge of application requirements
• Operational model divorced from application
service delivery
• Poor knowledge of application boundaries
Figure 4: Challenges with Today’s Storage
Today’s storage arrays have poor knowledge of dynamic application requirements, and are often unable to
react quickly to changes. Critical functionality (snaps, replication, encryption, etc.) is often tied to specific array
types, inhibiting standardized and aligned approaches across multiple storage types.
At a broader level, today’s storage operational model is often divorced from the delivery of higher-level applicationspecific services, creating a clear opportunity to integrate these storage services alongside other application services.
While not software-defined storage per se, the advent of software-based storage (storage software running on
commodity server hardware) is creating attractive new opportunities for more cost-effective storage assets;
these newer approaches will need to be managed alongside traditional storage arrays.
As hybrid clouds enjoy more adoption, storage environments must be consistent across both internal and
external clouds: with a standard way of expressing storage application requirements and validating compliance.
VMware believes that simply extending traditional storage approaches won’t close the widening gap; and a new
approach is called for — software-defined storage.
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