Storage Tiering “…assigning the most reliable, high-performance equipment to support the most critical data, and the most cost-effective resources to support older, less critical information…” Ken Walters PBS

2 Questions >How many of you have a SAN? >If you don’t, do you think it would be too expensive & complicated? >If you do, are you using a single large array? >Are you considering iSCSI?

3 Agenda >Definitions >Justifications >Background >Tiered Model >Enabling Technology >Deployment

4 Definitions >ATA/IDE (PATA) >SATA (Serial ATA) >SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) >FC (Serial SCSI) >SMB (Small/Medium Business) >SAN (Storage Area Network) >DAS (Direct Attached Storage) >Virtualization

5 Justifications >Lower disk costs >SATA vs. FC >Lower connectivity costs >IP vs. FC >Faster provisioning >CAT5 vs. FC, iSCSI vs. FC >Improved Productivity >Foundation for ILM and Utility Computing

6 Background >Concept has been around for a long time >Mainframe environment >Tape often a major component >Large amounts of data >Large amounts of money >Not within reach of the SMB

7 Background >Changing Times >More being stored >Retention Periods >Disaster Recovery >Logging >Data mining >Regulations - HIPPA, SOX

8 Background >Typical SMB Data Center >Technologies not conducive to efficient storage tiering: >Direct Attached Storage >Single array >Islands of storage >NAS >DAS >SAN

9 Background >Typical SMB Data Center >“Many-hat” staffing >No Storage Administrator >DAS mindset >Distributed mindset >Many servers each running one thing >Makes storage networking expensive

10 Tiered Model >Storage is heavily centralized and networked >Storage is well virtualized >Storage arrays >In-band appliances >Gateways >Server side virtualization

11 Tiered Model >Multiple levels of storage >Differing performance >Differing availability >Differing Service Objectives >Problem resolution >Backup and restore >Recovery Time Objective (RTO)/Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

12 Enabling Technologies >IP Storage >Gateways >Inexpensive disks >Inexpensive arrays >Multi disk type arrays >Sophisticated Array Software >Storage friendly PNP operating systems >Low cost SAN components >Zero Server Footprint arrays

13 Deployment >If you don’t have a SAN, build one and do it with iSCSI >Use FC only where you need it and make sure you really need it. >If you have a FC SAN, leverage it >Gateway iSCSI >Gateway NAS >Consolidate Storage Islands

14 Deployment >Replace equipment >Arrays that support FC and SATA under common controllers (soon there will be SAS as well) >Software to migrate between tiers >Augment by adding a new array to your SAN >SATA instead of FC >Centralize Storage and attach as many servers as possible to drive down TCO >Start deploying multiple tiers

15 Time Check >Still to go >Defining Tiers >Defining Availability >Implementing >Benefits

16 Maple Syrup >Grade A >Grade B? >Grade C? >Grade A Light Amber >Grade A Medium Amber >Grade A Dark Amber

17 Defining Tiers >Avoid tier names that may disappoint >Determine the attributes based on solid business analysis AvailabilityPerformanceUses AAA99.99High OLTP, ERP, Decision Support, Messaging, Databases AA99.9High/Medium File Serving, Development, DR Mirrors, D2D Backup A99.8Medium/LowArchiving, D2D Backup, Bulk Storage

18 AAA - Defined Availability99.99 Performance High write and read performance, rapid rebuild after disk failure Disk TypeFC, 15K, 73GB, 100% Duty Cycle

19 AA - Defined Availability99.9 Performance Read performance high, write moderate, rebuild time moderate Disk TypeFC/SATA, 15/7.2K, 73/250GB, 100% Duty Cycle

20 A - Defined >Consider RAID0 if you choose very large disks Availability99.8 Performance Write performance low, read moderate, RAID5 rebuilds painfully slow. RAID0 may be a better choice, but no protection other than backups. Disk Type SATA, 7,200/5,400K, 250/320GB, Duty Cycle 30/50?/100?

21 Measuring Availability >Avoid targets in italics >People laugh at the top two now >You lose sleep with the bottom one >Cost of adding a “9” can be exponential % Uptime% DowntimeDowntime per YearDowntime per week 98%2%7.3 days3 hrs 22 min 99%1%3.65 days1 hr 41 min 99.8%0.2%17 hrs 30 min20 min 10sec 99.9%0.10%8 hrs 45 min10 min 5 sec 99.99%0.01%52.5 min1 min %0.001%5.25 min6 sec

22 Availability & Service Levels >Defining availability targets is crucial >Management approval >Everyone wants five nines until they see the price tag. The operational costs can be staggering. >Charge backs help people be realistic >Use a Service Level Objective (SLO) not an Agreements

23 Implementing Tiering >Sell the idea to management >Classify your data >Importance, security, lifespan, availability >Mission Critical, Business Critical, Operational

24 Implementing Tiering >Tier applications >Attributes include >Performance >Availability >Recoverability >Security >Disaster recovery RPO/RTO >Define storage tiers >Define server tiers

25 Benefits of Tiering >Highest availability does not become your lowest common denominator. >Storage costs are in sync with value of data >Concentrate money and staff where it is needed >Staff Productivity >Tiered Storage is the foundation for >Information Lifecycle Mgmt (90% process/10% technology) >Utility Computing

26 In Summary >Build a SAN if you don’t have one >Use technology that supports tiering >Tier your storage and applications >Set availability & service levels >Sit back, save money and increase productivity

27 Resources Web >snia.org/education >storagenetworking.org >searchstorage.techtarget.com >google.com Books >Building Storage Networks – Marc Farley >Resilient Storage Networks – Greg P. Schulz

Thank You!