Virtualization has quickly grown from theory and buzzword to best practice in the IT industry. From servers and networking to storage, development and introduction of virtualized environments is quickly spreading. Most IT organizations are working to implement virtualization platforms to reduce both capital and operational costs across their infrastructure environments.

In a storage environment, virtualization typically refers to the ability to manage and move data from multiple arrays or file shares from disparate vendors as a single storage entity. Today’s storage virtualization engines are available at the switch layer or the array layer of the storage infrastructure. Additionally, there are unique tools for virtualizing file level data and block level data. These engines enable administrators to create commonly managed pools of logical unit numbers (LUNs) or file shares from any supported array to present to hosts based on specific requirements. These LUNs or shares can then be migrated or replicated to independent storage platforms based on policies created within the virtualization software. The virtualization engine masks the originating storage array from the host, allowing for a less complicated and more consistent host bus adapter (HBA) and network configuration process and singular multi-pathing software usage. This virtualization mechanism can help organizations protect current storage assets by extending their effective life spans and usability. Also, the heterogeneous migration and replication capabilities can be an enabling tool for information lifecycle management policy.

The most important consideration is the potential for cost savings that virtualization brings to an environment:

• ‑Maximum investment protection for existing infrastructure by leveraging existing assets and extending their useful life spans

• ‑Lower administrative costs for storage operations by streamlining operational processes

• ‑Realization of information lifecycle management (ILM)-based cost savings by providing a low impact mechanism for tiered storage movement

Most organizations will derive the greatest tangible benefits from virtualization through providing better availability and flexibility to the end users while lowering the overall cost of storage capacity to the business.

Important considerations that must be addressed before moving forward with a block or file level data virtualization solution are:

• ‑Current arrays with significant lease terms or capital depreciation schedules must be supported by the virtualization engine

• ‑File virtualization solutions must be compatible and tuned to work with current IP network topology

• ‑Policy-based management criteria should be defined prior to solution acquisition or implementation

• ‑Underlying storage must be compatible with global namespace software

• ‑Tiered storage solutions should be in place to maximize data mobility opportunities

• ‑Architect virtualization with appropriate redundancy and performance to provide appropriate service levels for all data

By properly implementing a data virtualization platform, IT organizations can increase service levels to the business while also lowering capital and operational costs. Business units should embrace this technology and work with the IT organization to determine tiered storage and replication policies that maximize the capabilities of data virtualization engines while maintaining the appropriate level of performance and risk mitigation.

Tim Arland is principal consultant, storage solutions at Forsythe. Mr. Arland can be reached at tarland@forsythe.com or 847-213-7000. For more information about Forsythe, please visit www.forsythe.com.