Is your boss a little out of date when it comes to current virtual storage technology trends?
Do they hate spending money on data storage, yet expect a flawless solution with zero unplanned downtime?…
And worse still, do they think a monolithic physical SAN is the best storage option to help your organization achieve its data storage goals?
If so, worry not! Here are six ways to convince them to make the switch to a virtual storage solution:
1. No more expensive storage arrays
Virtual storage appliances (VSAs) are used in virtual SANs and similar storage virtualization solutions, and offer users substantial savings on CAPEX and OPEX in comparison to physical SAN solutions. This is in part thanks to them being able to leverage existing server infrastructure, effectively removing the need for dedicated and expensive storage arrays to operate. Using ordinary x86 server hardware is far more cost-effective and far easier to procure.
2. Flexible hardware choices
Offering a high degree of flexibility within their solutions, when it comes to hardware choice, virtual storage solutions truly are unmatched!
Unlike physical SANs which require their users to be tied to vendor-specific hardware, many storage virtualization solutions operate independently of hardware brands and models.
Depending on your chosen solution, it can run on a mix of commodity hardware with no compromise on functionality. Even better, some vendors allow their users the freedom to use their existing hardware or change hardware at any time!
3. Reduced hardware requirements
In physical SAN solutions, each storage array demands its own dedicated set of hardware components, including controllers, disk enclosures, and networking equipment.
In comparison, virtual SANs require significantly less hardware to achieve high availability while optimizing resources through the leveraging of existing server infrastructure.
It is worth noting, however, that though the reduction in hardware using a virtual SAN rather than a physical SAN can be significant, it really does depend heavily on the solution being used. Some vendors require as little as two servers to achieve high availability while others demand significantly more.
4. Simple scalability
As you may have already experienced in your own organization, scaling up data storage capacity using a physical SAN can be pretty complicated. To make this a reality, the organization in question would need to purchase the additional storage arrays and associated hardware specific to the solution, then have a professional with the right experience install it. Not only can this cost a significant amount, it may also result in huge delays if shipping and labor require an extended time frame.
Opting instead for a virtual SAN however, can allow companies to avoid these headaches with the ability to incrementally expand storage to an already deployed server infrastructure.
This enables a highly flexible, pay-as-you-grow model, aligning costs with actual storage needs and eliminating the need for large upfront investments and long wait times. Additionally, virtual storage solutions often include centralized management interfaces that simplify data storage provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance – enabling efficient, cost-effective management of storage infrastructures.
5. Straight-forward deployment
Leveraging existing server infrastructure means virtual storage solutions can be up and running in a matter of hours, versus days or weeks with traditional storage models. They eliminate much of the complexity and hassle of time-consuming hardware too, able to be deployed in just a few clicks as software instances on standard servers.
Additionally, they tend to be made with ease of use in mind, so the majority come with interfaces that guide users through the set-up process, removing the need for professionals with decades of IT expertise to set up.
6. High availability
Compared to a physical SAN, storage virtualization solutions excel in achieving high availability. Not only do they utilize redundant server configurations and software-based failover mechanisms ensuring uninterrupted access to data even in the event of a hardware failure, they also incorporate data replication and mirroring capabilities which create duplicates of data across multiple nodes and remote locations.
This high level of redundancy ensures IT personnel can sleep well knowing the data is safeguarded against a plethora of failures whether they be from faulty hardware or another single point of failure.
StorMagic SvSAN: A flexible, cost-effective virtual SAN solution
When it comes to storage virtualization solutions, simplicity, scalability, and cost-efficiency are paramount. That’s where StorMagic SvSAN shines. Unlike many competing solutions, SvSAN operates with just two nodes, reducing hardware costs without compromising performance. It seamlessly integrates with any hypervisor, ensuring compatibility with your existing infrastructure.
What sets SvSAN apart from other virtual storage solutions on the market is its unmatched scalability. Need to expand your storage? No problem. Easily scale up or out in just a few clicks to accommodate your evolving storage needs without hassle.
Deployment is a breeze too, thanks to its user-friendly interface. So you can have SvSAN up and running in minutes.
And the best part? SvSAN achieves 100% uptime through redundancy and intelligent failover mechanisms, ensuring your data is always kept safe and available when you need it.
To discover how SvSAN performs in real life across a range of industries check out our case studies page, or learn about the solution’s features on our SvSAN page:
You can also learn about virtual SAN best practices and other related topics by reading our library of white papers. Alternatively, the StorMagic team is on hand to answer any questions you might have by simply filling out this contact form, or by emailing us directly using [email protected].
