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Aligning Storage Management Tools with Operational Processes

Aligning Storage Management Tools with Operational Processes. Stephen Foskett GlassHouse Technologies. Introduction. The wide array of storage management tools have overlapping features, confusing names

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Aligning Storage Management Tools with Operational Processes

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  1. Aligning Storage Management Tools with Operational Processes Stephen Foskett GlassHouse Technologies

  2. Introduction • The wide array of storage management tools have overlapping features, confusing names • Make sense of it by looking at storage management from a different perspective - what tasks do I need to perform? How will this product help me? • I will present a matrix of management tasks and technologies

  3. Confusing Terms • There are no standard category names: • Storage Resource Management (SRM) usually analyzes host storage contents (number, type, attributes of files) but not always • Different Storage Management Suites have different functions

  4. Overlaps and Gaps • Many “suites” do not offer SRM functionality. • 114 storage management packages! • >12 offer accounting, device management, SAN management. • <5 offer SAN design, process management, asset management. • None offers configuration management.

  5. Package-Based Approach • Software packages are purchased arbitrarily: • Sales rep’s suggestions • Media coverage • Advertising • Hit or miss coverage of business needs

  6. A Different Perspective • Select tools that fill your needs: • Understand the tasks to be performed • Determine which tasks require software • Prioritize requirements • Match required functionality to available products • Select a few products for maximum coverage

  7. Storage Management Tasks • Types of tasks: • Engineering – Making things work • Operations – Watching things work • Management – Control • Analysis – Validation Process Task Policy Tool

  8. A Storage Management Lifecycle • 4 phases - 67 discrete tasks in total

  9. Sample Tasks – Provisioning

  10. Storage Software Framework • Basic functional categories for storage management software • Each product has varying levels of coverage in different categories

  11. Software Categories • Accounting • Measures the use of storage resources • Allows reporting and chargeback • Application Management • Integrates application-specific functions • Some limited to usage visibility, others integrate backup or replication • Asset Management • Records hardware deployment and usage information

  12. Software Categories (continued) • Capacity Planning • Metrics, forecasts future usage, recommends upgrades • Configuration Management • Records configuration of devices • Automated change control for the architecture • Device Management • Manages end devices (storage arrays) • Information Lifecycle Management • Migrates data over time • Some (HSM) move data, others measure requirements

  13. Software Categories (continued) • Performance Management • Measures performance of components, including devices and interconnects • Provisioning • Automates presentation of storage to hosts • SAN Design • Automates the design of SANs • SAN Management • Manages the interconnection of devices

  14. Sample Tools – Provisioning

  15. Sample Tools – Storage Activation

  16. Selecting Storage Management Software • Look for software offering just what you need • Minimize number of tools: • Lack of integration options • Complexity = Confusion • Look beyond “suites”

  17. Final Thoughts on Storage Management Software • More and more hardware supporting SMI-S • More software using standard database back-ends • Often limited configurability – reporting, cost accounting • Some can read but not write to certain hardware

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