Manage virtual servers with disk array-based tools

In a server virtualization environment, in order to meet the need for more transparent storage resource management, disk array providers virtualize their product support by adding policy-based or virtualized configurations to their productions. They have also improved storage resource management and reporting tools and disk arrays to make these tools more sensitive to virtual machines and take steps to improve data protection.

Configuring storage connected to the host, which was not common in the past, but today's workloads are constantly changing within the architecture, so data storage systems must be quickly tuned, more frequently coordinated, and more frequently logged. mobile. Tools that support policy-based management and auto-configuration include NetApp's Provisioning Manager, EMC's VM-aware Navisphere for Clariion CX-4, and Xiotech's Virtual View. In many cases, these providers offer features that are not only available to traditional physical servers but are also available to virtual servers.

A disk array space utilization and performance monitoring tool that knows the virtual machines attached to the storage and the unique performance characteristics of the virtual machines. Such tools include Hitachi Data Systems' Virtual Server Reporter, which is based on an Aptare company that has established an OEM relationship with Hitachi; and HP's StorageWorks P4000 G2 Best Practice Analyzer (available from LeftHand), which HP built the tool with. Into the HP LeftHand Virtual SAN, which virtualizes the storage allocated to the ESX host to create an iSCSI SAN.

Disk array providers are also addressing data protection issues with virtual servers. Primarily by integrating array-based snapshots with virtual server management, usually through a virtual server management console. Similar integrations include Dell's EqualLogic's VMware Auto-Snapshot Manager and NetApp's SnapManager for virtual infrastructure.

To make VMware's Site Recovery Manager more useful, some providers have integrated array-based replication. They include Hitachi Data Systems. In order to provide high availability and disaster recovery to Microsoft's Hyper-V servers, Hitachi has added support for the cluster. Take the product as an example, such as the Hitachi Storage Cluster designed for Hyper-V.

The native replication and snapshot tools are integrated into Citrix Systems' XenServer via the Citrix StorageLink API.