Hitachi's thin provisioning: Where to start?
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Questions remain regarding how to get started with thin provisioning. The following can serve as userul guidelines: | Questions remain regarding how to get started with thin provisioning. The following can serve as userul guidelines: | ||
| - | #Start by understanding | + | #Start by understanding the benefits of thin provisioning. Specifically, what are current storage utilization rates, how much capacity is being allocated (wasted) to accommodate future growth and how much space can be reclaimed? Ranges of 20 - 40% reclamation are by no means out of the question but organizations need to 'personalize' this analysis. |
#Fully understand the constraints to adoption. Specifically, what skills, application knowledge, process changes and business terms need to be developed to exploit thin provisioning. | #Fully understand the constraints to adoption. Specifically, what skills, application knowledge, process changes and business terms need to be developed to exploit thin provisioning. | ||
#Prioritize the applications that are the best candidates for thin provisioning by using a combination of economic justification and degree of difficulty. | #Prioritize the applications that are the best candidates for thin provisioning by using a combination of economic justification and degree of difficulty. | ||
| - | Ironically, while the best targets for thin provisioning are likely to be Tier 2 and Tier 3 applications, the USPV doesn't currently support thin provisioning on devices external to the controller-- the best candidates for T2 and T3 data sets. Does this mean users should wait? Perhaps, but more often than not, Hitachi's customers have T2 and T3 storage that resides internal to the USPV. Should it be there? | + | Ironically, while the best targets for thin provisioning are likely to be Tier 2 and Tier 3 applications, the USPV doesn't currently support thin provisioning on devices external to the controller-- the best candidates for T2 and T3 data sets. Does this mean users should wait? Perhaps, but more often than not, Hitachi's customers have T2 and T3 storage that resides internal to the USPV. Should it be there? Probably not-- it would be more cost-effective (in theory) to have this data reside on external devices. Nonethless, there are plenty of T2 and T3 storage candidates that reside internal to the USP and users should choose these pools as starting points. |
| - | '''Action Item: Users should aggressively assess thin provisioning for enteprise storage systems. Start with T2 and T3 applications and understand the costs, application nuances, process changes and ISV support offered. Use the next six to nine months as a learning runway which will speed adoption and time-to-benefit when the next round of announcements hits the market.''' | + | '''Action Item: Users should aggressively assess thin provisioning for enteprise storage systems. Start with T2 and T3 applications and understand the costs, application nuances, process changes and ISV support offered. Use the next six to nine months as a learning runway which will speed adoption and time-to-benefit when the next round of announcements hits the market.''' |
Revision as of 00:32, 19 May 2007
Originating Author: Dave Vellante
Thin provisioning promises to offer IT both substantial benefits in terms of reclaiming wasted space, and critical support for the development of new business models that are more in line with those of consumer storage service suppliers. The Hitachi USPV represents the first of many enterprise scale innovations to come in this space.
Questions remain regarding how to get started with thin provisioning. The following can serve as userul guidelines:
- Start by understanding the benefits of thin provisioning. Specifically, what are current storage utilization rates, how much capacity is being allocated (wasted) to accommodate future growth and how much space can be reclaimed? Ranges of 20 - 40% reclamation are by no means out of the question but organizations need to 'personalize' this analysis.
- Fully understand the constraints to adoption. Specifically, what skills, application knowledge, process changes and business terms need to be developed to exploit thin provisioning.
- Prioritize the applications that are the best candidates for thin provisioning by using a combination of economic justification and degree of difficulty.
Ironically, while the best targets for thin provisioning are likely to be Tier 2 and Tier 3 applications, the USPV doesn't currently support thin provisioning on devices external to the controller-- the best candidates for T2 and T3 data sets. Does this mean users should wait? Perhaps, but more often than not, Hitachi's customers have T2 and T3 storage that resides internal to the USPV. Should it be there? Probably not-- it would be more cost-effective (in theory) to have this data reside on external devices. Nonethless, there are plenty of T2 and T3 storage candidates that reside internal to the USP and users should choose these pools as starting points.
Action Item: Users should aggressively assess thin provisioning for enteprise storage systems. Start with T2 and T3 applications and understand the costs, application nuances, process changes and ISV support offered. Use the next six to nine months as a learning runway which will speed adoption and time-to-benefit when the next round of announcements hits the market.
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