Intelligent file virtualization helps resolves the dilemma of managing and storing an ever increasing amount of information. This white paper introduces the F5 ARX intelligent file virtualization solution. It also discusses the key applications and benefits of this innovative technology.
F5 White Paper
Intelligent File Virtualization
with F5 ARX
Break free from the constraints of today's file storage infrastructure to simplify data management and reduce storage costs.White Paper Intelligent File Virtualization with F5 ARX
Contents
Introduction 3Constraints of Today's File Storage Infrastructure 3
Breaking Free from the Constraints 4
Key Attributes of Intelligent File Virtualization 5
ARX Intelligent File Virtualization 6Presentation: Simplifying file access 7Automation: Simplifying storage management 8
Conclusion 11
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Introduction
Enterprises today face the challenge of managing and storing an ever-increasing amount of information. Not only is information being created at an unprecedented rate, but regulatory and business needs are also requiring the preservation of information for longer periods. At the same time, IT organizations must do more with less-operational budgets have not kept pace with the rapid growth in storage capacity requirements. This poses a paradox: each new device added to meet capacity demands increases complexity and escalates operational costs.
Intelligent file virtualization resolves this dilemma in a simple and effective manner. This white paper introduces the ARX intelligent file virtualization solution. It also discusses the key applications and benefits of this innovative technology.
Constraints of Today's File Storage Infrastructure
There are a number of challenges associated with current file storage infrastructures, including:. C omplexity. Today's typical enterprise storage infrastructure consists of a complex collection of storage platforms, file systems, and operating systems, potentially from different vendors. Unfortunately, most of these devices do not work seamlessly together, and each needs to be managed as its own discrete "island" of storage. . Inflexibility. Users and applications are statically mapped to the physical file storage resources containing the data they need to access. In some environments, this can result in hundreds or thousands of individual mappings (or mount points). Every time something changes in the file storage environment, for example when new storage is provisioned or files are moved, these static mappings are disrupted. Updating the environment requires manual configuration and system downtime. In fact, the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) estimates that more than 40 percent of enterprises migrate data on a weekly or monthly basis and roughly 58 percent of all enterprises report extended or unexpected downtime because of this movement of 1data. In addition, these requirements for downtime are at odds with today's 24 x 7 global business environments that have increasingly little tolerance for unplanned downtime. . Inefficiency. While there may be specific file servers or network-attached storage (NAS) devices that are highly utilized, in aggregate file storage devices
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tend to be underutilized, averaging just 40 to 50 percent capacity utilization in most enterprise environments. This is typically not the result of underuse, but rather of over-provisioning because there has not been a simple, non-disruptive way to balance demand or add capacity to file systems without incurring an outage. . M assive growth. Capacity demands are growing rapidly, with file data accounting for more than 70 percent of this growth. This further exacerbates the problem: as storage demands increase, additional storage devices are added, adding to the complexity, inflexibility, and inefficiency of the environment.
The insatiable demand for additional storage capacity, coupled with the tremendous expense of managing the storage, results in spiraling storage costs. There must be a better way to manage this rapidly growing file storage infrastructure without a corresponding increase in the costs to manage it all.
Breaking Free from the Constraints
The key to breaking free from the constraints outlined above lies in the ability to eliminate the static mapping between client and storage resources, allowing the composition of storage resources to change and data to move freely between resources, without impacting the client access to data. Intelligent file virtualization does exactly that. It pro... [download for more]
