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UNRAVELING STORAGE TRENDS The key to understanding how storage is transforming our world. The analysts all agree... storage is growing. In fact, over the past several years, storage has seen some explosive growth, especially as it expands to the cloud. Recent reports show that by 2020, the total volume of raw data stored in the cloud will have reached 35 zettabytes. A zettabyte is 1,000 exabytes or 1,000,000 petabytes. Overall, storage is seen as continuing to grow at an annual compound growth rate of 34% in North America yearover-year. How companies plan to address this growth within their own organizations has begun to come to light thanks in part to the cloud. Going forward, the logical extension of this is beginning to occur: storage and other key IT resources are being absorbed by the cloud. As more companies embrace this natural evolution of IT, software storage application providers and hardware providers are independently scrambling to meet the needs of B2B and B2C customers. Unfortunately, this independence results in flawed deployments that do not allow for a graceful scale-out, or yield a flexible, turn-key solution that most customers are looking for. This is where working with a collaborative partner such as Cirrascale helps. 2
TRADITIONAL STORAGE TYPES Piecing together the segments that make up the storage landscape. The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is an industry trade group organization dedicated to highlighting new technologies related to Storage Networks. SNIA has seen the storage market have amazing growth in the last decade as the adoption of new technologies increased capacities, performance, and features while simultaneously reducing cost from 10 s of dollars per gigabyte to pennies per gigabyte. The SNIA definition of traditional storage architecture is a good place to start a discussion of existing storage network topologies as well as introducing those new technologies that will likely absorb and supplant ones in use today. Cirrascale is well suited to take four of these existing storage network topologies, and build them into impressive next generation storage solutions. Direct Attached Storage SNIA defines Direct Attached Storage (DAS) as one or more dedicated storage devices connected to one or more servers. This architecture is typically deployed as a server attached to multiple drive JBODs (Just a Bunch Of Disks). Simply stated, the storage drives (whether they are spinning or solid state) are directly connected to the servers, typically via Serial ATA (SATA) or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS). Storage Area Networks A Storage Area Network (SAN) consists of a communication infrastructure, which provides physical connections from storage elements to computer systems so that data transfer is secure and robust. Mostly connections for Block I/O are made rather than for file access. SAN systems are usually fully redundant as they tend to be used in Enterprise applications that demand high availability of their storage pools. Additionally, 3
these systems commonly connect over multi-pathed networks using protocols such as FiberChannel, FCoE, or iscsi. Network Attached Storage Network Attached Storage (NAS) is defined as storage began dividing between blockbased DAS and SAN, and filebased NAS. This division led to the creation and expansion of CAS or Content Addressable Storage. Content Addressable or Object Storage and instead concentrated on application-focused APIs, HTTP transfers, and a universal naming standard for unique objects. Early on, applications treated CAS objects as simple files, but as the access method grew in popularity it was soon expanded to take advantage of the unique capabilities it offered. Common capabilities offered by CAS elements that connect to a Content Addressable enable document management network and provide file access services to computer systems. These systems are physically remote from the devices, on which data is stored. The data storage devices are commonly connected to the computer systems via IP, using existing Ethernet connectivity. NAS has become popular for handling unstructured data sets, rather than Block I/O used in DAS and SAN environments. As storage technologies have grown and adapted, the storage market Storage (CAS), also referred to most recently as Objectbased Storage, is defined as a mechanism for storing information that can be retrieved based on its content, not its storage location. It is typically used for high-speed storage and retrieval of fixed content. As the limitations of block and file storage systems became more evident, CAS became a better option for storing data. CAS began to discard traditional protocols such as NAS and SAN, and archiving in a fashion not possible with a traditional SAN. It s from this advancement that cloud storage and cloud storage applications took hold and a new era in storage began. DID YOU KNOW? The recording density for data - aka capacity - has increased 60,000,000-fold in the past 50 years. 4
EMERGING STORAGE APPLICATIONS How cloud storage and its application are changing the landscape As the cloud grew and application integration and programmability began to take hold, the true image of cloud storage began to come to light. Companies started to add much needed features, from replication to indexing to media transcoding, each of which can be called by applications through vendor specific APIs. As Cloud storage evolved, the access methods coalesced around already proven Internet protocols such as HTTP and SSL. The real benefit from cloud storage becomes obvious when applications begin to take advantage of its powerful distribution, collaboration, and Cirrascale has identified several specific challenges that can be resolved utilizing storage software applications residing on its highly scalable and densely configured storage racks. This is achieved by integrating the right software stack for the task at hand with the right hardware so that together they can enable an easy scale-out storage solution. Cloud Storage Simply put, storage in the cloud is now better, faster, and less expensive. Cloud Storage is conveniently flexible, always available and near-infinitely Internet Age. Initially designed to handle web-scale computing demands, it morphed over time to manage other storage tasks and increasingly varied requirements. Building on Amazon s Simple Storage Service (S3), the Elastic Block Storage (EBS) and OpenStack APIs, Content Storage & Distribution, Web Backup, and Block Storage Device services are just some of the storage types that can be provisioned to support your applications. For example, when a huge capacity of data needs to be stored offsite, Cloud Storage is called on with new storage nodes that will multiply many Terabyte disks into programming capabilities. scalable. It is storage for the Petabyte-sized storage pools. 5
These Cloud Storage services are available from Cirrascale in tandem with partners such as Zadara Storage and Piston Cloud Computing. Active Archive When data needs to be always be available, never needing to be restored from a tape backup, then Active Archive is the solution. Active Archive is a method of tiered storage which gives the user access to data across a virtualized file system that migrates data between multiple storage systems and media types. The result of an active archive implementation is that data can be stored on the most appropriate media type for the given retention and restoration requirements of that data. Active archive applications came about as a result of the growing amount of unstructured data in the typical data center and the need to be able to manage and efficiently store that data. As a result, active archive applications tend to be focused on file systems and unstructured data, rather than all of the collective data; however, many have features and functionalities which address traditional backup needs as well. Cirrascale s Active Archive solutions are powered by Amplidata s AmpliStor software producing a turnkey solutions that is more reliable than systems ten times the cost. Enterprise Storage Reliable, expandable on-premise storage is how many Enterprises are choosing to maintain their data. Rather than having each department or group be responsible for their own data, IT is able to take advantage of low cost, multi-petabyte storage in combination with robust data storage techniques and highspeed access methods to consolidate all of the storage into a central location. Tiered data, and aggressive use of caching allows for high aggregate performance, while ensuring data integrity and centralizing management. Cirrascale has tapped its partners, Nexenta and Zadara Storage, to provide this scalable yet highly performing storage system. DID YOU KNOW? The magnetic HDD is over 50 years old. In 1956, IBM introduced the 305 RAMAC. It was the size of a refrigerator, and stored a total of 4.4MB on 50 doubledsided, two-footdiameter disks. The disk had a purchase price of $10,000,000 per Gigabyte. 6
WHY CHOOSE CIRRASCALE FOR STORAGE Better cooling, higher density, increased reliability and so much more. Cirrascale engineers developed its patented Vertical Cooling Technology (VCT) which enables creating solutions that solve the most complex data center infrastructure issues... and that includes storage. Cirrascale s VCT coupled with its modular platform designs allows flexible and scalable approaches to storage design. The blade modularity allows for multiple platforms within a common infrastructure, so scale up and scale out can meet organization s needs without forklift upgrades. Cirrascale s VCT enables increased compute and storage density and reduces total power consumption and CRAC load. By utilizing common off-theshelf components, Cirrascale customers can experience increased reliability and can access new technology faster than their competitors. BladeRack 2 Series Hot Air Aisle Cool Air Aisle Front to Back Cooling Front to back cooling is a method where cool air is drawn in through the front of the server and pushed out the back. Cirrascale s VCT enables added benefits over this traditional cooling method. Vertical Cooling Technology (VCT) Air is drawn into the bottom of the rack and flows over the blades on each level. The air moves at a rate of up to 4500CFM to create a high-velocity, powerful cooling engine allowing for increased density and versatility. 7
HOW CIRRASCALE CAN DELIVER A TOTAL SOLUTION Customers choose Cirrascale for a collaborative approach. Technology advances at a record rate each year and staying up to speed with those changes can be difficult. Cirrascale works tirelessly with vendors and partners to ensure technology advances are understood, integrated and communicated as they become available for deployment in data centers worldwide. Unlike other companies, Cirrascale strives to build collaborative relationships that add value instead of merely selling cookie-cutter white box product that doesn t scale-out. Cirrascale works diligently to offer comprehensive, meaningful services to support companies in their streamlining of the development and deployment of compute and storage solutions. Cirrascale s team of experts helps to define needs and tailor flexible and robust blade storage solutions that integrate some of the industries greatest storage software developers such as Nexenta, Amplidata, Zadara and more. Cirrascale has worked with a range of leading Fortune 500 companies to assist in resolving their individual storage challenges. Whether it is balancing I/O performance, planning the right architecture for an active archive solution, or enabling a massive scale-out storage deployment, Cirrascale s highly skilled storage experts are ready to collaborate with you on your next storage deployment. The next several pages show the versatility, expandability and scalability of Cirrascale s flagship blade platforms. 8
OUR SCALABLE PLATFORMS Data center infrastructure that scales to meet every company s needs. Modular Blade Chassis (MBC) Platform KEY FEATURES Holds up to 9 blades. Utilizes Vertical Cooling Technology. Perfect for cloud storage or backups. Rack optimized design for use in traditional data center installs. Perfect for traditional NAS and SAN deployments. Employs patented Vertical Cooling Technology. Ideal for smaller installations or as a storage appliance. that supports Cirrascale s Vertical Cooling Technology and holds up to 9 blades. This Since not all storage needs are the same, Cirrascale developed the ability to start small and scale as capacity or deployment needs increase. The Cirrascale Modular Blade Chassis allows for cross-compatibility with the BladeRack 2 Series and FOREST Container platforms. This enables customers to move blades from one platform to the next, preserving their initial storage investment. The MBC is a unique rackmountable chassis configuration alloows for up to 336TB of raw storage capacity perfect for traditional NAS or SAN deployments. MBC units can be stacked enabling nearly 1PB of blade storage in a rackmount cabinet. 9
BladeRack 2 Series Platform KEY FEATURES Holds up to 72 blades. Over 3.4PB of storage capacity available. Perfect for enterprise storage or active archive installations. Can be tailored and customized to fit any storage need. Perfect for cloud storage and active archive deployments. Employs patented Vertical Cooling Technology. Ideal for larger installations requiring reduced TCO. by Tier 1 manufacturers. This flexible platform also enables combining compute and storage Cirrascale developed the BladeRack 2 Series platform to handle the ever increasing storage and compute demands being placed on IT resources. Where the Modular Blade Chassis handles 9 blades, the Cirrascale BladeRack 2 XL can handle up to 72 blades. Since the BladeRack 2 XL accepts blades on both the front side and rear side of the rack, data center density is increased dramatically without sacrificing cooling. Additionally, blades can be moved from the MBC to the BladeRack 2 XL without reconfiguration. This design reduces waste and allows additional scaleout options when compared to proprietary systems developed servers within the same rack for the ultimate in versatility. The combination of extreme density and efficiency drive the total cost of ownership of the BladeRack 2 XL far below that of competing solutions while gaining an increase in performance and reliability. Additional BladeRack Series models are available to ensure the perfect fit for any enterprise storage need. 10
FOREST Containerized Data Center KEY FEATURES Holds up to 1,440 blades. Up to 57.6PB of storage capacity available. Ideal for large cloud storage installations. Can be configured and deployed worldwide. Designed for cloud and enterprise deployments. Employs patented Vertical Cooling Technology. Self-contained, transportable data center. and performance. The flexibility of the Cirrascale FOREST Container addresses your storage or data The FOREST Container was designed to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding data center. FOREST is an acronym meaning Flexible, Open, Reliable, Energy efficient, Scalable and Transportable. It is a modular, portable data center that is deployable virtually anywhere supporting up to 60PB of raw storage or 1,440 tailored blade servers. This negates the need to purchase or lease expensive land or to build custom facilities with special requirements to support traditional data centers. Energy use is dramatically reduced by the FOREST Container s ultra efficient power subsystems and patented Vertical Cooling Technology boosting reliability consolidation needs. Engineered as a customizable IT solution, the Cirrascale FOREST Container truly delivers the ability to deploy and support massive compute and storage installations and supports third-party hardware unlike similar solutions. The FOREST Container has been deployed by leading companies for cloud storage initiatives including NASA s Nebula project. 11
DELIVERING TURNKEY SOLUTIONS Working with ISV s and Partners to deliver turnkey solutions. While Cirrascale works directly with customers and partners to create customized solutions, new solutions can leverage already successful Storage Appliances as a starting point. Over the next several pages, you ll discover real world solutions that we have developed with our software storage partners to help understand and start the process of creating the right customized, turnkey solution for your company. Enterprise Petascale Appliance Powered by NexentaStor ZFS Perfect for deploying cost effective enterprise storage. Scale I/O performance and capacity independently. Advanced cache tuning to match varying workloads. This Petascale appliance is built utilizing Nexenta s very successful enterprise class storage product. NexentaStor is a fully featured NAS/SAN software platform that brings Software Defined Storage to commodity hardware. Cirrascale leverages that technology to provide a high performance NAS/SAN platform, independently scalable for greater storage capacity or fast I/O performance. This advanced platform leverages ZFS (Zettabyte File System) to yield a flexible 128- bit file system that can detect and correct data corruption in ways not possible with traditional file systems and RAID arrays. Flexible access methods are available to connect to storage pools via NFS, CIFS, WebDAV, and FTP. Additionally, traditional 12
SAN topologies are enabled by support for iscsi and FC. ZFS brings features typically available only with expensive proprietary storage systems to commodity hardware, such as unlimited snapshots, block level deduplication of data to save space, synchronous or asynchronous replication, and on-the-fly data compression. The resultant platform is a rugged, responsive and cost effective solution that can start small and can scale up as needed. Systems can be installed with as little as one Storage Head Node and a one 12 Drive Storage Blade. As data storage requirements begin to increase, this solution can grow with it scaling to a full 3.4PB rack. As needs increase beyond that, it can continue to scale to multiple racks or a container full of racks, all the while acting as a single pool of managed storage. When access to data absolutely cannot be interrupted, this Enterprise Petascale Appliance can be configured with a highavailability option. Multiple Head Nodes can work in concert to manage access to large amounts of storage, and can seamlessly take over for servers undergoing maintenance. As groups of Head Nodes in the datacenter work together to insure that their storage pools pool are always up and running, synchronous backup between data centers allows for continued access to mission critical data, even if one datacenter is offline. This appliance is a perfect starting point for tailoring a turnkey solution that deploys cost effective, commodity-based enterprise storage. 13
Active Archive Solutions Powered by AmpliStor Software Perfect for keeping all your content always available. Optimized for use with object-aware applications. Ideal for data protection among multiple data centers. Unstructured content, accessed as objects with potentially large amounts of unique meta-data, is common for hosted or cloud based applications. Additionally, it continues to be one of the largest sectors of storage growth. Interfaces such as Amazon s S3 or Google s Drive have demonstrated the value in CAS as a data access method. A massively scalable active archive appliance, utilizing Amplidata s AmpliStor Software, can provide such an interface for enterprise applications to store their data reliably and with greatly reduced overhead compared to traditional SAN or NAS systems. In the past, data survived with RAID, but was difficult to scale up to very large sizes. If the data needed to survive a disaster more than the failure of just one or two disks, the entire RAID array would need to be replicated. If a RAID had 20% overhead, it then became 40% with the replication of the entire RAID set, doubling the cost per gigabyte for reliable data storage. At a smaller level, if a drive failed in a large RAID array, it might take several days to rebuild after it was replaced time that the data is at risk of subsequent disk failures which would render the data irretrievable. This scalable Active Archive solution powered by AmpliStor changes all that. By using erasure coding, rather than data replication, AmpliStor can survive large numbers of simultaneous disk failures, without risk of permanent data loss. Working at a larger scale, multiple data centers can spread the risk even further. If the data is split among multiple locations, an entire datacenter could go offline without compromising data integrity or access, and without the expense of replicating data and hardware. Cirrascale and Amplidata have worked together to provide a better solution. Data can now be accessible anytime, even if it is distributed across multiple disk drives, servers, or data centers. 14
SAN and NAS as a Service powered by Zadara Storage Perfect for on-demand SAN and NAS as a service. Built specifically for clouds: public and private. Simplified multi-tenant management and accounting. Although not growing as fast as object storage, SAN and NAS are still some of the most ubiquitous storage networking architectures in use today. Many common applications are either not object aware or deal with data that isn t easily accessed via an object interface, and thus rely on block and file even when they are moved into a cloud or hosted environment. When applications move into the cloud, their I/O requirements might not be satisfied with typical cloud storage offerings. When your online database needs particularly robust and consistent performance, you can now connect that virtual SQL server to its own Virtual Private Storage Array (VPSA ). Cirrascale s partnership with Zadara Storage makes it possible to bring Virtual Private Storage Array SAN and NAS to cloud providers and Enterprises. Each VPSA is a highly available iscsi and NFS storage array and is provisioned from the Zadara Storage Cloud, comprising of Cirrascale-based storage blades. It can scale as demand does, eventually reaching up to 2.7PB per rack. The Zadara Storage Cloud also offers tenant-dedicated and isolated resources for each VPSA, even when hosted somewhere other than an Enterprise data center. Data is encrypted, and a unified management interface can create new VPSAs and storage volumes, size them, add disks, and configure appropriate data redundancy levels. Operators of the Zadara Storage Cloud have multiple billing models available, including per hour metering. Working together, Cirrascale and Zadara Storage are creating one of the most robust and scalable Storage-as-a-Service solutions available for deployment in any data center. DID YOU KNOW? Instagram users eat up chunks of new storage by sharing 3,600 new photos every minute. 15
Private Cloud Infrastructure with Piston Enterprise OS (pentos) Perfect for deploying near-infinite storage capacity. Helpful for deploying AWS S3 compatible storage. Accepts new storage technologies (Swift, Nexenta, Ceph) Cirrascale s early involvement with the creators of OpenStack, (the open source alternative to Amazon Web Services) will benefit enterprises that are trying to deploy their own private cloud. Deploying robust and secure private cloud infrastructure can be difficult. Questions such as How much CPU to network ratio should there be? or What minimum VM performance is sufficient? can be difficult to answer. Cirrascale s cooperation with the software developers of OpenStack allowed NASA to deploy their own private cloud utilizing the Cirrascale FOREST containerized data center. NASA recognized the multiple benefits of Cloud infrastructure: robust creation, management of virtual machines, scalable storage of file, block and object, as well as integrated security. As more and more enterprises are seeing their traditional IT servers migrate to the cloud, Administrators are concerned about security, costs, and storage reliability. Cirrascale is proud to partner with Piston Cloud Computing enabling you to launch your own Amazonstyle Cloud Infrastructure platform. Storage is connected to each Compute Node, so your data resides close to the Virtual Machines. This is fantastic for Big Data as well as low latency sensitive applications. Cirrascale can deploy pentos deployments from just a few nodes/terabytes to a container full of hundreds of nodes and Petabytes of storage. 16
LET S WORK TOGETHER TO GET YOU AN ANSWER Cirrascale specializes in providing a tailored solution that meets the growing needs of our customers specific applications. In order to determine our customer s needs, we work together to collaborate with our vendors and software partners in providing the right solution. We have helped customers just like you with very specific needs that can not be solved by using a standard white box solution. Don t settle for the status quo. Contact us today to begin the process of learning how we can help you. Contact Us Today... To discover how Cirrascale can help you, please contact us at (888) 942-3800 or (858) 874-3800, or email us at info@cirrascale.com 17
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