Software-Defined Storage (SDS): Our Take on the Market

The amount of data collected by various companies has increased exponentially in recent years. As time goes on, this volume will only increase and increase. The problem is that the data must not only be collected but also stored somewhere.  

Until recently, in various companies, specialists had to cope with this task by buying new storage systems. However, this is not the most optimal solution, since any system has a certain capacity. As soon as the capacity is used to the maximum, new systems must be purchased. It is not surprising that companies face huge costs, and this method does not show much productivity. At the same time, the more complex the architecture becomes, the greater the likelihood of risks and slowdowns. 

What remains to be done by those who want to get rid of such a mess?  One cutting-edge technology promises to be a lifesaver for many companies.  

What is software-defined storage?  

When you consider the software-defined storage definition, it’s evident that this is a technology that can make many IT department specialists’ lives simpler. The goal is to decouple some functions from the data-storage equipment. It intentionally separates the following features:  

• Provision of resources and capacity; 
• Protection of collected information;  
• Location management for the distribution of data.  

The major functions of software-defined storage may be assigned to the program with a unified interface. Companies may, at their discretion, replace equipment, boost it up or expand it. In this case, the process of performing tasks is not disturbed in any way. Based on this, if necessary, companies can reduce the cost of hardware. 

Compared to the traditional design, where equipment and programs are inextricably linked, using software-defined storage solutions companies get the most flexibility. Furthermore, you will save time, money, and effort by not having to purchase equipment and program that is compatible with one another. Many components, although having the same functionality, operate in quite different ways.  

That being the case, organizations lose a vast sum of money when they buy unsuitable equipment. It is important to upgrade the equipment and deal with the data transfer, which is a time-consuming process.  

How does software-defined storage work?  

Companies resort to using such an innovative solution for one simple reason. They get the opportunity to manage all processes, as well as simplify work and perform various sets of functions. All of this is done by using a single console.  

As a result, you may use a layer separated from the actual hardware to operate a virtual instance of a computer system and manage all the processes. For optimal capacity usage, all of your storage capacity will be aggregated into a group of one or more virtual hosts with the same processor architecture that has access to the same resources.  

After that, you can watch how virtual data sets are created, each of them is assigned a disk device address. These LUNs you will observe on your server. 

Market growth  

The market for this revolutionary solution was assessed at slightly about $9.5 billion in 2020, at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. Already by 2026, experts believe that this market will be valued at over $37 billion. In general, there is an average annual growth rate of such storage facilities at the level of about 26%.  

It is currently the greatest alternative for businesses that are not quite ready to shift to the cloud. However, such technology will become obsolete if there are no upgrades or improvements made on time. This technology is unappealing to firms who currently use the cloud because the cloud is increasingly focused on using resources as services, with storage being one of them. Data is what applications demand, not physical storage. However, not all companies have a cloud environment, so SDS becomes the best possible choice for them.  

SDS features  

Dynamic capacity allocation  

This technology allows you to swiftly assign space for data storage depending on the current volumes of data in use, as opposed to the old method, which reserves pieces of disk space regardless of current use.  

Variety of equipment choices  

Since the impact of equipment on the functioning of the technology is small, companies can make their choice of equipment without fear of incompatibility. In addition, the chosen supplier does not matter much. Companies can become much freer in terms of action and choice and can expand or upgrade equipment whenever they want.  

Management based on pre-established policy  

The infrastructure receives instructions on how and where to store certain amounts of data, based on pre-established policies.  

Performing tasks without the direct participation of specialists  

This solution allows you to free specialists from some easy tasks. Instead, they can be involved in the implementation of more complex workflows. Thus, data centers with such storage infrastructure can be managed by the program.  

SDS advantages  

Finding suitable storage locations  

Over 75% of all data owned by companies is unorganized. Structuring data is much more difficult than finding it because certain characters, as well as metadata, help to find information quickly. Companies are drowning in data, which comprises textual and visual files and information from e-mails and websites.  

SDS aids in the resolution of this issue. It employs advanced technologies to discover the best location for storing specific data. As a result, all data is classified into two categories: important for work and rarely utilized.  

Cost saving  

In traditional infrastructure, hardware matters. Companies must seek out specialized equipment, which may be costly. However, using this solution, companies may utilize traditional x86 servers, which are substantially less expensive. In addition, companies are no longer tied to one equipment supplier.  

Accessibility improvements  

The technology speeds up data access. SDS allows specialists to access standardized storage resources easily and automatically via global catalogs, which can speed up provisioning times. The flexibility to buy and set up cheap servers also implies that storage provisioning is faster.  

Conclusion  

SDS is the natural progression of storage systems, and one thing is certain: its use will grow in the future. Now companies don’t need to deal with such problems as high equipment costs, delay issues, unstructured data, etc. SDS lets businesses put storage volumes to work without worrying whether they’ll function with other systems as their storage demands change.