Storage Platform: Defining Leadership Jeffrey Goldner Architect WDEG jeffgo @ microsoft.com...
Transcript of Storage Platform: Defining Leadership Jeffrey Goldner Architect WDEG jeffgo @ microsoft.com...
Storage Platform: Defining LeadershipStorage Platform: Defining Leadership
Jeffrey GoldnerArchitectWDEGjeffgo @ microsoft.comMicrosoft Corporation
Session OutlineSession Outline
Trends affecting Windows storage featuresMarket
Standards
Customer Requirements
Intersections with the hardware industry
Key challengesToday’s situation
Current initiatives to address these challenges
What comes next
Session GoalsSession Goals
Attendees should leave this session with the following:
A better understanding of the trends that impact Windows Storage
A better understanding of current Microsoft initiatives dealing with some key storage industry challenges
A better understanding of how storage hardware and software vendors can align with these goals
The knowledge to find resources for these initiatives
Storage Devices: Key Windows StrategiesStorage Devices: Key Windows Strategies
Optical Platform Optical Platform Client/ConsumerClient/Consumer
Storage FabricsStorage Fabrics Server/EnterpriseServer/Enterprise
Personal Storage Personal Storage Client/ConsumerClient/Consumer
Preferred Preferred Storage Platform Storage Platform Partner/CustomerPartner/Customer
Timely, comprehensive, quality platform support for optical devices
Optimized platform features enabling new customer scenarios in Personal Storage
Leading platform supporting storage fabrics
Preferred platform for developing, Preferred platform for developing, integrating, and deploying storage devices integrating, and deploying storage devices
Key trends affecting Windows StorageKey trends affecting Windows Storage
Market Movement from direct to fabric attached storage
Declining disk prices Higher capacity drives
lower-cost consumer drivetechnologies
Standards Moving beyond device interfaces
Management
Security
Data integrity
Compliance
2003 Open Systems External Storage
Fabric Attach
59%
Direct Attach
41%
2008 Open Systems External Storage
Direct Attach
17%
Fabric Attach
83%
Key Trends Affecting Windows Storage (con’t)Key Trends Affecting Windows Storage (con’t)
Customer Requirements More global businesses
Want data 24x7Want fast access
More diverse, high volume data Scientific data, video images, etc.
Data protection more complexBackup and retention
Now requires management of multiple copies of data
Archiving often overlooked when using disk-based backupDisaster recovery
Need for greater distance between sitesMore businesses now using replication solutions
SecurityGrowing recognition of need for secure solutions
Especially problematic with small form factors devices
Intersections With the Hardware IndustryIntersections With the Hardware Industry
Working jointly with the industry to ease the complexity of storage networks
Interoperability
Reliability
Management
Security
Performance
Goal is to integrate storage capabilities into the operating system
Alignment of the Windows platform and hardware capabilities
Enable new classes of applications to use these capabilities
Enable vendors to take advantage of their value-added functions
Make sure end-to-end scenarios are covered
Ensure customer data is available and secure
Today’s Today’s challenges have challenges have lead to initiatives lead to initiatives
to produce to produce solutionssolutions
Key ChallengesKey Challenges
InteroperabilityInteroperability
ReliabilityReliabilitySecuritySecurity
ManageabilityManageability
PerformancePerformance
Today’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
Larger, hotter drives placed closer togetherUse of redundant arrays: is it more reliable in the desktop market?
Hidden corruption on mirrors
Not enough focus on mechanical layouts
Fabric attached storage has additional complexityMore components that could fail
High availability is achieved through redundancyComes at a high cost
OS may not be able to interpret true cause of errorsTransient conditions, maintenance operations
Backup and recoveryDevice, driver, application reliability
Consistency of data
Limited backup window precludes complete backups
Access to previous versions
ReliabilityReliability
Microsoft data:Disk drive is least reliable component
Desktop, notebook and server
Only covers component failure
Not random corruptions
Loss of data
Co
mp
on
ent
Fai
lure
s
Desktop4%
4%
4%
4%
8%
8%
9%10%
11%
34%
Hard Disk
Power Supply
Fan
System Board
Input Device
Video
Removable Media Drive
Multimedia
Memory
Network
Processor
Other
SERVER
34%
27%
11%
10%
5%
4%2%2%2%
Hard Drive
Power Supply
Fan
System Board
Network
Removable MediaDriveMemory
Input Device
External Bus
Processor
Video
Multimedia
Challenges:Challenges:Reliability (MS Internal Study)Reliability (MS Internal Study)
ReliabilityReliability
Customer impact Larger volume of data at risk in catastrophic failures
Risk of backup failure still high
Are customers willing to pay more for higher reliability?Additional disk devices for backup purposes?
ReliabilityReliabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
DisksPredictive failure analysis for disk drivesDrive industry to standardized implementationsDisk diagnostics and background processes to check data integrityQualification program enhancements
FabricsNew tools for viewing fabricsIncreased resilience in the OSCoordinating with management applications
BackupUse snapshot solutions coordinated with the OSFollow driver and provider models New device handling approach
Reliability ProblemsDisk drives
HeatVibration Random corruption
FabricCable failureMaintenance operations
Managing errors Backup Integrity
Open filesUnreadable tape mediaDevice driver problems
ReliabilityReliabilityInitiativesInitiatives
Performance Challenges Sequential performance is most commonly cited statistic
This statistic gives an “idealized” performance measurement
Vendor performance metrics look good
Driving customers to lower-cost technologies before they can assess the impact to business goals
BUT most I/O in a multitasking operating system is not sequential
Random performanceAt the device level, little performance improvement over the last 5 years
Requires expensive hardware solutions to improve random I/O performance (spindles vs. capacity)
Disk drive margins tend to be low, so market opposition to improving mechanical performance
Customer impactAlthough system performance has improved, not able to take advantage of full potential if you can’t get to the data
Drive customers to higher-priced storage
PerformancePerformanceToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
Performance Initiatives System and application optimizations
Help decrease random I/OMemory Manager optimized to increase use of sequential I/O
“Pre-fetch” for application launch and OS boot
Rearrange data to increase Speed of OS loadingSpeed of application launch
Low Priority I/O Allows some applications to run in the background; user application gets disk priority
Scheduled File I/OApplication can reserve bandwidth for specific file (such as audio playback)I/O takes priority (counterpart to low priority)
Volume alignmentBest practice analyzers
Application and load-specific tools to ensure adequate storage performance
Performance ProblemsMultitasking system means there are always multiple processes accessing disk drives
Random I/O access slow
PerformancePerformanceInitiativesInitiatives
Manageability ChallengesToo many storage management pieces
Number of tools increases with number of components
Interfaces
Standards
Integrating new Windows storage featuresTime-lag to industry adoption
Customer impactConfusion
Complex storage management
ManageabilityManageabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
Manageability Initiatives Better tools and interfaces
Storage management infrastructure reduces need for multiple vendor tools
Adopting and promoting standards
Interfaces for SATA, Fibre Channel and iSCSI
Applying Windows system initiatives to storage management
Windows Management Instrumentation
WS Management
Management ProblemsProliferation of tools, interfaces, standards
Time-lag for hardware industry adoption of new Windows storage features
ManageabilityManageabilityInitiativesInitiatives
Interoperability ChallengesHardware-hardware
Lack of standards conformance
Hardware-softwareNon-alignment with OS driver models
Integration with OSSlow adoption of infrastructure enhancements
Customer impactLimited choices when building storage infrastructure
Difficulty diagnosing problems
Potential data loss, downtime, disruption of business
InteroperabilityInteroperabilityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
Interoperability Initiatives New programs such as Simple SAN
Includes interoperability requirements for hardware and software vendors
Conformance to driver models
Adoption of storage interfaces
New Windows tools to help diagnose problems
Enhanced tests for hardware qualification
Vendor educationWindows driver and provider models
Refining models to meet vendor needs
The OS is the common denominator in all interoperability design
Requires conformance to standards
Interoperability ProblemsHardware
Drivers may not be optimal for all attached hardware
Lack of adherence to standards
Can lead toSuboptimal performance
Inability to access device
Hardware/softwareDrivers not conforming to current models
Prevents correct detection and recovery by the OS or applications
InteroperabilityInteroperabilityInitiativesInitiatives
Security Challenges Management interfaces
Each hardware component has its own security management interfaceDevice passwords rarely updatedNo integration of interfaces with the operating system (e.g., can’t distribute credentials) No standards on how the integration is done
Data Data on removable devices not protectedData in-flight may need to be encrypted
Devices Many connect to networks with protocols that are not secureImplementation of secure network infrastructure is difficult Currently few/no policies restricting the use of devices
Customer impactCorporate data at riskPersonal data at risk
SecuritySecurityToday’s ChallengesToday’s Challenges
Security Initiatives Centralized infrastructure for fabric attached storage
Standards-based implementationRADIUS, CHAP
Fibre Channel and iSCSIProtection of management interfacesAuthentication of devicesEncryption where supported by the protocols
DataFile level encryptionBlock level encryption being investigatedOS integration with devices that have built-in encryption (such as flash media)
DevicesAdministrator policies for preventing user access to removable devicesStandardized implementation of rights management
Security ProblemsManagement Interfaces
Not integrated with OS
Not standardized
Data Data on removable devices not protected
DevicesSwitches/arrays access non-secure IP protocol
Few or no policies restricting device use
SecuritySecurityInitiativesInitiatives
Next Wave Storage Solution Initiatives Next Wave Storage Solution Initiatives
Small and medium businessesSimple SAN initiative aims to simplify SANs for the small and midsize market
Program qualification forSimple SAN solution components
Simple SAN complete solutions
Large/Enterprise marketMany challenges remain, especially with regard to interoperability and manageability
Increased focus on managing storageMore capability built in to the operating system
Industry prediction: by 2006, SAN management functions will be embedded as part of the OS
Microsoft DirectionsMicrosoft Directions
Driving initiatives for a better storage experience
Listening to customers, partners, industry
Making storage infrastructure a better fit with industry standards and partner needs
Adoption of system level management initiatives
Leading on providing a programmatic framework for storage vendors to deliver the best solutions on the Windows platform
Call To ActionCall To Action
Adopt Windows Storage InterfacesThese will improve the storage experience
Help us drive towards Greater reliability
Higher performance
Increased interoperability
Improved security
Better storage management
Follow the logo programSubmit products for qualification
Keep up with updates to the program
Community ResourcesCommunity Resources
Community Siteshttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/default.mspx
List of Newsgroupshttp://communities2.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx
Attend a free chat or webcasthttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/seminar/events/webcasts/default.mspx
Non-Microsoft Community Siteshttp://www.microsoft.com/communities/related/default.mspx
Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources
Questions about this presentationhec5stor @ microsoft.com
Storage at Microsofthttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/storage/default.mspx
Community (Storage)http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/storage/community/default.mspx
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.storage
Logo program informationhttp://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/default.mspx
Standards organizations (Storage)http://www.t10.org
http://www.t13.org
http://www.snia.org