Storage Virtualization: Technologies For Simplifying Data Storage And Management

By Tom Clark

Evaluating, Planning, and Implementing High-Value Storage Virtualization SolutionsStorage virtualization has come of age, offering IT professionals powerful new ways to simplify infrastructure, streamline management, improve utilization, and reduce costs. Now, the author of the best-selling storage guides IP SANs and Designing Storage Area Networks presents an up-to-the-minute, vendor-neutral overview of storage virtualization in all its forms. Writing for IT managers, administrators, architects, analysts, consultants, and vendors, Tom Clark explains everything from the basics to the latest emerging standards. Storage Virtualization uses realistic examples and diagrams to explain each key concept, concluding with case studies that demonstrate real-world implementation and help you assess the technology s business value. technologies and the marketplaceRelationships among files, records, data on disk, and storage interconnectionsVirtualization standards, including the Fabric Application Interface StandardHow multiple storage systems are abstracted into virtual storage poolsHost-based virtualization, array-based virtualization, and virtualization appliancesVirtualization services for high availability and heterogeneous storage applicationsVirtualized SAN file systems that simplify file management and support distributed computingVirtualized tape backup, including Redundant Array of Independent Tape (RAIT) devices Policy-based storage management, application-sensitive virtualization intelligence, and other high-level automation and virtualization servicesThe future of storage virtualization and storage utilitiesExtensive resource listings: vendors, industry organizations, and standards initiatives(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0321262514
• ISBN13: 9780321262516
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Good book to learn the basics

A good book to learn the basics of virtualization.

A good summary of storage virtualization

This book describes the basics of modern storage virtualization at an introductory level. The reader should have a basic technical background but does not need know much about storage. There are fourteen chapters each of which covers one aspect of storage. Topics include: host, server and fabric based virtualization. Additional topics such as various types of file systems as well as protocols such as Fibre, NFS, iscsi are also covered. The main drawback is the lack of details. Each topic is covered in about ~10-15 pages which is barely enough to scratch the surface. Therefore anyone who is seriously interested in a particular topic will have to find other material to really dig in. On the positive side, the presentation is simple enough that the book may be read rather quickly. I would recommend it to anyone who is getting into storage and wants a summary of all the major topics in an easy to read book.

Tom Clark Clarifies Storage Virtualization Very Well!

Tom Clark is one of most lucid, current writers on storage networking topics. His books on Designing Storage Area Networks and IP SANS are good introductions to these topics. His latest book, Storage Virtualization (2005 Addison Wesley press), provides a much-needed Rosetta Stone for interpreting and putting into perspective the various meanings for this much ballyhooed concept. The book gives a good overview of files and records, basic storage device and system architecture, as well as storage interconnects. It also provides a guide to techniques for virtualization as well as in many uses to which storage virtualization can be used. He gives us a detailed description of various paths to storage virtualization including virtualization at the host, at the storage target, as well as in the storage network fabric. The book also discusses specialized virtualization appliances and virtualization services such as pooling heterogeneous storage assets, mirroring, point-in-time snapshots, and hierarchical storage management (also known as ILM). Clark covers more advanced topics such as virtual tape, virtualization and storage automation, and finally storage as a utility. He also provides descriptions of numerous commercial solutions where appropriate. His description of the fiber application interface standard (FAIS) in chapter 8 is the best I has seen. This book is accessible to several levels of readers from undergraduate and graduate students, IT administrators, as well as storage professionals. It will serve as a good textbook which I recommend for inclusion in a class covering advanced network storage concepts. The book is organized into 14 short chapters, each followed by a comprehensive review at the end of the chapters. It also includes useful appendices including vendors for various storage virtualization solutions, short observations and speculation by various analysts and practicing storage professionals, and a comprehensive glossary. Although there are a few grammatical errors, they do not lead to serious misunderstanding of the excellent content. Overall, I highly recommend this book and enjoyed reading it.

Best Storage Virtualization Book to Date

For the next two years, the major storage vendors will wage a storage virtualization mindshare war. Tom covers the major initiatives these vendors are pushing forward including array-based, appliance-based, and fabric-based forms of storage virtualization. Tom also cover the FAIS standard that switch vendors will adhere to as storage virtualization enters the mainstream. This is a must read for storage administrators seeking to separate fact from fiction.

Storage Virtualization Revealed

This book provides a clear and detailed explanation of intricacies, advantages, and disadvanatages of storage virtualization. It is similar to other Tom Clark books in that it easy to understand for the vast majority of readers. Anyone thinking of implementing storage virtualization would be well-served by reading this book.