By Paul Turner, NetApp’s GM of SANscreen BU
Don’t look now, but the data center is transforming. Seeking greater efficiencies, enterprises of all sizes have steadily evolved from application-based silos to virtualized environments. Now this evolution is taking the next leap forward as innovative enterprises move toward next-generation cloud computing models that deliver IT as a service (ITaaS) — via both internal and external cloud services.
Delivering on-demand cloud services through a multi-tenant architecture offers attractive benefits, including greater agility, data mobility and scalability with reduced capital expenditures and greater control over service costs. But it also presents some significant management challenges, especially when it comes to managing the dynamic storage resources required by ITaaS infrastructures.
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To tap the full potential of cloud computing to drive efficiency, IT managers must maintain — and, in many cases, improve — service quality and availability. But managing storage resources in these highly complex, dynamic and heterogeneous environments can be a major challenge.
One challenge facing customers is that many simply lack the required insight into their storage environments. A prime example of this can be seen through a recent customer visit. The customer was reengineering virtual machines within the data center to reduce server costs. Unfortunately he was unaware of the impact this change would have on storage growth over time.