Is the future of data centre storage really software defined?

One of the questions we’re increasingly asked from our customers is: “Should I be investing in software defined storage (SDS)?” It’s a question that’s becoming increasingly common as the term software defined becomes more widely recognised and used. Customers are intrigued by the much-hyped benefits of SDS; the potential for improved efficiency of existing storage assets and better management of, and access to, the incredible amounts of data that is now being stored.

Data is growing at an exponential rate and as interest in big data and analytics grows, so do the challenges of storing and recalling data to be interrogated. Traditionally, the solution was to throw more hardware at the problem, but this creates challenges around complexity and management, physical space for new hardware, as well as powering and cooling issues. So in reality, adding more hardware won’t solve the problem.

Even with increased interest from customers, there’s still some confusion over what SDS actually is. In its simplest form SDS is a software controlled intelligence layer [as opposed to being controlled by the storage hardware itself]. The intelligence piece is key here: by separating the data management layer from the physical storage you get a system that can analyse and control heterogeneous storage systems in the most efficient way possible, including preventing the over- or under-provisioning of systems.

Moving to software defined
It’s no real secret that from a business perspective there is a much better profit margin in software than hardware, so it’s understandable that vendors are now pushing software defined solutions. One question that’s often raised is around whether there is a genuine customer demand for SDS or whether it’s the push from technology vendors making the market. For me its clear, customers are interested in, and are adopting, SDS because the benefits are real.

Even if it is a push from vendors as opposed to customer demand, there are still benefits to be had, namely the big issue of vendor lock-in around hardware. Certainly, when adopting a software defined storage solution you will become locked in to that software to a certain degree, but SDS adds a lot more flexibility around the hardware that you want to use. You could potentially be investing in a lot of storage arrays so having the ability to choose a flexible solution is a significant benefit to data centres as they plan to grow.

Having said that, the push by vendors like EMC, or IBM for example, is having a positive effect because customers are now proactively asking us about software defined storage. In part because of the pricing, but more around flexibility.

Commercially supported or open source?
Open versus commercial is an age-old question. The answer to this really is dependent on the expertise of data centre managers. Whilst there are benefits of both commercially supported and open source SDS, going down the commercially supported route is what I’d suggest, at least to begin with. Yes, it is going to cost more, but the knowledge, support and expertise provided by a vendor far outweighs the benefits of open source, for now at least.

This will shift though. As open source becomes more widely adopted within data centres, we’ll see uptake increase as in-house knowledge and experience of software defined storage grows.

Is now the time to invest?
I certainly think data centres, research institutes, universities, and any organisation that’s heavily reliant on storage infrastructure should be seriously considering SDS. Whilst I wouldn’t say you should dive straight in, the market is now mature enough that there are a variety of different solutions to investigate.

Software defined storage has reached the point of maturity where its no longer considered a niche solution, its an evolutionary step forward in storage that will change the way storage infrastructure is deployed. I think its safe to say that this year we are likely to see a huge shift in attitude and uptake in software defined storage from customers.

When the decision is made to move to a software-defined storage solution its important that you review the many options you have available to you. Whilst the end results are the same, the way in which SDS solutions work inevitably vary, so working with an experienced integrator can ease the transition. Integrators offer what vendors can’t – independence. Not only will an integrator know what the best solutions out there are, they’ll also be able to match the right SDS product for your business.