In today's competitive environment, organizations must balance costs with performance and ROI in virtually every endeavor including technology. While moving to a virtual desktop infrastructure can streamline operations and reduce costs, it also brings with it numerous storage challenges that must also be solved – again by balancing costs with performance and ROI. SSD hybrid storage can play an important role in this task.
Enterprise Storage Challenges in a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
Virtualization is an amazing breakthrough that allows the IT department to centrally manage virtual machines. Rather than investing in costly standalone PCs with traditional operating systems for each worker, an organization can invest in "thin" client machines that access a virtual desktop. With a virtual desktop infrastructure, each client can be set up in minutes based off of a master virtual machine. Not only does this save time and money from the IT department's perspective, it creates consistency from one client to the next. Virtual desktops can also be accessed by users remotely on other devices. Despite these advantages (and many others), storage must be addressed in a virtual desktop infrastructure. After all, thin clients may not have individual hard disks. Even if they do, it's smarter to pool storage.
However, investing in enterprise storage needs to make sense. Challenges include the following:
· Capacity – Whether choosing traditional storage, all flash storage, or SSD hybrid storage, the array must have sufficient capacity along with the ability to easily add more as needed.
· Compatibility – Is the storage array compatible with the virtual desktop infrastructure, servers, network, and file systems?
· Usability – Is it easy to use and configure?
· Performance – Will the storage array perform at an acceptable level? Will performance be compromised as the virtual desktop infrastructure grows? Can it handle "boot storms" and other high usage issues?
· Reliability – What happens if a component fails? Will the entire array go offline? Can components be swapped out without bringing the entire array offline?
· Data protection and recovery – Enterprises cannot afford to lose their data. What data protection features are built into the array? What recovery options are available?
· Compliance – Organizations must often comply with government regulations that specify how personal data (such as financial or healthcare information) is stored and protected. Does the array comply with applicable regulations?
· Value – How much does storage cost per gigabyte? Is it a good value compared to other options? Is it a smart use of money?
The SSD Hybrid Storage Advantage
While traditional and all flash storage arrays have their place, SSD hybrid storage blends the best of both worlds. It uses traditional hard disks to store the bulk of the data and flash arrays to store the most commonly used data. This results in a satisfying blend of capacity, performance, and cost. In addition, you can easily add capacity as needed. Many SSD hybrid storage systems include advanced features that address compliance issues, data protection and recovery, scalability, compatibility, and more.
If you're looking for a storage solution for your virtual desktop infrastructure, make sure to look into SSD hybrid storage for the best blend of performance, price, and capacity.
Stephanie Rose is the author of this article on the enterprise storage challenged with ssd hybrid technologies. Having been in this industry for quite awhile, she enjoys sharing tips with her readers and how setting up a virtual desktop infrastructure can be beneficial to their enterprise. In her free time she enjoys taking trips to the beach and spending time with her family.
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