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WHITE PAPER
Storage Virtualization:
Analysis of the Benefits of Hitachi's Approach
F.508.935.4015

Sponsored by: Hitachi Data Systems

John T. McArthur Richard L. Villars

September 2005

Executive Summary
P.508.872.8200

Virtualization is the use of software and supporting hardware to ease the task of
managing complex systems, including storage systems. IDC's definition of storage
virtualization is broad. Virtualization includes the capability of connecting servers to
logical volumes that are flexibly connected to actual physical volumes. Virtualization
Global Headquarters: 5 Speen Street Framingham, MA 01701 USA

also includes the capability to reallocate a heterogeneous collection of storage

resources without concern for low-level details, such as block size, and the capability
to automate storage management functions.

With the release of the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform in September
2004, new virtualization capabilities became available to storage managers. The
TagmaStore Network Storage Controller model NSC55, announced on July 11, 2005,
is packaged in a small footprint, rackmounted form factor; uses the same software
and firmware; delivers the same features and functions; and shares many of the
same hardware components as the Universal Storage Platform.

The Universal Storage Platform and the NSC55 are networked storage controllers
capable of attaching heterogeneous storage resources both from Hitachi Data
Systems and from other vendors and uniting them under a single management span
of control. These products enable data migration across a tiered storage architecture
comprising high-performance storage systems, general-purpose storage systems,
and high-capacity SATA-based storage systems.

IDC analyzed an Hitachi use-case to investigate the ways in which the Universal
Storage Platform provides storage managers with greater efficiencies. With help from
Hitachi engineers who use the Universal Storage Platform on a daily basis, IDC
studied how critical storage management tasks (i.e., use-case procedures) are
performed with and without the Universal Storage Platform's virtualization capabilities.

Results of the use-case analysis show that the Universal Storage Platform changes
storage management tasks in several important ways. Without solutions such as the
Universal Storage Platform, managers must know how to perform a number of point-
to-point procedures — that is, individual tasks that link specific storage resources to a
server's operating environment and workload. With the Universal Storage Platform
and HiCommand software, uniform procedures replace point-to-point procedures
because virtualization masks the differences among storage resources and server-
side operating environments.
In addition to streamlining storage management tasks, IDC identified several
improvements in storage resource utilization linked to the Universal Storage Platform
and virtualization. Management of multitiered storage systems becomes practical
when uniform, non-disruptive procedures replace point-to-point, disruptive
procedures. Without virtualization, moving data sets from one tier of storage to
another is challenging, requiring detailed knowledge of both tiers along with decisions
and actions aimed at transforming the data. It is a disruptive process, demanding
some amount of scheduled outage, plus the risk of unscheduled outage if something
goes wrong. Some degree of virtualization is necessary to make multitiered storage
systems practical and functional.

Storage Virtualization

Virtualization is the use of software and supporting hardware to simplify the task of
managing complex systems, including storage systems. IDC's definition of storage
virtualization is broad and includes the capability of connecting servers to mount
logical volumes that are flexibly connected to actual or physical volumes; the ability to
reallocate a heterogeneous collection of storage resources across storage systems
without concern for low-level details, such as block size, physical location, and
address; and the capability to automate storage management functions.

A Spectrum of Storage Virtualization Capabilities

Virtualization is not a simple feature that a storage system possesses or lacks.
Rather, virtualization is best viewed as a spectrum of capabilities that continues to
expand as suppliers of storage products compete to provide software and hardware
storage products that are more scalable and easier to manage. By insulating a
storage system's low-level details, creating useful abstractions such as a logical
volume, and by automating regularly occurring storage maintenance tasks,
virtualization promises cost savings in a number of different ways. Table 1 establishes
the storage management benefits of many common virtualization capabilities.

The benefits associated with virtualized storage are due to two improvements in
storage management. First, management tasks are simplified and streamlined by
underlying software automation, which enables fewer storage managers to oversee
larger pools of storage. Secondly, storage resources can be better utilized due to
improved management. Without virtualization and pooling, storage managers often
over-provisioned storage resources to make sure that they were sufficient. Virtualized
storage enables better utilization of total resources and eases the task of migrating
data among different storage assets in a multitiered storage system. These benefits
contribute to a reduced total cost of ownership.

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 TABLE 1

Storage Virtualization Capabilities and Storage Management Benefits

Logical volumes flexibly linked to actual, physical
volumes
Replicas of data sets written simultaneously to different
storage devices
Logical ports flexibly linked to actual, physical SAN ports
Migration of data from one logical device to another,
across heterogeneous storage devices
Time- and event-driven automation of storage
management policies and rules
Migration of data among tiers of storage resources to
match storage costs to the value of data
Source: IDC, 2005
• Operator need not know the exact physical location
and parameters for volumes of storage.
• Physical storage resources can be reallocated without
a disruptive remounting of volumes on servers.
• Point-in-time replicas of data sets can be prepared
non-disruptively.
• A small number of physical SAN ports can serve a
large number of servers.
• Servers can be redirected to different SAN resources
without disruption or outages.
• Archival or backup and recovery replicas can be
moved to remote sites or less costly storage
resources.
• The repetitive duties of a storage manager can be
written as policy, verified, and executed reliably and
without manager intervention.
• Multitiered storage resources can be reallocated to
match the shifting value of data and the shifting needs
of the IT organization's workloads.

Verifying Virtualization's Potential for Storage Management Benefits

In order to understand how virtualization affects storage management tasks and
storage system utilization, IDC undertook a use-case analysis. In this context, use-
cases are the activities of the storage manager, and they include

Information that the manager has

Knowledge that the manager needs to understand that information

Actions that the manager takes

Use-case methodology was developed to document software system requirements

and to provide a library of cases for regression testing during the development of
software systems. A collection of fine-grained use-case scenarios can provide a rich
blueprint for software designers as key terms become variables and key decisions are
encoded in the software's logic.

In this white paper, IDC contrasts storage management tasks where virtualization
capabilities are present and absent. In particular, the analysis will examine storage
management with and without the capability provided by the Hitachi TagmaStore
Universal Storage Platform.

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 3

Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage
Platform and Network Storage Controller

In 2004, HDS announced the availability of TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform,

the company's foundation for delivering next-generation tiered storage solutions,
based on a networked storage controller foundation. Networked storage controllers
make it possible to extend many of the capabilities of individual high-end storage
systems to a pool of diverse storage systems without sacrificing performance or
availability. In July 2005, Hitachi introduced a midrange version of its Universal
Storage Platform, called the TagmaStore Network Storage Controller model NSC55.

Both of these networked storage controller systems provide an array of advanced

storage functions built upon a foundation of scalable virtualization. These functions
include:

Robust and well-integrated port aggregation, volume management, and common

data replication functions

Flexibility in deployment options without sacrificing consistency and commonality

of functions

The ability to scale quickly with minimal disruption to ongoing operations,

including the ability to partition resources to meet variable requirements

Rapid and painless data migration services across existing and future storage
systems from Hitachi and a wide range of other storage systems suppliers

Integration with overall storage resource management systems

The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform and the Network Storage Controller with
supporting virtualization and data replication software deliver a high level of
modularity and performance as well as exceptional scalability. The Universal Storage
Platform can virtualize and manage as much as 32PB of internal and externally
attached heterogeneous storage. Hitachi's implementation of storage virtualization is
embedded in the controller architecture of the Universal Storage Platform and the
NSC55. Both are capable of routing data to and from direct-attached Fibre Channel
hosts as well as ESCON/FICON-attached mainframes and open system
environments. As Figure 1 shows, they become the central hub in a constellation of
storage and server devices. Except for scalability, the following analysis applies
equally to the Network Storage Controller.

4 #IDCUS05WP002220 ©2005 IDC

FIGURE 1

Hitachi's Controller-Based Storage Virtualization

Source: Hitachi Data Systems, 2005

Use-Case Analysis of the Impact of

TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform

In this use-case scenario, an IT organization in a manufacturing company is replacing

a critical application that checks the configuration of the company's products. Before a
product order is accepted for pricing, the configuration checker makes sure that all
the subcomponents are valid, compatible, and match current specifications. The
current version of the application runs on a Sun server and has seen declining use
because key features are missing from the application. In spite of its reduced usage,
the application uses nearly 600GB of fast, mirrored storage.

A new version of the application with enhanced functionality has been developed in a
Windows environment using Oracle DBMS capabilities. After testing the new
Windows-based application, the developers will need to retain the 900GB
development test bed while creating an environment of similar size on fast, mirrored
storage to support the new system when it is in production.

The current Sun application will need to be relocated to second tier storage to make
room for the new, larger application. It will then be retired after the new application is
stable and users have had a chance to switch over. The applications may run in
parallel for several months.

The Sun server will then be redeployed to support some of the company's Web
applications. The old application database contains information within its 600GB of
legacy data that the IT organization would like to retain online for analysis. They
would like to move the files to lower-cost storage and keep them available for up to a
year.

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 5

Two Storage Configurations
The use-case scenario depends on two configurations of storage assets, as shown in
Figure 2.

In the older configuration, the IT organization has a Hitachi Lightning 9980V

enterprise storage system along with a Hitachi Thunder 9585V ultra high-end
modular storage system with intermixed FC and SATA disk storage. These
storage systems are SAN connected to Sun and Window servers. The Sun
server and new Windows production server access volumes on the Lightning
9980V system while the Windows development server accesses volumes on the
Thunder 9585V system.

In the newer configuration, the IT organization added a Universal Storage

Platform with internal FC drives. Production applications previously hosted by the
Lightning 9980V storage system now reside on the Universal Storage Platform.
The Lightning 9980V system was redeployed to a different datacenter. The
Thunder 9585V intermixed storage system is externally attached to the Universal
Storage Platform, and it functions as a second tier of storage. The Universal
Storage Platform virtualizes and supplies access to all internal and externally
attached storage resources for the Sun and Windows servers via Fibre Channel
SAN connections. It also manages all data movement between different tiers. To
the servers, all storage resources appear as if they are internal to the Universal
Storage Platform.

FIGURE 2

Two Storage System Environments

Development

Development
Production

Production

Production

Production
Windows

Windows

Windows

Windows
Sun

Sun

Hitachi Hitachi Hitachi

Lightning Thunder
9980V 9585V Universal Storage Platform

Mirrored FC
Mirrored FC RAID 5 & SATA

Hitachi
Thunder
9585V

RAID 5 & SATA

Older Configuration Newer Configuration

Source: Hitachi Data Systems, 2005

6 #IDCUS05WP002220 ©2005 IDC

In a nutshell, storage managers need to accomplish three objectives as follows:

Shift the existing configuration workload running on the Sun server to less
expensive storage resources to make room for an upgraded application

Allocate storage resources to the Windows production environment

Archive the legacy application's data volumes when the system is retired

See Appendix A at the end of this white paper for a side-by-side comparison of the
information required, knowledge needed, and actions a storage manager takes when
managing resources in a tiered storage architecture with and without the capabilities
of the Universal Storage Manager.

Use-Case Steps for Direct (SAN) Attached Storage

Beginning State (Shown in Figure 3)

600GB Sun application on Lightning 9980V mirrored FC storage

900GB Windows development environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5

storage

Initial Steps

1. Allocate 600GB of RAID 5 storage on the Thunder 9585V to the Sun server.

2. Shut down the Sun legacy application.

3. Using Solaris utilities, copy the 20 Sun database volumes to replicate the Sun
environment from mirrored FC on the Lightning 9980V to RAID 5 FC on the
Thunder 9585V. The intent is to reduce expense and free up space on mirrored
drives for the new Windows production environment. The 600GB copy operation
will take several hours during which the application will be unavailable.

4. Restart the Sun application using the new RAID 5 volumes.

5. Using Solaris utilities, wipe and delete the mirrored FC volumes previously used
by the legacy application.

6. Allocate a 900GB pool of mirrored FC storage volumes on the Lightning 9980V

for the new Windows production environment using the space freed up by the
relocation of the legacy Sun application.

7. Using Windows utilities on the new production server, copy the 30-volume
900GB development environment from the Thunder 9585V to the Lightning
9980V production environment. Use Hitachi Cross-System Copy software or shut
down the development database overnight.

8. Start the new Windows production application in parallel with the legacy Sun
application.

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 7

FIGURE 3

Initial and Final Provisioning, Older Configuration

Development

Development
Production

Production

Production

Production
Windows

Windows

Windows

Windows
Sun

Sun
Hitachi Hitachi Hitachi Hitachi
Lightning Thunder Lightning
Hitachi Thunder
9980V 9585V 9980V 9585V

Sun Win Sun

Win Win Win
Sun
P D P D D
A
Mirrored FC RAID & SATA Mirrored FC RAID & SATA

Mirrored FC RAID 5 & SATA Mirrored FC RAID 5 & SATA

Initial Provisioning Final Provisioning

Win Win Sun Sun
Sun
D P P AA
Windows Windows Sun Solaris Sun Solaris
Development Production Production Archival

Source: Hitachi Data Systems, 2005

Intermediate State

900GB Windows production environment on Lightning 9980V mirrored

storage

900GB Windows test environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5 storage

600GB Sun production environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5 storage

Final Steps After Successful Deployment

9. After allowing users time to learn the new application, retire the legacy
configuration checker application.

10. Allocate 600GB of SATA storage to the Sun server.

11. Using Solaris utilities, copy the legacy data from RAID 5 FC volumes to SATA
volumes on the Thunder 9585V storage system.

12. Using Solaris utilities wipe and delete the RAID 5 FC volumes previously used by
the checker application.

13. Redeploy the Sun server.

End State (Shown in Figure 3)

900GB Windows production environment on mirrored 9980V storage

900GB Windows test environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5 storage

600GB SATA storage of legacy data from the retired checker application

8 #IDCUS05WP002220 ©2005 IDC

Use-Case Steps for Virtualized Storage

Beginning State (Shown in Figure 4)

600GB Sun application on Universal Storage Platform mirrored (RAID 1+ —

4+4) storage

900GB Windows development environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5

storage system attached to and virtualized by Universal Storage Platform

Initial Steps

1. Using Hitachi HiCommand Tiered Storage Manager, migrate the 600GB of

storage for the low-use legacy application from mirrored FC drives on the
Universal Storage Platform (tier A) to RAID 5 FC storage on the Thunder 9585V
(tier B). Select the data-shredding option to wipe the original volumes clean after
migration. The intent is to reduce expense and free up space on mirrored drives
for the new Windows production environment. There is no impact on the running
production application, as the migration is transparent.

2. Using HiCommand Device Manager, allocate 30 tier A (mirrored FC) storage

volumes on the Universal Storage Platform to ports that will be used by the new
Windows production server. These will be the migration targets for the next step.

3. Replicate the 900GB Windows development environment from the volumes on

the Thunder 9585V storage system (PVOLs) to the mirrored Universal Storage
Platform FC production volumes (SVOLs) using Hitachi ShadowImage In-System
Replication software. Split the pairs when they are fully synchronized.

4. Boot the Windows production server and start the new Windows production
application in parallel with the legacy Sun application.

Intermediate State

900GB Windows production environment on mirrored Universal Storage

Platform FC storage

900GB Windows test environment on externally attached Thunder 9585V

RAID 5 FC storage system

600GB Sun production environment on Thunder 9585V RAID 5 FC storage

Final Step After Successful Deployment

5. After allowing users time to learn the new application, retire the legacy
configuration checker application.

6. Using HiCommand Tiered Storage Manager on the Universal Storage Platform,

migrate the previously established migration group from RAID 5 FC to SATA disk
storage on the Thunder 9585V storage system. Select the data-shredding option
in Tiered Storage Manager to erase images of the data from the FC volumes
after migration.

7. Redeploy the Sun server.

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 9

FIGURE 4

Initial and Final Provisioning, Newer Configuration

Development

Development
Production

Production

Production

Production
Windows

Windows

Windows

Windows
Sun

Sun
Sun Win
P Hitachi P Hitachi
Universal Storage Platform Universal Storage Platform

Mirrored FC Mirrored FC

Hitachi Hitachi
Lightning Thunder
9980V
Hitachi 9585V
Hitachi
9585 9585
Win Win Sun
Sun
D D AA
RAID 5 & SATA RAID 5 & SATA

Initial Provisioning Final Provisioning

Win Win Sun Sun

Sun
D P P AA
A
Windows Windows Sun Solaris Sun Solaris
Development Production Production Archival

Source: Hitachi Data Systems, 2005

End State (Shown in Figure 4)

900GB Windows production environment on the Universal Storage

Platform's mirrored FC storage

900GB Windows test environment on externally attached Thunder 9585V

RAID 5 FC storage

600GB SATA storage of legacy data from the retired checker application on
externally attached Thunder 9585V RAID 5 SATA storage

IDC Analysis

Storage virtualization describes a spectrum of higher-level capabilities that together

ease the process of managing complex storage systems. As a result, it is difficult for
IT organizations to evaluate the benefits of virtualized storage systems at a time when
most storage system vendors can credibly argue that their products are virtualized to
some degree. Feature-by-feature comparisons are difficult to make. Moreover,
vendors have taken sharply different approaches to the overall design of virtualization
functionality (see, New Options for Managing Tiers of Storage in the Enterprise: The
Role of the Networked Storage Controller. IDC #4328, January 2005.)

10 #IDCUS05WP002220 ©2005 IDC

Opportunities
IDC's use-case analysis of how the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform
changes storage management tasks shows that many storage tasks are made
simpler, particularly in complex multitiered, multivendor storage environments. The
ability to transform point-to-point procedures into more uniform systemwide
procedures reduces the workload for storage managers and enables managers to
focus on better utilization of storage assets.

Challenges
The Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform competes with other storage
virtualization products that vary in design and capability. Vendors, including Hitachi,
will be challenged to explain the benefits of their system's virtualization capabilities
and even more hard pressed to help customers make choices among offerings.

Entrenched behavior and stove-piped organizational structures are among the

greatest challenges to the acceptance of Universal Storage Platform technology.
Diverse storage systems are entrenched in many departments within the typical
enterprise. IT organizations that attempt to consolidate these systems will often
encounter resistance from stakeholders that don't find the promise of enterprisewide
gains in efficiency compelling enough in their own business areas.

Hitachi and its business partners must focus on selling the corporatewide benefits of
the Universal Storage Platform at senior levels of the organization and in terms of
reduced capital and administrative costs, better data protection, and improved IT
customer services.

Conclusion

Use-case analysis demonstrates how the Hitachi Universal Storage Platform and
Network Storage Controller work with HiCommand Storage Management Software to
enhance storage management and enable enterprises to exploit the price and
performance advantages of a multitiered storage environment, as well as the TCO
improvements from more efficient management and higher levels of storage
utilization. Enterprise storage managers investigating ways to better integrate existing
storage assets and improve operating efficiencies are encouraged to evaluate
offerings from Hitachi Data Systems.

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 11

 APPENDIX A
Use-Case Scenarios for Managing Storage Resources in a Tiered Storage
Architecture
Base case: Reference Architecture without Universal
Storage Platform
Allocate 600GB of tier B storage to the Sun server on the
Thunder 9585V
Information: Name of Sun host, HBA WWN, and list of free
Tier B volumes on Thunder 9585V
Knowledge: Storage Navigator GUI, switch zoning
Action: Zone switch to allow Sun server to see Thunder
9585V. Allocate volumes to ports assigned to Sun server
Copy the Sun Production Volumes to tier B to free up
600GB of tier A space
Information: Source and target volumes to copy
Knowledge: Solaris copy utilities
Action: Find acceptable time to shut down application for
several hours. Shut down the Sun application. Copy 20
database volumes to tier B. Restart the Sun application
using the new volumes.
Wipe the old Tier A volumes before releasing
Information: Source volumes
Knowledge: Solaris or other wipe utilities
Action: Wipe prior data from unused volumes. Deallocate
volumes to Sun.
Allocate 900GB of Tier A storage to the new Windows
production server
Information: List of free volumes on storage tier A, name,
HBA WWN, and ports to be used by new Windows
production server
Knowledge: HiCommand Device Manager
Action: Allocate 30 volumes of tier A storage to the ports
which will be used by the Windows production server
12 #IDCUS05WP002220
Virtualization case: Reference Architecture with Universal
Storage Platform
Migrate the Sun Production Volumes to tier B to free up
600GB of tier A space
Information: Name of Sun host server and desired Target
Storage Tier
Knowledge: HiCommand Tiered Storage Manager
Action: Establish a migration group for the 20 volumes on
tier A assigned to the Sun server; background migrate to
tier B
Allocate 900GB of tier A storage to the new Windows
production server
Information: List of free volumes on storage tier A, name,
HBA WWN, and ports to be used by new Windows
production server
Knowledge: HiCommand Device Manager
Action: Allocate 30 volumes of tier A storage to the ports,
which will be used by the Windows production server
Replicate the Windows development database to the
production environment and begin production
Information: List of previously allocated volumes on
storage tier A to be used by new Windows production
server
Knowledge: Hitachi ShadowImage In-system Replication
Action: Find acceptable time for 5-minute shutdown of
Windows development database. Select replication
volumes on storage tier A. Synchronize with production
volumes. Shutdown the Windows development database
momentarily. Split pairs. Restart the development
database. Start the new Windows production environment
using the new volumes.
©2005 IDC
 APPENDIX A

Use-Case Scenarios for Managing Storage Resources in a Tiered Storage

Architecture

Base case: Reference Architecture without Universal Virtualization case: Reference Architecture with Universal
Storage Platform Storage Platform

Retire the Sun Legacy Application and redeploy the Sun

Copy the Windows development database to the
server (after successful parallel period)
production environment

Information: Name of previously created Sun host

Information: Source and target volumes to copy
migration group

Knowledge: Windows copy utilities

Knowledge: HiCommand Tiered Storage Manager

Action: Find acceptable time to shutdown development

Action: Select data shredding option and background
database for several hours. Shutdown the Windows
migrate to tier C. Redeploy server.
development database. Copy 30 database volumes to tier
A. Restart the Windows development environment. Start
the new Windows production application using the new
volumes.

Allocate 600GB of tier C (SATA) storage to the Sun server

on the Thunder 9585V (after successful parallel period)

Information: Name of Sun host and list of free tier C

volumes on Thunder 9585V

Knowledge: Storage Navigator GUI

Action: Allocate volumes to ports assigned to Sun server

Copy the Sun Production Volumes from Tier B to less

expensive Tier C SATA archive

Information: Source and target volumes to copy

Knowledge: Solaris copy utilities

Action: Retire the Sun application. Shutdown the Sun

application. Copy 20 database volumes to tier C.

Wipe the old volumes before releasing

Information: Source volumes on tier B

Knowledge: Solaris or other wipe utilities

Action: Wipe prior data from unused volumes. Deallocate

volumes to Sun. Shutdown the Sun server and redeploy.

Source: Hitachi Data Systems, Demonstration Laboratory, 2005

©2005 IDC #IDCUS05WP002220 13

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14 #IDCUS05WP002220 ©2005 IDC