Page 122 - Cloud computing: From paradigm to operation

1 Framework and requirements for cloud computing

6 Overview of data storage federation

6.1 Introduction to data storage federation

Increasing data services in many industries, which use big volumes of data with various data types has led to
a tremendous growth in storage capacity needs. A storage user may encounter difficulties utilizing various
storages due to the different access mechanisms and storage capabilities of each storage type. In order to
resolve these difficulties, data storage federation (DSF) helps customers to utilize their data storages
efficiently by federating heterogeneous storages including cloud storage and on-premises storage.
DSF integrates DSF local storage into a virtual storage pool and provides a single virtual volume in the virtual
storage pool as shown in Figure 6-1.

Figure 6-1 – Concept of data storage federation

DSF provides a single virtual volume for a customer with a single access point and also provides storage access
mechanisms to DSF local storage.
When a customer requests the single virtual volume, DSF creates a single virtual volume in the virtual storage
pool through storage operations. In accordance with customer requests to use the single virtual volume,
storage operations such as creating, deleting and scaling are performed by DSF.

Examples of basic storage operations are described in detail as follows:
– creating: connecting DSF local storage, creating virtual storage pool and creating a single virtual
volume;
– deleting: deleting a single virtual volume, deleting a virtual storage pool and disconnecting DSF local
storage;
– scaling: extending a single virtual volume, extending a virtual storage pool and attaching another
DSF local storage.

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