4 Storage Virtualization Products That Offer Thin Provisioning

Methodology
Storage virtualization, despite having the v-word in its name, is not purely a software offering. The virtualization software has to interact with some kind of storage device, whether it's a SAN, NAS, some other kind of a RAID array, or some combination of the three. While there are some software products that are appliance-agnostic, most vendors bundle the virtualization software with their own storage. In order to make a fair comparison, CRN Test Center reviewers focused on each product's management interface, but noted the products that came with their own storage box.

On each product, reviewers first created a large (somewhere from 1-Gbyte to 50-Gbyte) virtual disk. After noting the exact amount of space the virtual drive actually used, reviewers copied a large folder (somewhere from 500 Mbytes to 2 Gbytes) with mixed file types—documents, images, sound and executables—from the client machine's local drive to the virtual drive. Fast jobs were noted, even though they weren't timed. Finally, the extra steps, such as starting Microsoft's iSCSI Software Initiator tool or using Windows Disk Management to format the drive, were all carefully noted.

All four storage products supported a laundry list of features other than thin provisioning. However, reviewers focused on the software's ability to fool applications into thinking they have more storage capacity than is actually available at that moment in time, as well as the software's ability to add extra capacity dynamically when needed.

CRN Test Center reviewers considered how these technologies can be deployed in a small data center. They looked at ease of installation, features, profit potential, ease of use and available management capabilities. Part market survey and part comparative review, the Test Center focused on the deployment activities and management options solution providers should be considering when designing the customer's storage solution.

Reviewers configured and installed two storage virtualization products—FalconStor Software's Network Storage Server (NSS-S12) appliance and EqualLogic's PS3900XV storage array—and looked at the Universal Storage Platform V from Hitachi Data Systems and Compellent Storage Center.

FalconStor Network Storage Server (NSS-S12)
The FalconStor Network Storage Server (NSS-S12) impressed reviewers with its quick setup, easy-to-use interface and flexible solution. Being a software solution, the application can work on various storage appliances. FalconStor provided the Test Center with an IPStor storage server appliance and a client machine running Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator. The IPStor appliance was configured with internal resources available for storage virtualization. Along with the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator, the client machine also had a COD (Capacity on Demand) agent for Windows, which is also provided on the CD that comes with IPStor.

FalconStor uses thin provisioning and COD to avoid storage underutilization. It also supports snapshots and disk clones using TimeMark and TimeView. The appliances, which come with three years of technical support, start at $19,000, making this the cheapest solution on this list.

There are two types of software support: standard and gold. Standard includes live support during standard business hours, and access to the online support site and knowledgebase. Gold extends support 24x7, 365 days a year, including holidays.

With IPStor, a single pool of storage is provisioned as multiple client hosts. This is clearly laid out in a tree format in the Java management interface. Each client sees the full size of provisioned disk while actually using a much smaller amount of storage. The system supports dynamic disk expansion, and COD handles memory, CPU and storage overhead nondisruptively as needed. Compression is also available to reduce space. Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator automatically detected and added LUNs, mapping it to a client.

FalconStor has three levels in its program, Associate, Premier and Elite, with annual revenue targets for each. Associate partners must have up to $350,000 in annual FalconStor product sales, Premier partners up to $750,000, and Elite partners must have over $750,000 in annual FalconStor product sales. While joining the program is free, partners must have at least two employees fully certified in at least one FalconStor solution.

All partners, regardless of level, receive sales support, marketing tools and technical help, along with sales and technical training. Elite partners are automatically eligible for reimbursement. Premier partners are also eligible for MDF, pending review and approval of specific projects. Partners can expect to achieve margins of between 30 and 40 percent. Elite partners can also use rebates to generate revenue, based on quarterly business growth and stretch goals.

Next: EqualLogic PS3900XV Storage Array