Over view of Software Defined Storage(SDS)

Software Defined Storage :

As the generation of data increases exponentially, storing data and managing servers becomes more costly and complex. And there are several systems that assist organizations to manage their data. And we are about to see one of the systems that are more efficient and effective than traditional ones. That is software-defined storage (SDS).  

So, let’s understand what SDS means and why it is better.  

• Software-defined storage (SDS) is a way of virtually separating storage software from their hardware. The storage software is a layer between physical storage and data requests which helps you control storage requests. That means we can manipulate where and how data is stored.
• SDS is typically designed to run on basic server hardware with Intel X86 processors which is cost saving when compared to traditional systems.

Why is SDS better than traditional systems?  

SDS is better than traditional systems because it is virtually separating or abstracting the storage software from its hardware. And this enables you to expand your storage capacity, instead of adding another hardware. The SDS controller software offers connectivity, networking and storage access facilities.  

Let’s have a look at the key features of SDS.  

1. Automation : Reduces manual processes and operational costs by easy and efficient management.
2. Standard infrastructure : To manage and maintain the large pool of storage devices and software, an API is required.
3. Scalability and Transparency : The ability to expand the storage capacity without reducing the performance and to monitor them for resource availability and cost estimation.

Working of Software Defined Storage :

Well, that is what’s up for next. SDS abstracts the storage software from hardware and groups all the storage software and resources virtually. This gives a large pool of united storage of separate hardware. Therefore you can store data on any of the hardware among them. It gives you the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade hardware as per the need.  

Benefits of SDS :

• Flexibility
• Scalability
• Agility
• Automation
• Cost efficiency
• Virtualization and interoperability

1. Flexibility : SDS infrastructure can be built on commodity servers with X86 processors. So you don’t have to worry about choosing a company’s SDS controller from which you didn’t buy the hardware.
2. Scalability : Adding extra storage devices to the virtual pool, CPUs and memory for increasing the performance and capacity is easier.
3. Ability : SDS is capable of supporting traditional as well as new generation applications simultaneously.
4. Automation : SDS is capable of adapting data and performance requirements without any manual operations of an admin.
5. Cost efficiency : Since SDS utilises the available resources efficiently and optimizes storage capacities. And the automation of SDS reduces the operational cost by automating the administration.
6. Virtualization and Interoperability : Virtual integration of various storage resources and managing them as a single unit is made possible by SDS. Integration of server hardware from different vendors is feasible by SDS because it acts as a mediator to unify different storage services and virtually put them in a single pool.

With these benefits, SDS can be a game-changer for organizations to manage and store their data smartly.