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Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning

Best Practice. Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning. Marc Farley President, Building Storage, Inc. Author , Building Storage Networks. Checklist. The Building Storage Definition of Provisioning.

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Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning

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  1. Best Practice Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning Marc Farley President, Building Storage, Inc. Author, Building Storage Networks

  2. Checklist The Building Storage Definition of Provisioning • The sequence of state changes in a storage network to achieve a different, optimal and desired operating state

  3. Binding Versus Provisioning • Some vendors use provisioning to describe the process of matching an internal block address space with a specific subsystem port. • How about if we call this a bind? Ports Controller Disks

  4. Key Features Cross-Functional Scope of Provisioning • Provisioning should encompass all components: • Wiring • HBAs, drivers, switches/routers/bridges/gateways, cabling, zoning, addressing/routing, flow control, naming services • Storing • Devices, subsystems, LUNs, volume managers, virtualization, SCSI drivers, data movers, mirroring • Filing • File systems, databases, volume managers, backup, replication, HSM

  5. Key Features Cross-Product Scope of Provisioning • Provisioning encompasses all point-products: • Storing Wiring Filing Storage Switches Host Systems

  6. Checklist Hypothetical Sequence of State Changes: Add a Volume to a Server • 1. Identify available switch port • 2. Create new zone in switch to isolate new storage volume • 3. Create new volume in disk subsystem • 4. Configure a disk subsystem port • 5. Bind the volume to the port • 6. Login bound-port to the fabric (isolated zone) • 7. Add server to port zone • 8. Allocate storage volume to server HBA driver • 9. Format volume with file system • 10. Copy data and/or install applications • Wiring • Storing • Wiring • Storing • Filing

  7. Checklist Adding a Volume to a Server 10 8 4 5 9 ExistingServer 10 3 6 New Volume 1 2 Switch 7

  8. Provisioning @ Work: Changing Zones for Multi-use Data Storage Subsystem Application 2Server Application 1 Systems Multi-use data

  9. Warning Provisioning for Minimal Interruption • Status of products should be verified • Cross-functional relationships need to be analyzed • The shortest sequence is not always the best • Spare resources can provide substitution • Especially useful for network operations

  10. Key Features A Storage Network as a State Machine (hundreds to thousands of variables)

  11. Tool This Looks Like a Job For…Automation! • Automation begets accuracy • Reliability and safety are job #1 • Storage communications must be solid • Machinery doesn’t forget or overlook • Storage networks are sufficiently complicated • Duh! Apply automation and take out the human element

  12. Best Practice Automated Provisioning as a Storage Best Practice ... Part 1 • Installation • Automated initialization of the storage network • Change management • Safe automation of changes to a ‘live’ network • Identify service interruptions by analyzing state changes in advance

  13. Best Practice Automated Provisioning as a Storage Best Practice … Part2 • Fault correction • Isolate the fault • Identify the new state • Determine sequence to a target state • Redundant/ equivalent state • Preferred/improved state • Degraded/prioritized state

  14. Tip Provisioning & NAS • Application-orientation for file I/O • Multiple network mount points: C:\ D:\ E:\ F:\ • File-level virtualization: similar to HSM systems but with file links instead of migration • Client link segmentation, trucking, prioritization • network traffic management • Cross-functions may be contained in a single system

  15. Tip Provisioning & SANs • Volume-orientation for block I/O • LUNs: Devices, exported volumes • Storing virtualization: Volume managers, RAID controllers, virtualization

  16. Tip Beyond SAN-NAS • Distributed file-system technology • Load balancing across file system nodes • File system node specialization • Matching file systems with volume characteristics • Block size definitions • Solid-state disk substitution

  17. Tool Pathing & Zoning Considerations • Pathing = Host software for HBA fail-over in a system • Zoning = I/O segregation x

  18. Tip Provisioning and Pathing • Automated provisioning should not effect standby paths and path resources • Pathing solutions manage fail-over within a system • Fast-path to resuming I/O operations • Pathing is a ‘micro-provisioning’ system • Provisioning reacts to pathing changes as a network state change • A shift in resources may trigger other secondary changes

  19. Best Practice Provisioning and Zoning • Zoning changes are network state changes • Should be verified for impact on all relationships in the state • Zoning changes shouldn’t interfere with higher priority paths and resources

  20. Tool Integrating Systems Management Tools and Disciplines With Provisioning • Scripts • Schedulers • Policy engines • Process-workflow

  21. Tool Scripts • Job scripts automate point-product managers • Scripts may provide point-product state changes • Multiple scripts can be assembled as a provisioning sequence • Switch script #3 + Subsystem script #1 + Database script #5 Sw #3, SubS #1, DB #5 + + Sw #3 SubS #1 DB #5

  22. Tool Provisioning on Schedule • Provisioning sequences can be scheduled • Regular time, day, week, month • Run-once for single execution • Trial or partial runs

  23. Tool Policy engines • Measurable characteristics & compliance ranges • Measure, collect, compare • Relationship impact projections against policies • Policy engine triggers • Non-compliance with administrator notification • Manual decision to invoke provisioning • Non-compliance with automated actions • Scripting for limited scope scenarios (redundant fail-over)

  24. Checklist Examples of Policy Definitions • Disk capacity (percent free) • Latency (end-to-end maximums) • Link (standby) • Bandwidth utilization (between 15% and 25%) • Error rates (less than 1x10-13) • Disk (hot spare) • Applications (grouped data)

  25. Best Practice Storage Process Workflow • Automated provisioning sequences can impact other systems and data access • Disruptive processes cannot go unchecked • IT process-disciplines may be required • Managers who need notification • Management approval & review

  26. Tool Storage Process Automation Software • Storage management modules/scripts • Provisioning sequences • Notification, approval • Staff skills, certifications • Order processing • Maintenance schedules

  27. Best Practice Recommendations for Attendees • Start thinking about storage network management in terms of provisioning and management processes • Get experience with • Point management tools • Creating scripts for them • Assembling them into provisioning sequences • Check out companies with automation technologies • Invio Software, EMC, Veritas, BMC

  28. Questions? Marc Farley Marc@BuildingStorage.com www.buildingstorage.com 408.210.7931

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