Cloud Storage and the Structure of a Modern Data Center

A data center is where servers, storage, and communication gears reside along with the necessary utilities (e.g., power, cooling, and ventilation). The chapter starts by addressing the energy-conservation aspects and demonstrates that virtualization of data centers not only improves server utilization but also reduces energy consumption. The chapter proceeds with a discussion of the basic enablers of data center virtualization, culminating with a description of the structure of next-generation data centers. Then the chapter zooms in on storage-related matters, drawing from the model developed by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). Three types of storage are studied: direct-attached storage, network-attached storage, and the storage area network. In the next step, the chapter reviews the approaches to enabling the use of a single converged network for both storage access and other types of traffic: FC over Ethernet (FCoE) and Internet SCSI (iSCSI). The last two subjects covered in the chapter are storage virtualization – an essential matter for Cloud computing – and solid-state storage.