Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning
description
Transcript of Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning
Build Management Muscle with Storage Provisioning
Marc Farley
President, Building Storage, Inc.
Author, Building Storage Networks
Best Practice
The Building Storage Definition of Provisioning
• The sequence of state changes in a storage network to achieve a different, optimal and desired operating state
Checklist
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
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
Key Features
• Provisioning encompasses all point-products:
– Storing Wiring Filing
Storage Switches Host Systems
Key Features
Cross-Product Scope of Provisioning
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
Checklist
Provisioning @ Work: Changing Zones for Multi-use
DataStorage Subsystem
Application 1 Systems
Application 2ServerMulti-use data
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
Warning
A Storage Network as a State Machine (hundreds to thousands of
variables)
ServersSwitchesSubsystems
Key Features
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
Tool
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
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
Best Practice
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
Tip
Provisioning & SANs
• Volume-orientation for block I/O
• LUNs: Devices, exported volumes
• Storing virtualization: Volume managers, RAID controllers, virtualization
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
Tip
Pathing & Zoning Considerations
• Pathing = Host software for HBA fail-over in a system
• Zoning = I/O segregation
x
Tool
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
Tip
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
Best Practice
Integrating Systems Management Tools and Disciplines With
Provisioning• Scripts
• Schedulers
• Policy engines
• Process-workflow
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+ +
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Provisioning on Schedule
• Provisioning sequences can be scheduled
• Regular time, day, week, month
• Run-once for single execution
• Trial or partial runs
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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)
Tool
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)
Checklist
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
Best Practice
Storage Process Automation Software
• Storage management modules/scripts
• Provisioning sequences
• Notification, approval
• Staff skills, certifications
• Order processing
• Maintenance schedules
Tool
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
Best Practice
Questions?
Marc FarleyMarc@BuildingStorage.comwww.buildingstorage.com408.210.7931