Hierarchical Storage Management
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Hierarchical storage management (HSM) is a data storage technique that automatically moves data between high-cost and low-cost storage media. HSM systems exist because high-speed storage devices, such as solid state drive arrays, are more expensive (per byte stored) than slower devices, such as hard disk drives, optical discs and magnetic tape drives. While it would be ideal to have all data available on high-speed devices all the time, this is prohibitively expensive for many organizations. Instead, HSM systems store the bulk of the enterprise’s data on slower devices, and then copy data to faster disk drives when needed. In effect, HSM turns the fast disk drives into caches for the slower mass storage devices. The HSM system monitors the way data is used and makes best guesses as to which data can safely be moved to slower devices and which data should stay on the fast devices.
HSM may also be used where more robust storage is available for long-term archiving, but this is slow to access. This may be as simple as an off-site backup, for protection against a building fire.
HSM is a long-established concept, dating back to the beginnings of commercial data processing. The techniques used though have changed significantly as new technology becomes available, for both storage and for long-distance communication of large data sets. The scale of measures such as ‘size’ and ‘access time’ have changed dramatically. Despite this, many of the underlying concepts keep returning to favor years later, although at much larger or faster scales.
What is Storage Tiering?
The storage tiering stores the most important or frequently-accessed data on the fastest, and most expensive media (SSD), stores the least important on the slowest, cheapest media (hard disk, tape or cloud storage). The minimal storage tiering system has two tiers—tier 0 for frequently accessed data and tier 1 for archive.
CloudTier Storage Tiering SDK uses the on-premises storage as a tier 0 storage (hot storage), uses the public cloud storage as a tier 1 storage (cold storage). The hot storage only stores the hot data which is highly volatile and time-sensitive and which needs to be available in the shortest possible time. The cold storage only stores the cold data (archived data) which isn’t performance-sensitive, rarely accessed and will be available with high latency.
CloudTier Automated Storage Tiering
Automated storage tiering (also Hierarchical Storage Management, HSM) is a data storage technique that automatically moves data between high-cost and low-cost storage media, is the automated progression or demotion of data across different tiers of storage devices and media.
The CloudTier Storage Tiering SDK provides you an automatic way of managing and distributing data between the different storage, allows the automated data movement between the tiers of storage based on the defined rules and policies.
Transparent Data Migration to the Cloud
Data migration is the process of moving the on-premises data to the cloud. The key consideration of the data migration is the interruption of the business data access and the current application adaption of the cloud data.
With the CloudTier Storage Tiering SDK you can integrate your existing on-premises applications with the remote cloud storage infrastructure in a seamless, secure, and transparent fashion. There is no interruption to migrate your on-premise files to the remote cloud storage, so you don't need to change your existing applications and infrastructure.
Integrating Cloud Storage as a Second Tier
CloudTier Storage Tiering SDK was implemented with tiered storage file system filter driver. A file system filter driver intercepts requests targeted at a file system or another file system filter driver. With the ClooudTier Storage Tiering, you can connect the cloud storage as a second tier, seamless as a local on-premise storage, your application can use the cloud storage just like the local storage without any changes.
The Use Cases of CloudTier Storage Tiering
Cloud storage tiering can be widely used in telecommunications, government, oil, medical and other industries.
- Healthcare Data Archiving. Healthcare providers are increasingly required to retain patient medical record data for multi-year periods. Storage requirements for patient data can quickly escalate when the records include high resolution images and ultrasound content.
- Business Policy Mandated Data Archiving. Companies can generate PB’s of data in the course of day to day operations and to meet legal compliance requirements. Archive Storage can work with Smart Archiving offerings from ISV’s to create a low cost, content archiving solution.
- Digital Media Content Retention. Creators can generate PB’s worth of video and picture content that is used in the development of original digital media. Archive Storage gives creators a low-cost storage repository for original source content. File-level tiering makes it easy to shift from cold to hot storage should the need arise to use that content for another project.
- Security/Public Safety data retention. As the number and sophistication of threats to personal and business safety continue to increase, so does the demand for video surveillance. Public and now private sector companies generate TB’s of surveillance footage daily in the course of protecting their citizens and assets. Archive Storage is a low-cost option for storing that data.