Dynamic Tiering

After using Dynamic Provisioning software to virtualize LUs and pool storage into a thin provisioning strategy, the array now has all the elements in place to offer automatic self-optimizing storage tiers provided by Dynamic Tiering software (HDT). Using Dynamic Tiering, you can configure a VSP G200, G400, G600, G800 storage system with multiple storage tiers using different kinds of data drives, including SSD, SAS, and external volumes. This helps improve the speed and cost of performance. Dynamic Tiering extends and improves the functionality and value of Dynamic Provisioning. Both use pools of physical storage against which virtual disk capacity, or V-VOLs, is defined. Each thin provisioning pool can be configured to operate either as a DP pool or a Dynamic Tiering pool. Dynamic Tiering is supported only in VSP Gx00 models.

Automated tiering of physical storage is the logical next step for thin provisioned enterprise arrays. Automated tiering is the ability of the array to dynamically monitor and relocate data on the optimum tier of storage. It focuses on data segments rather than entire volumes. The functionality is entirely within the array without any mandated host level involvement. Dynamic Tiering adds another layer to the thin provisioned environment.

Using Dynamic Tiering on a VSP G200, G400, G600, G800 storage system, you can:

• Configure physical storage into tiers consisting of multiple kinds of data drives, including SSD, and SAS. Although host volumes are conventionally configured from a common pool, the pool is efficiently configured using multiple kinds of data disk drives. Dynamic Tiering enables you to place data that needs high performance on SSDs while reducing storage costs by using lower cost physical storage for infrequently accessed data.

• Automatically migrate small portions of host volumes to the most suitable data drive according to access frequency. Frequently accessed data is migrated to higher speed data drives (for example, SSD). Infrequently accessed data is migrated to lower cost and lower speed data drives (for example, SAS7.2K) to use the storage efficiently.

Dynamic Tiering simplifies storage administration by automating and eliminating the complexities of efficiently using tiered storage. It automatically moves data on pages in Dynamic Provisioning virtual volumes to the most appropriate storage media, according to workload, to maximize service levels and minimize total cost of storage.

Dynamic Tiering gives you:

• Improved storage resource usage

• Improved return on costly storage tiers

• Reduced storage management effort

• More automation

• Nondisruptive storage management

• Reduced costs

• Improved performance