The goal with all-Flash arrays, he believes, is to introduce new software and hardware features on the processing side: inline deduplication and inline compression. Flash drives provide reduced response times and sub-millisecond latency. Prices of Flash are falling and capacity per unit is on the rise (800Gb and 1.6Tb drives are market-ready). HDDs spinning have reached their spindle speed so capacity is key (8Tb drives have already been announced by some hardware manufacturers).
Solid state technology is “just another logical evolution in the storage technology we use”. The opportunity for channel partners is “to recognise how this can be deployed to best effect with your customers. Our role as channel partners is to have the expertise and agility to integrate diverse solutions from different vendors and bring new technologies into the mix in a meaningful way with a strong business case to justify the investment”.
Channel partners previously only sold clunky, legacy storage infrastructure and obtained the margins associated with it. This is a great market opportunity for the partner ecosystem to offer a broader set of offerings” – Sheldon D’Paiva, Nimble Storage
For some customers, solid-state will significantly improve their IT infrastructure performance but in other cases “it’s not particularly relevant yet”. The opportunity “comes from helping customers see through the vendor hype and actually getting to the real use cases. Channel partners like Comsys have the ability to recognise specific client patterns and apply best-fit technologies and expert services, regardless of what happens to be the latest technology”, Mekic concludes.
Cost/capacity
Tom Keane, technologist at CMS Distribution says there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to storage: “Solid-state has its benefits when it comes to performance but cost and capacity are still important considerations.”
As time passes, data which was once critical to the business often becomes less so and a storage environment needs to reflect the performance characteristics of the different classes of data. “That’s not easy to do with just one type of disk,” Keane notes.
There is a case for all flash arrays, but only in very limited circumstances. Even if you use their deduplication capabilities, “they are still too expensive for most applications and environments”. HDD arrays fit the bill where capacity is the most important requirement. But users are savvy enough to know that it’s not sensible to drive IOPS by deploying a large number of hard drives and a flash component can be very useful where performance is required.
The hot spot for hybrid arrays is between the two extremes of arrays optimised for extreme performance or maximum capacity. “Hybrid arrays offer a blend of performance and capacity that can address the majority of demands in today’s environments,” Keane remarks. “This is especially true in Ireland’s SME-based economy.”
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