Storage%20Automation:%20Understanding%20The%20Issues

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Storage Automation Understanding The Issues

• Steve Duplessie
• Founder/Sr. Analyst
• The Enterprise Storage Group, Inc.

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The Datacenter Today Tomorrow
Todays Data Center
Inflexible Islands of Computing
Staging
Stage
E-Commerce
Helpdesk
SFA
ERP B-UP
Devt
Test
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Datacenter Automation
Oracle
SAP
Exchange
Eng.
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The Liquid Datacenter
Oracle
SAP
Exchange
Eng.
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GRID DOESNT WORK WITH STORAGE AUTOMATION!!!!

• Its nice to move servers around, but who cares
  if they cant attach to the right data?
• Its nice to move networks around but who cares
  if it cant connect to the right LUN?

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What Do We Automate?

• We dont think that things need to be automated
  as much as things need to be easier and
  simplified, while retaining control.Our problem
  is that there are too many things to manage and
  potentially go wrong, we need better integrated
  solutions that makes it easier to manage overall
  storage.
• Nam Cho Really Big Magazine Company

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What Do We Automate?

• ..Once we have the discovery/provisioning phase
  automated, the next step is monitoring/alerting/un
  derstanding what those mean/then acting upon
  them.
• John Blackman Really Big Fortune 100 Co.

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What Do We Automate?

• QoS should become more policy driven with the
  ability to secure sustained data rates for
  certain workloads dynamically.
• With SRM, I see a need to automate the
  proliferating of storage reports right to the
  users
• Al Somers Harte-Hanks.

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What Do We Automate?

• Our current major issue is storage reporting.
  Of course there are a lot of existing solutions
  on the market but none of them solve the problem
  quite well. XYZs tools only report on their own
  arrays, but their Oracle and Exchange
  functionality is very poor.
• Matthias Ress Deutshe Telekom

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Benefits of Automating Storage Processes

• Consistent workflow
• Deliver higher quality of service/service levels
• Reduce downtime (caused by user error or time to
  respond)
• Enables administrators to manage larger
  environments
• Reduces TCO (manpower, reduces need for excess
  capacity to cover for delays in execution)

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Steps for Automating Storage Processes

• 1. Evaluate current storage processes
• 2. Utilize management tools to access storage
  environment and policy requirements
• 3. Determine which processes can and should be
  automated
• 4. Implement management tools to automate storage
  processes and policies

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Examples of Storage Processes-Each is Driven by
Specific Policies

• Disaster recovery
• Backup policies
• Recovery policies
• Provisioning
• Application priorities
• Approval policies
• SLA enforcement
• Information Life-Cycle Management

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1) Evaluate Storage Processes

• Review current processes and procedures
• Are these processes effective (do they really
  meet requirements)
• Are there areas where processes could be
  streamlined
• Chart time/man hours to implement processes
• What may seem like a trivial task takes hours to
  days
• Review number of tasks required in process
• Administrative configuration implementation
• Evaluate costs (hard and soft) associated with
  implementing processes
• Helps determine where focus on automation should
  be

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2) Use Management tools to evaluate environment

• Which tools are best?

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ESG Software Segment Taxonomy
Enterprise Storage Management Framework
Data Protection Retention
Data Valuation Resource Optimization
Asset Performance Management
Automated Resource Management (ARM)
Data Management
Automated Data Migration (ADM)
Security
Storage Process Automation
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ESG Software Segment Taxonomy
Enterprise Storage Management Framework
Data Protection Retention
Data Valuation Resource Optimization
Asset Performance Management
Automated Resource Management (ARM)
Data Management
Automated Data Migration (ADM)
Policy Engine
ASRM Solutions
Archive
Security
Storage Process Automation
Provisioning Components
Backup
Data Movement
Data Valuation Profiling
SNM Solutions
Replication
Policy Engine
SRM Solutions
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2) Using Management tools to Access Environment

• Storage Network Management provides
• Auto-discovery of physical infrastructure
• Topology mapping (groupings by geography,
  business, workgroup etc)
• Physical assets
• Connectivity
• Trace path from application to LUN level on array
• Element management (mostly launching vendor
  programs)
• Historical trending (of network usage patterns)
• Planning capabilities
• Monitoring (error, uptime, utilization, path)

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• SRM applications will provide
• Auto discovery of storage, file systems, volumes
  etc (regardless of vendor)
• Reporting on asset usage, real time and
  historical
• Reports available at multiple levels (user,
  group, department)
• Current capacity, growth, types of files, data
  aging
• Identify redundant files, old data
• Identify personal files- mp3, .jpg etc
• Answers the questions of what are my assets and
  how are they being utilized?

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• Backup Reporting Solutions
• Are my backups completing-if not why?
• Are all of the important files/servers being
  backed up (orphans)
• Identify bottlenecks/window issues
• Understand resource impact of backups
• Understand future capacity requirements for
  backups
• Understand if current backup policies are
  effective or need to be modified
• Determine if you truly can recover

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• 3) Determine what could or should be automated
• What tasks are mundane and should be offloaded
  from valuable IT man-hours
• What tasks require absolute adherence to the
  order of steps (workflow)
• Automation tools allow for varying levels of
  manual intervention
• What tasks are critical such that they cant
  wait for user intervention (provisioning)

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4a) Develop Automation Policies

• Policies should be focused on the business needs
  of the company
• Without available data, most businesses cannot
  function
• Use lifecycle management attributes to streamline
  asset utilization
• Develop SLAs for critical applications (and the
  corresponding policies to enforce them)
• Get management involved to make priority
  decisions
• Develop test plan for policies-constantly
  reevaluate

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4b)Implement Tools to Automate Processes

• Simple Examples of Automation
• SRM Quota Management
• Alert when capacity thresholds exceeded
• Block certain files from being saved
• SRM Charge back
• Determine usage by user, group, business unit
• Automatically charge for usage based on type of
  storage, utilization etc
• SRM/ADM/DM Backup on demand
• Backup files based on criteria as opposed to
  schedules
• Not accessed in x period of time
• Type of file

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4b) Implement Tools to Automate Policies

• More Advanced Examples of Automation
• ARM Automatic storage provisioning provision
  storage to host based on
• SLA adherence
• Utilization thresholds
• Application request
• ADM/ DM Information Life-Cycle Management
• Move data off primary disk after certain criteria
  are met
• Not accessed for x period of time
• Additional versions exist
• Move certain types of data to secondary disk
• Replicate only specific files from users/groups

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ESGs Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) Model
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What about Step 5?

• Repeat!
• Processes and policies should not be static
• Environment constantly changing
• Management solutions help keep track of changes
• Policy is still up to administrators
• Implementation is done by management solutions