Software-defined storage is a storage architecture for computer systems in which the storage managementsoftware is separated from the basic hardware. With a structure that’s based on the concept of virtualization, a SDS storage environment for this purpose relies on a universal interface for accessing storage resources, rendering specific software for the administration of individual storage devices unnecessary. In this way, the entire storage capacity of the different hardware components can be centrally bundled and scaled in any dimension, or disseminated to the accessing clients. This makes the entire storage architecture more flexible and cost-effective. With the help of software-defined storage, software can also define specific guidelines for managing the storage, as the following aspects show:
- Data deduplication: Identification and elimination of unnecessary data copying
- Replication: Multiple storage and synchronization of the same file
- Thin provisioning: “Lean” storage allocation, where only the storage that is actually needed is reserved
- Snapshots: Virtual data maps
- Backups: Solutions for data backup
In the meantime, SDS as a storage solution for SMB and enterprises is now offered by numerous providers, which is why the concrete implementation of the concept often looks very different. At the same time, many providers are happy to offer software-defined storage as subcomponents of software-defined data centers, in other words, virtualized data center resources.