Revolutionize Your Storage with IBM Storage Insights: Effortless IBM Flash Grid Navigation and Storage Partition Migration
Author: @Sushil Sharma
In today's fast-paced digital world, businesses need to be more agile than ever to stay competitive. The rapid evolution of technology, coupled with increasing demands for efficiency and flexibility, has led to a paradigm shift in how IT infrastructure is managed. At the heart of this shift is the concept of workload mobility—a transformative approach that empowers organizations to move their applications and data seamlessly across different environments.
IBM Storage Insights, in conjunction with IBM Storage Virtualize 8.7.0, offers enhanced features to meet the increasing demand for storage solutions. With the introduction of FlashGrid and Storage Partition migration, it not only caters to the demand of workload mobility but also provides a comprehensive view of global estate across multiple Flash Grids and a personalized view for single Flash Grid. Additionally, it supports Storage Partition topology and facilitates migration initiation and monitoring. IBM Storage Insights introduces the only available graphical user interface for Flash Grid and Workload Mobility supported by IBM Storage Virtualize 8.7.0.
What is Flash Grid?
A Flash Grid is a scalable storage platform that consists of multiple FlashSystem or Storage Virtualize systems. It offers operational simplicity through federated storage management, AI-powered data placement recommendations(future), and flexible deployment options. Storage Insights provides users with a single-pane view of all Flash Grid deployments within the customer's estate. Storage Insights offers a unique graphical user interface for visualizing a Flash Grid along with its storage systems and partitions running IBM Storage Virtualize 8.7.0.
What is Storage Partition?
A storage partition acts as a container (not a Kubernetes-style container) for a number of volume groups, volumes, and hosts. It provides a separation of these from other objects in the system so that each partition can have different characteristics applied. Simply put, a single storage partition is equivalent to a workload from a customer's viewpoint. Storage Insights provides this view to its customers by showing all partitions that are part of a Flash Grid, enabling users to visualize their multiple workloads in a unified view.
Simplifying Storage Management: A Guided Storage Partition Migration with Storage Insights
Introducing a powerful new addition to your storage management toolbox! IBM Storage Insights, in collaboration with IBM Storage Virtualize, now empowers you to request the migration of Storage Partitions from one storage system to another system within your Flash Grid environment. This exciting new feature seamlessly integrates with Storage Insights' existing monitoring capabilities, giving you a centralized hub to optimize your storage allocation and keep a watchful eye on your Flash Grid's health. To initiate migration simply login to Storage Insights Flash Grid view, find the partition you want to migrate and select the target storage system within the same flash grid.
Behind the Scenes - Call Home and Migration Phases:
After choosing the target system, Storage Insights uses IBM Cloud Call Home to securely exchange command data and request the migration of storage partitions. The target storage system must enable access to Storage Insight to initiate the migration process on the source storage system. Migration of resources is done using the proprietary technology (Policy Based HA) implemented by IBM Storage Virtualize. Below is a breakdown of the key phases managed by Storage Insights:
Phase 1: Initiation of Request
- Storage Insights transmits the migration request to the source storage system.
- The source system acknowledges the request and prepares for the transfer.
Phase 2: Data Copy
- Migration process internally creates an HA policy which automatically creates a target object and starts the copy on the chosen system within the flash grid.
- Data from the original partition is efficiently copied to the newly created target object using the policy based HA technology of Flash Systems.
- Storage Insights monitors the data copy progress, keeping you informed.
Phase 3: Post Data Synchronization
- Storage Insights prompts you for user confirmation once data is synchronised.
- To prevent any application downtime, it is essential to configure the paths from the application host to the new target system.
- During this phase, we ensure that your data is synchronized on the target system and that the application IO has a clear path to the new target system.
Phase 4: Confirmation and Cleanup
- This crucial step allows you to ensure your application can locate the migrated data on the new partition.
- Upon confirmation, Storage Insights cleans up all source object resources along with any temporary objects created and used during the migration.
- Finally, Storage Insights completes the migration, indicating the transfer is successful.
Salient points of Storage Partition Migration with Storage Insights
- Intuitive Migration Workflow
- Single pane dashboard to track and monitor migration
- Secure Communication via IBM Cloud Call Home
- Enhanced security via New Permission on IBM Storage Insight and IBM Storage Virtualize
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