Intelligent Storage Systems

Chapter 4

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to: Describe components of intelligent storage system

List benefits of intelligent storage system

Explain intelligent cache algorithms and protection Describe intelligent storage array implementation
High-end storage array Mid-range storage array

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 2

What is an Intelligent Storage System

Intelligent Storage Systems are RAID arrays that are: Highly optimized for I/O processing

Have large amounts of cache for improving I/O performance

Have operating environments that provide:
Intelligence for managing cache Array resource allocation Connectivity for heterogeneous hosts Advanced array based local and remote replication options

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 3

Benefits of an Intelligent Storage System

Intelligent storage system provides several benefits over a collection of disks in an array (JBOD) or even a RAID arrays:
Increased capacity Improved performance Easier data management Improved data availability and protection Enhanced Business Continuity support Improved security and access control

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 4

Components of an Intelligent Storage System

Intelligent Storage System

Host Front End Cache Back End Physical Disks

Connectivity
FC SAN

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 5

Intelligent Storage System: Front End

Intelligent Storage System

Host Front End Cache Back End Physical Disks

Connectivity
FC SAN

Ports

Controllers

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 6

Front End Command Queuing

A

A
C B D

I/O Requests

I/O Processing Order Front-End Controller

Cylinders

Without Optimization (FIFO)

A
C B D

I/O Requests

I/O Processing Order Front-End Controller

Cylinders

With command queuing

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Intelligent Storage Systems - 7

Intelligent Storage System: Cache

Intelligent Storage System

Host Front End Cache Back End Physical Disks

Connectivity
FC SAN

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 8

Write Operation with Cache

Write-through Cache
Write Request
Acknowledgement

Cache

Write-back
Cache Write Request
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 9

Read Operation with Cache: Hits and Misses

Data found in cache = Hit
Read Request Cache

No data found = Miss

Cache Read Request

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 10

Cache Management: Algorithms

New Data

Least Recently Used (LRU)

Discards least recently used data

Most Recently Used (MRU)

Discards most recently used data
Oldest Data

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 11

Cache Management: Watermarking

Manage peak I/O requests bursts through flushing/destaging
Idle flushing, High Watermark flushing and Forced flushing

For maximum performance:

Provide headroom in write cache for I/O bursts

100 % HWM

LWM

Idle flushing
2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

High watermark flushing

Forced flushing

Intelligent Storage Systems - 12

Cache Data Protection

Protecting cache data against failure:
Cache mirroring
Each write to the cache is held in two different memory locations on two independent memory cards

Cache vaulting
Cache is exposed to the risk of uncommitted data loss due to power failure

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 13

Intelligent Storage System: Back End

Intelligent Storage System

Host Front End Cache Back End Physical Disks

Connectivity
FC SAN

Controllers

Ports

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 14

Intelligent Storage System: Physical Disks

Intelligent Storage System

Host Front End Cache Back End Physical Disks

Connectivity
FC SAN

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 15

What the Host Sees RAID Sets and LUNs

Host 1

Intelligent Storage System

LUN 0

Front End Cache

Back End

Physical Disks
LUN 0

Connectivity
FC SAN

LUN 1

LUN 1

Host 2
2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Intelligent Storage Systems - 16

LUN Masking
LUN masking is access control mechanism Process of masking LUNs from unauthorized access

Implemented on storage arrays

Storage group logical entity that contains one or more LUNs and one host

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 17

ISS Implementation: High-end Storage Systems

Also referred as Active-active arrays
I/Os are serviced through all the available path
Active-Active Configuration

Following are high-end array capabilities:

Huge cache to service host I/Os Fault tolerance architecture Multiple front-end ports and support to interface protocols High scalability Ability to handle large amounts of concurrent I/Os
Host Active
Port

Active

Port

Controller A Controller B

Large storage capacity

LUN

Storage Array

Designed for large enterprises

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 18

Midrange Storage Systems

Also referred as Active-passive arrays
Host can perform I/Os to LUNs only through active paths Other paths remain passive till active path fails
Active-Passive Configuration

Port

Passive Host

Designed for small and medium enterprises Less scalable as compared to high-end array

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 19

Controller B

Midrange array have two controllers, each with cache, RAID controllers and disks drive interfaces

Active

Port

Controller A

LUN

Storage Array

Chapter Summary
Key points covered in this chapter: Intelligent Storage Systems features

Components of Intelligent Storage Systems

Cache management algorithms Intelligent Storage System implementation
High-end storage array Mid range storage array

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 20

Concept in Practice: EMC CLARiiON

Support for UltraFlex technology

Scalable from up to 960 disks Supports flash drives Supports different types and sizes of drives, and RAID types (0, 1, 1+0, 3, 5, 6) Supports up to 16 GB of available cache memory per controller (Storage Processor) Enhances availability with non disruptive upgrade and failover Ensures data protection through mirrored write cache and cache vaulting Supports storage-based local and remote data replication
Through SnapView and MirrorView software
2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Intelligent Storage Systems - 21

CLARiiON CX-4 Architecture

Storage Processor
Multi-Core Processors CPU CPU CPU CPU CPU CPU CPU CPU

Storage Processor
Multi-Core Processors

FC Chapter FC Chapter FC Chapter FC Chapter iSCSI Chapter iSCSI Chapter I/O Complex

4 Gb/s Fibre Channel Front-End

CLARiiON Messaging Interface (CMI)

CPU CPU

CPU CPU

CPU CPU

CPU CPU

FC Chapter FC Chapter FC Chapter FC Chapter

Multi-Lane PCI-Express Bridge Link

Memory

Power Supply Fan Fan Fan Fan

SPS

Memory

iSCSI Chapter iSCSI Chapter

CPU Chapter

SPS
4 Gb/s LCC

Power Supply
4 Gb/s LCC

CPU Chapter

I/O Complex

4 Gb/s Fibre Channel Back-End

4 Gb/s Fibre Channel Back-End

4 Gb/s LCC

4 Gb/s LCC

4 Gb/s LCC

4 Gb/s LCC

4 Gb/s LCC

4 Gb/s LCC

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 22

EMC Symmetrix
Incrementally scalable to 2,400 disks Supports Flash-based solid-state drives Dynamic global cache memory (16 GB 512 GB) Advanced processing power (up to 130 PowerPC) Direct matrix Architecture High data processing bandwidth (up to 128 GB/s) Data protection with RAID 1, 1+0 (also known as 10 for mainframe), 5, and 6 Storage-based local and remote replication
Through TimeFinder and SRDF software
2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Intelligent Storage Systems - 24

Direct Matrix Architecture

ESCON host attach Fibre Channel host attach FICON, GigE, iSCSI FICON, GigE, iSCSI FICON, GigE, iSCSI host attach host attach host attach FICON, GigE, iSCSI host attach Fibre Channel host attach ESCON host attach ESCON Director
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

FC Director
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

Multi-Protocol CD
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

Multi-Protocol CD
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

Multi-Protocol CD
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

Multi-Protocol CD
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

FC Director
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

ESCON Director
Cntl Direct Matrix Direct Matrix

Control and communications Signals

Environmental control and status signals

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

64 GB Memory

Environmental control and status signals

Control and communications Signals

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Direct Matrix

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

Cntl

FC (Back-End)
A A B B A A B B

FC (Back-End)
A A B B A A B B

FC (BE or FE)
A A B B A A B B

FC (BE or FE)
A A B B A A B B

FC (BE or FE)
A A B B A A B B

FC (BE or FE)
A A B B A A B B

FC (Back-End)
A A B B A A B B

FC (Back-End)
A A B B A A B B

Symmetrix Fibre Channel disk devices

Symmetrix Fibre Channel disk devices

Fibre Channel back-end director *

Fibre Channel back-end director *

Fibre Channel back-end director *

Fibre Channel back-end director *

Symmetrix Fibre Channel disk devices

Symmetrix Fibre Channel disk devices

Power supplies Service Processor UPS 2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Modem

Battery backup Unit Chapters

Cooling

Intelligent Storage Systems - 25

 Check Your Knowledge

What are the parts of an Intelligent Storage System? What are the differences between a high-end and midrange storage array? What is the difference between a read cache hit and a read cache miss?

What is the difference between Least Recently Used and Most Recently Used algorithms?
What is the difference between Write-through and Writeback cache?

2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Storage Systems - 27