The emergence of hyperconvergence and software-defined storage technologies makes virtual data storage a viable alternative for companies looking to cut costs in IT. In actual fact, since these solutions don’t require the redundant hardware that is typically required in traditional enterprise storage structures for disaster recovery, they could reduce upfront costs and ongoing operating expenses by a significant amount.

Virtual data storage enables IT departments to pool physical storage devices, like SANs that appear to be an individual device or storage array. There are several methods to implement this technology using network-based storage (which brings together all of the storage devices within an FC or iSCSI SAN into a single pool that is addressed via a central management console) and host-based virtualization. Host-based virtualization is most commonly found in HCI systems and cloud storage.

To function the way it should, virtual storage must be compatible with the hardware infrastructure as well as networking components and servers, as well as with the most common management tools and hypervisors. It must also provide data encryption, granular access and authentication controls, as well as robust backup and disaster recovery capabilities.

Virtual storage must also be able to address concerns regarding latency and performance. This includes ensuring that critical software are able to run without compromising performance or adding latency to retrieval of data. This involves evaluating storage controllers, bandwidth for networks and capacities of disk I/O as well as deploying cache mechanisms. This also includes installing advanced storage functions like tiering and replication at the virtualization level.

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