The virtual machine (VM) is a computer program requires storage for its data. Virtual storage can be used to improve the performance of the VM by offering a single storage device or network-based storage as different types. The VM can https://duediligencedataroom.blog access it without needing to be aware of the hardware.

Managing virtual storage requires the careful balance of performance, capacity and cost. Administrators must decide if they want to install all solid-state drives or hard-drive disks; the kind and number of storage controllers to use; and how to integrate them in a hybrid configuration. To reduce costs, IT managers need to consider storage reduction capabilities such as compression and deduplication.

There are three kinds of virtual storage: physical disks, RAID groups and logical volumes (LV). Physical disks and groups of RAID divide the physical capacity into smaller units that servers or applications consider as a single storage device. A virtualization layer transforms I/O requests made by the server to the correct physical disk.

The virtual storage model reduces the hardware burden by distancing operating systems from physical devices, and also by providing one point of administration. It also permits scalability, as it automatically adjusts the physical capacity to meet the demand. It also allows administrators to perform a variety of tasks in a non-disruptive manner for example, transfer data from devices that are being used too much. This is done by using the technique of data migration. In general, the mapping granularity determines how fast the meta-data can be updated, how much extra space is needed during the migration and how fast the previous location can be declared free.