ABSTRACT
Virtualization has a similar meaning as abstraction. Storage virtualization disassociates the logical address of the data from the physical controller, RAID, or hard disk device. It is a highly useful concept when many servers attach to many storage arrays and when data is relocated as data ages or as older hardware is retired. For shared storage, database data is specifically designed to safely allow multiple users to read and write to the same database without stepping on each others’ writes. The only tricky part of dealing with a database being accessed by multiple servers is the task of backing it up. Storage virtualization, in its simplest form, is the separation of logical storage from physical storage, providing flexibility to access storage without depending on hard-coded physical hardware addresses. A “must” feature for thin provisioning is alarming/alerting the storage admin for situations where the system is at risk of running out of storage.
