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Network File Management
Time To Discover NFM
5/1/2007
Linux and Solaris servers (an impressive 14 Terabytes), and serves as the primary entry point for its NFS resources. In addition, NFM allows Stanford to migrate data when performing hardware maintenance, all without the end user even noticing. A server may be taken offline for upgrades, but because its storage is temporarily—and transparently— migrated to another server, access downtime is eliminated. “It’s nice to have a highly available system for all of our mount points,” Little offers.Namespace and System Administration
For Stanford, the benefits go beyond storage management to namespace aggregation and control. Little notes that “We can advertise namespace based on the logical namespace,” as opposed to relying on physical servers to dictate namespace schemes. In many environments, migrating away from a traditional namespace means unacceptable changes in the business process, and maintaining namespace tied to physical servers means constantly upgrading the servers. But NFM reduces the expense of purchasing hardware (and the software to operate it) to satisfy historical namespaces.
The greatest savings, however, may result from savings not related to hardware but to system administration. “A [significant] ROI can be achieved particularly because storage administrators are expensive resources,” Kim believes. Ryder concurs, stating that the highest costs “are not for the equipment, but for its operation and the personnel required to operate it.” NFM, like storage virtualization, can reduce the number of FTEs required to administer enterprise storage resources.
Yet there are other possible cost savings to consider. Since NFM can reduce the quantity of servers, other downstream benefits can be achieved, according to Kim, such as increased rack space, lower power consumption, reduced backup power capacity need, and lower heat generation.
The Right Solution?
Even with all of the potential benefits, examining the current infrastructure is essential when determining whether NFM is an appropriate solution. For example, if the amount of wasted storage space that could be recovered is minimal, adding an abstraction layer may not produce much benefit. In other cases, migrating many file servers to one or two large servers may be appropriate, or implementing a storage virtualization solution may be preferred.
NFM is a relatively new approach to solving some common issues in information technology management. Whether it becomes a mainstay offering in the IT infrastructure, or is replaced by a different methodology, remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: With online learning demands, complex ERP systems, and research and collaboration requirements, the need for and complexity of file storage resources at higher ed institutions will continue to increase.
Greg Schaffer is a freelance writer specializing in network
and communications technologies.
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