photo by Flickr user greatist
As I worked out my holiday dinner game plan in this season of culinary delights, it hit me that managing workloads is not only critical in data centers but also in my kitchen. How I decide which items to cook and when to cook them can be seen as an analogy to the process of determining if certain workloads in my data center require different types of attention. For storage, specifically, I’m thinking about an all HDD, all SSD, or a hybrid flash array.
For example, cranberry sauce from a can is akin to low touch, regular workloads that you classify as cool data (low I/O) and are usually stored on HDDs since high access speed is not required. Then you have your hot data (high I/O) that needs an immediate response to be useful like data indexing – much like the gravy on my stovetop that requires perfect timing. This type of scenario may benefit from an all-flash array for low-latency and fast performance when milliseconds matter.
Lastly, you have warm (medium I/O) data that is at the heart of your organization – just like turkey roasting in the oven. These workloads, such as VDI or OLTP, may require fast performance at certain times but only require HDD speed most of the time. They are ideal for hybrid flash arrays where data can easily be tiered from HDDs to SSDs automatically. The unique hardware and software design innovations of the hybrid storage arrays perform workload optimization, even on volumes containing a mix of workload types and storage needs within each array.
To learn more about whether hybrid flash arrays are the ideal fit for your workloads, check out this video featuring experts from SearchStorage, Storage Switzerland and Dell. In the video, they discuss the key features and benefits of hybrid flash and why certain workloads are more suited for hybrid flash and others may require all-flash arrays or HDD storage:
Cost is always a consideration. However, when it comes to storage Dell offers multiple all HDD, all SSD and hybrid flash configurations that are price- and performance-optimized based on your workloads.
Luckily, my kitchen workloads turned out wonderfully, for the most part, and any dryness was easily solved by my perfectly timed gravy. At Dell, we are very interested in hearing about your current workloads and data center goals. Talk to your Dell representative about how to optimize your workloads or follow us on @dell_storage. And have a happy and safe holiday season!
