Cloud Storage and the Structure of a Modern Data Center

A data center is where servers, storage, and communication gears reside along with the necessary utilities (e.g., power, cooling, and ventilation). The chapter starts by addressing the energy‐conservation aspects and demonstrates that virtualization of data centers not only improves server utilization but also reduces energy consumption. The chapter proceeds with a discussion of the basic enablers of data center virtualization, culminating with a description of the structure of next‐generation data centers. Then the chapter zooms in on storage‐related matters, drawing from the model developed by the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA). Three types of storage are studied: direct‐attached storage, network‐attached storage, and the storage area network. In the next step, the chapter reviews the approaches to enabling the use of a single converged network for both storage access and other types of traffic: FC over Ethernet (FCoE) and Internet SCSI (iSCSI). The last two subjects covered in the chapter are storage virtualization – an essential matter for Cloud computing – and solid‐state storage.