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HGST ActiveScale with SAN Gateway Object Storage Tied to Block Data Access

#1
01-30-2022, 12:29 PM
I want to jump into the specifics of the HGST ActiveScale, especially considering how its SAN Gateway can blend effectively between object storage and block data access. You see, HGST, which originally had roots in hard drive tech, managed to shape something pretty interesting with ActiveScale. The SAN Gateway acts as this bridge that lets you interact with your object storage as if it were traditional block storage. What's really cool here is how data flows seamlessly, but you need to be aware of the specific protocols and architectural elements going into this setup.

If you set up a SAN Gateway with ActiveScale, you're essentially looking at a NAS-like experience, but you're dealing with object storage. As far as protocols, I find it crucial that ActiveScale supports S3 API natively. This means that if you're already using S3-compliant tools or applications, you can just layer them on top of this. You swap out your traditional block storage array with something that presents itself in an object format. But, performance can get a bit funky depending on how you access that object data. If you're hitting it quickly with a lot of small file reads and writes, you might not get the speed you desire compared to a dedicated SAN array.

I often compare HGST ActiveScale to something like Dell EMC's Isilon, which also uses an object storage paradigm but combines it with a scale-out architecture. The beauty of Isilon is that it has a high degree of compatibility with file-based workloads. If you're regularly needing to pull data back and forth from a POSIX file system or similar, Isilon might make things smoother. However, ActiveScale does have a leg up if you're diving into massive quantities of unstructured data, largely thanks to its self-healing properties and the way its architecture allows for efficient data distribution across nodes.

Now, let's talk about data access patterns you might encounter. With ActiveScale, you have the flexibility to access data both through object and block layers. It might resemble something you're used to if you've spent time around AWS's EBS and S3, but it's not entirely comparable. EBS provides high-performance block-level storage, while S3 excels in massive unstructured data scalability-ActiveScale sits somewhere in between. So, while you may have an easier time integrating with AWS services, using ActiveScale allows you to bring your legacy applications into the object storage fold.

One detail I can't stress enough is the performance characteristics relevant to both of these approaches. In typical scenarios where low-latency access is critical, conventional block storage shines because of its direct addressing. If your apps are particularly sensitive to read/write latencies, you have to consider how ActiveScale's distributed architecture affects your workload. While it can scale efficiently through adding more nodes, overhead can appear if you're not careful with how data gets distributed or replicated across those nodes. With something like HPE's 3PAR, you're able to leverage their ASIC technology for smart caching and better performance metrics if block storage performance is paramount for your applications.

Also, I find that scalability doesn't just come down to the total amount of data stored. With ActiveScale, it can get complex if you don't manage your namespaces effectively. Each namespace can introduce metadata management overhead, and I encourage you to keep tabs on that to avoid unnecessary latency issues when you're accessing your data. If you're frequently hitting the same zones across namespaces, you might see some latencies creeping in that would frustrate your users.

Deployment models play a huge role too. Depending on your requirements, you might want on-premises, hybrid, or cloud deployments. ActiveScale really leans into the hybrid space, making it easier for cloud bursting while still maintaining a semblance of control over your premises. But if your organization lives firmly in the on-prem world, you may find that more traditional SAN solutions-like NetApp AFF systems-give you a clearer path to managing your existing workloads without needing to change the way you think about storage.

You may also want to contemplate data protection strategies. HGST has some sophisticated data resiliency features built into ActiveScale. However, if data governance and compliance are a big deal for you, you must understand how its object storage paradigm interacts with your regulatory requirements. ActiveScale's built-in erasure coding is a great feature, but that could be a double-edged sword; if you end up needing to retrieve a significant number of objects, that decoding process could introduce delays during restoration. Traditional SANs, with snapshots and replication mechanisms, might offer a more controlled recovery point for certain environments, though the trade-off becomes flexibility.

What really rounds off everything is the cost of ownership. Sure, the initial investment in ActiveScale can be a bit hefty depending on how you scale out, but consider the total cost of operation over time. You might save on licensing costs if you're using object storage features effectively, while block storage systems can pile on additional licensing based on your storage tiers. You've got to weigh those costs against your read/write characteristics and projected growth needs.

I find it interesting how trends are shifting toward hybrid models, and in that context, services like BackupChain Server Backup might come into play. This site-provided free of charge by BackupChain-offers an industry-respected, reliable backup solution tailored for SMBs and professionals. It focuses on protecting Hyper-V, VMware, and Windows Server environments, among others. It's worth considering adding such solutions to your backup strategies to maximize the potential of your storage investments.

steve@backupchain
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HGST ActiveScale with SAN Gateway Object Storage Tied to Block Data Access

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