Flexible Tier (Automatic Storage Layering); Figure 6.1 Example Of Thin Provisioning - Fujitsu ETERNUS DX80 S2 Overview

Chapter 6 Optional Functions
6.1 Streamlined Operations in the Virtual Environment

Figure 6.1 Example of Thin Provisioning

Conventional way
Although disk usage is based on each volume, free
area in a volume cannot be shared.
Vol.1
6.1.2

Flexible Tier (Automatic Storage Layering)

The automatic storage layering function automatically redistributes data in the ETERNUS DX Disk storage
system according to access frequency in order to optimize performance and reduce operation cost. Storage
layering is performed by moving frequently accessed data to high speed drives such as SSDs and less
frequently accessed data to cost effective disks with large capacities. Data can be moved in blocks that are
smaller than the volume capacity.
Data is redistributed based on the performance information that is monitored and obtained by ETERNUS SF
Storage Cruiser. For ETERNUS DX Disk storage systems, using Nearline SAS disks can reduce the storage cost
without resulting in any loss of performance.
When drives are added to a pool, the physical capacity is allocated unevenly among the RAID groups in the
pool. By using the Flexible Tier Pool balancing function, the allocated physical capacity as well as the usage
rate of the physical disks in the pool can be balanced.
SAS disks, Nearline SAS disks, SSDs, and SEDs can be used for the Flexible Tier function. Note that the
firmware version of the ETERNUS DX Disk storage system must be V10L30 or later to use SEDs with the
Flexible Tier function.
The firmware version can be checked via ETERNUS Web GUI or ETERNUS CLI. When upgrading firmware is
required, contact your sales representative.
Vol.2 Vol.3
Free area
Used
area
ETERNUS DX80 S2/DX90 S2 Disk storage system Overview
Copyright 2013 FUJITSU LIMITED
Thin Provisioning
The physical disk can be managed by a pool,
and unused capacity is shared with virtual
volumes that belong to the pool.
78
Free area in the physical
disk is shared with each
volume.
Free area
Vol.1 to Vol.3
Used area
P3AM-4812-11ENZ0