EXPERT SPEAK
The case for software defined
storage as the future of IT
infrastructure
Christian Putz, Director, EEMEA, Pure Storage, outlines the benefits of Software
Defined Storage and why it could just be the future of infrastructure components.
T
hanks in large part to server
virtualisation in the datacentre,
Software Defined Storage (SDS)
has gained strong momentum across
the IT market over the past few years. In
fact, according to a recent Gartner report,
by 2019, 50 per cent of existing storage
products will be available as ‘software only’
versions, up from 15 per cent in 2016.
Furthermore, approximately 30 per
cent of the global storage array capacity
installed in enterprise datacentres will
be deployed with SDS or hyperconverged
integrated system architectures (up from
less than 5 per cent in 2016).
SDS offers a simpler approach to
traditional data storage because the software
that controls the storage-related capabilities
is separate from the physical storage
hardware. This reduced complexity means
hardware no longer needs to be custom
made. Innovation is not only tied to the
manufacturing of hardware components,
but also borne out of software development,
which is more agile, reduces development
cycles and has a quicker time to market.
For business users who rely on IT
infrastructure, the storage element of
‘software-defined’ enables greater levels
of responsiveness and agility. Customers
want greater flexibility with their
storage, from the physical footprint to
simplification of deployment and ongoing
management. So, removing the complexity
from the hardware means we can also
simplify the software.
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