A Unified Storage System from Nfina

Published: March 17, 2023
By: Julie Norman

Digital data is the most important asset for businesses that rely on their IT Ecosystem to function. In today’s digitally transformed world, it is impossible to perform even the most basic business tasks without access to electronic data stores. Maximizing uptime for fast data access, and ensuring the data can be secured, easily managed, and backed up, is the quintessential goal of all corporate IT organizations.

Digital Data Storage Types

The standard types of storage supported by Nfina are File and block storage.

Unified Storage System from Nfina

The Unified Storage system from Nfina allows access to file and block storage types simultaneously. Nfina also extends this unified storage to its Hybrid Cloud offering. Unified storage uses standard file protocols such as SMB/CIFS and NFS, alongside standard block protocols like Fibre Channel and iSCSI. This allows users to consolidate all their storage needs into a single appliance or cluster instead of purchasing separate SAN and NAS devices. The advantages of a unified storage system are cost, scalability, and the ability to access and run all workloads at peak performance on a single converged or hyperconverged clustered storage system. All storage offerings from Nfina (SAN, NAS, HCI-HA, and Hybrid Cloud) support the Unified storage system from Nfina.

ZFS Storage System

All Nfina NAS and SAN storage systems utilize the ZFS file system. Therefore, the typical definition is SAN=Block Storage and NAS=File Storage, Nfina storage systems can serve up both block and file storage types simultaneously. This is because the underlying storage file system is ZFS (Zettabyte File System). ZFS was originally developed by Sun Microsystems in 2001 and was acquired by Oracle in 2010 and is now maintained as OpenZFS.

Nfina also offers an HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure) where the storage and compute are combined on the same platform. Like the SAN and NAS offerings from Nfina, our HCI platforms access data simultaneously using unified storage.

ZFS has many unique features and is known as copy-on-write technology. Instead of the traditional read-modify-write sequence, ZFS uses read-modify-create new block. This allows ZFS to be extremely efficient when it creates immutable snapshots (another built-in feature of ZFS). ZFS only has to collect the most recently written blocks created since the last snapshot from the lookup table and transmit those blocks to the backup pool (which could be located on the LAN or WAN). Since this is not a compute-intensive operation, this allows the creation of many high-frequency recovery points (i.e. every few minutes) that can be used to back up and restore data. ZFS snapshots work with both block storage LUNS (logical unit number) and SMB shares. These snapshots are the foundation for Nfina’s geo-redundant rapid disaster recovery solution that can restore data in minutes after a catastrophic failure event (i.e. power outage, Ransomware, etc).

When you work with Nfina, we will evaluate your IT business needs and choose the best data type and protocol setup, taking into consideration data management and administration, cost, hardware maintenance, scalability, and desired features.

Unified Storage vs Other Storage Architectures

Unified Storage vs SAN

Unified storage and Storage Area Networks (SAN) both provide block-level storage, but they differ in flexibility and management. SAN environments are designed specifically for block storage and typically require dedicated infrastructure, specialized hardware, and separate management tools. Unified storage, on the other hand, supports both block and file storage within a single system, eliminating the need for separate platforms. This makes unified storage easier to manage and more cost-effective for organizations that need to support multiple workloads without maintaining distinct storage environments.

Unified Storage vs NAS

Network Attached Storage (NAS) is focused on file-based storage and is commonly used for file sharing and collaboration. While NAS is effective for these use cases, it does not support block storage, which is required for applications like databases and virtual machines. Unified storage combines the capabilities of NAS with block storage functionality, allowing organizations to handle a wider range of workloads within a single platform. This reduces complexity and provides greater flexibility compared to deploying standalone NAS systems.

Unified Storage vs Traditional Storage

Traditional storage architectures rely on separate systems for file storage, block storage, and backup, often resulting in siloed infrastructure that is more difficult to manage and scale. Unified storage consolidates these capabilities into a single platform, simplifying administration and improving efficiency. By reducing the need for multiple hardware systems and management tools, unified storage lowers operational overhead and allows organizations to scale more easily as data demands grow. This makes it a more streamlined and adaptable solution for modern IT environments.

References

https://www.ibm.com/topics/file-storage

https://www.ibm.com/topics/block-storage

https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/block-storage/

https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/data-storage/file-block-object-storage

https://www.suse.com/suse-defines/definition/file-storage/

https://www.datacore.com/blog/file-object-storage-differences/

Unified Storage FAQ 

What is unified storage?

Unified storage is a storage system that combines file and block storage into a single platform. This allows organizations to manage different types of data and workloads—such as file sharing, databases, and virtual machines—through one centralized system instead of separate storage solutions.

How does unified storage work?

Unified storage works by supporting multiple storage protocols, such as SMB and NFS for file storage and iSCSI or Fibre Channel for block storage. Data is stored and managed within a single system, allowing users and applications to access it based on their specific requirements while maintaining centralized control and efficiency.

Is unified storage better than SAN/NAS?

Unified storage is not always better, but it is more flexible. Unlike SAN (block storage) and NAS (file storage), which operate separately, unified storage combines both into one system. This reduces complexity and cost while supporting a wider range of workloads, making it a strong choice for many modern environments.

What are the benefits?

Unified storage offers several benefits, including simplified management, reduced hardware costs, scalability, and improved efficiency. By consolidating storage systems, organizations can streamline operations and more easily adapt to changing data needs.

Who needs unified storage?

Unified storage is ideal for organizations that manage multiple types of workloads and want to simplify their infrastructure. It is commonly used by small to mid-sized businesses, enterprises, and organizations adopting virtualization or hybrid cloud environments where flexibility and efficiency are important.

At Nfina, our Eco-Friendly Solutions make it easy for our customers to achieve a lower carbon footprint and play a positive role in bringing about a sustainable future. We design technologies and products to help people understand their impact and actions better.

Nfina’s Hybrid Cloud and Hyperconverged solutions provide energy efficiency by using high-density, lower-power VMs enabling our customers to scale their digital transformations sustainably by optimizing space, reducing power consumption, and lowering cooling and maintenance costs. Nfina is taking a leadership role in doing what it takes to tackle climate change.

Nfina has been carbon neutral for our operations since opening in 2012.