The Way Ahead for Virtualization Integration of Virtualized Computing, Storage and Network

Virtualization is at the core of cloud computing, and vendors such as ZTE have dedicated many resources to researching and developing virtualization software. ZTE has developed fully virtualized computing products and has taken big strides in

●    hyper distribution and dynamic adjustment of computing, storage and networking

●    live computing and storage migration

●    infrastructure network.

A test of ZTE’s virtualization software conducted by a third party revealed that the basic functions of the software are on par with those of ZTE’s competitors. 

Virtualized computing has developed far more quickly than virtualized storage and networking. In current virtual data centers, traditional SAN or NAS methods are still used to store mass data. This limits scalability, reliability, and performance and creates the risk of failure in individual storage devices. Because traditional networks are still used, virtual machines have shortcomings in terms of cross-data-center migration, multi-tenant support, and network service provision. Trends in storage virtualization are: 

●    distributed architecture without a central node. Without the risk of single-node failure, storage nodes can be deployed according to required capacity and performance. If storage nodes are added or removed, the stored content can be re-distributed according to policies. This guarantees that load and capacity are balanced on each storage node.

●    definable storage reliability. Erasure coding and a number of copies ensure that storage reliability is definable according to tenant needs.

●    integrated deployment of computing and storage. Storage virtualization software optimizes computing virtualization and ensures that fewer CPU and memory resources are used than is otherwise the case with common cloud storage software. Storage virtualization software enables computing and storage to be deployed on the same physical host, and both computing and storage systems have distributed architecture. This means that capacity can be more easily expanded and equipment can be more optimally used.

●    intelligent storage. Storage virtualization software stores data (image files) intelligently according to computing load, and the virtual storage system can set the size of blocks according to virtualization features. When deployed together with a virtual storage system, virtualization software stores what it reads into the node it serves in order to reduce network traffic.

 ●  tiered storage. To meet high I/O operational requirements and create intelligent tiered storage, storage virtualization software supports SSD, SAS and SATA hard disks.

●    multiple storage interfaces. Storage virtualization provides multiple interfaces for block, file and object storage. This enables tenants to use these types of storage as needed.

Trends in network virtualization are:

●    virtual switches controlled by a network-control node and VxLan used for encapsulation. This solution is suitable for a network based on an overlay model. A DPDK framework and SR-IOV-enabled smart NIC (capable of local exchange and overlay encapsulation) are also introduced to improve forwarding. Virtual machines can be migrated from different networks and data centers so that computing resources can be remotely scheduled.

●    an SDN controller that controls both virtual switches and physical switches. This is suitable for a network based purely on SDN. The data center is divided into an internal control domain and an interconnected control domain so that network features can be migrated along with virtual machines. The solution also supports flexible network deployment and multitenancy. For greater energy efficiency, network topology can be adjusted, and idle network devices can be disabled according to network traffic.

●    virtualized network functions. Conventional routers, load-balancing devices, firewalls, and security groups no longer depend on hardware and can be implemented through software. Multitenancy is also supported. Tenants are created as required and can interact with virtual machines for unified configuration.

ZTE is a leading provider of cloud storage solutions in China. ZTE’s CSS2000 products account for two-thirds of the cloud storage market. ZTE has also won a bid to complete China Mobile’s cloud storage project in the south of China, where important services, including 139 mailbox and mCloud, are provided.

In response to trends in SDN and NFV networks, ZTE has also rolled out ElasticNet, an elastic network solution that provides customers with a diverse, flat network.