When it comes to building a hyper-converged infrastructure
(HCI), flexibility in storage media is a key factor in ensuring that virtual
machines (VMs) are running optimally. One of the missing capabilities of many
HCI solutions is an ability to support various types of media, including TLC
flash, QLC flash, and even traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).
Without this versatility organizations cannot match
workloads to the most suitable storage media based on performance, capacity,
and cost considerations. As a result, they overspend on storage. In a recent
test, StorageReview evaluated VergeIO, an HCI platform with the ability to
support diverse types of storage media can bring new flexibility those
considering HCI.
Different Types of Storage Media in HCI
- TLC (Triple-Level Cell) Flash: TLC
flash is known for offering a balance between performance, endurance, and
cost. It is used for VMs that require higher performance, like
transactional databases or real-time analytics. Its ability to store more
data in each memory cell compared to SLC and MLC makes it a cost-effective
choice for performance-intensive applications. Legacy HCI solutions are
limited to requiring and exclusively supporting NVMe TLC flash.
- QLC (Quad-Level Cell) Flash: QLC
flash provides higher storage density at a lower cost, making it ideal for
workloads that demand large capacity but not the highest performance.
Read-heavy applications, large-scale data repositories, and general file
storage are well-suited for QLC media, where cost savings can outweigh the
need for top-tier write performance.
- HDDs: While flash storage has
become dominant in modern data centers, traditional hard disk drives have
a place in hyper-converged infrastructures for workloads that are not
performance-sensitive but require large amounts of inexpensive storage.
Backup storage, long-term archives, and low-priority virtual machines can
take advantage of the capacity and low cost of HDDs.
Matching Workloads to the Right Storage
Media
One of the benefits of an HCI solution that supports
multiple media types is the ability to place VMs on the storage medium that
best meets their needs. By manually assigning VMs to the right media-whether
it's the speed of TLC flash or the capacity of QLC flash or HDDs-organizations
can improve both performance and cost efficiency.
- High-performance applications,
such as databases or transactional systems, may be placed on TLC flash,
ensuring the required speed for critical operations.
- Archival or large-capacity workloads,
like file storage or backups, might find a home on QLC flash or HDDs,
where the lower cost per terabyte is more beneficial than ultra-fast
performance.
- Balanced workloads, where both
capacity and speed are important but not extreme, may be assigned to a mix
of TLC and QLC flash to use the strengths of both technologies.
By offering this level of flexibility, a single HCI instance
can be tailored to each workloads unique storage requirements. This capability
allows businesses to make more informed decisions about infrastructure
spending, balancing the need for speed with budgetary constraints.
Flexibility in Action: Insights from the
StorageReview Test
In their recent evaluation StorageReview explored the
performance of an HCI platform capable of supporting TLC flash, QLC flash, and
HDDs, allowing virtual machines to be placed on the most appropriate media
based on their performance and capacity requirements.
The test revealed how using a mix of storage media can lead
to significant improvements in both performance and cost efficiency. For
example, TLC flash was used to handle high I/O workloads, delivering the speed
necessary for demanding applications. On the other hand, QLC flash was deployed
for read-heavy and capacity-driven workloads, showing how lower-cost flash
solutions can handle large amounts of data without compromising the
infrastructure.
The Value of Multi-Media Flexibility in HCI
For many organizations, the ability to incorporate distinct
types of media-TLC flash, QLC flash, and HDDs-into a single hyper-converged
infrastructure is critical in this era of flat to slow-growing IT budgets. This
flexibility means that data centers can:
- Optimize costs by placing
capacity-hungry but low-priority virtual machines on lower-cost media like
QLC flash or HDDs.
- Ensure high performance for
critical applications by assigning them to faster storage media like TLC
flash.
- Adapt to changing needs by moving
workloads on the appropriate storage tier based on changes to performance
and capacity requirements.
The flexibility to use different types of media in an HCI
solution allows organizations to balance their need for performance with cost
management, ensuring that each workload gets the resources it requires without over-provisioning.
Conclusion: A Tailored Approach to Hyper-converged
Storage
The StorageReview test highlights the importance of having
the ability to choose the most appropriate storage media within a hyper-converged
infrastructure. By offering support for TLC flash, QLC flash, and HDDs, modern
HCI solutions allow businesses to optimize their infrastructure based on the
specific needs of their workloads. While this approach requires oversight to
ensure the right media is used for the right workload, the resulting
flexibility and cost efficiency make it an attractive choice for businesses
seeking to maximize their infrastructure investment.
As your organization plans its next steps in virtualization
and data center architecture, do not rule HCI out. Instead look for an HCI
platform with media flexibility that can help your long-term performance and
cost goals.
StorageReview and VergeIO will be conducting a live webinar
demonstrating these results on the same hardware used in their evaluation. You
can register for the event
here: Register for the Webinar.