Storage virtualization: The skills you need

Storage staffers can make the leap to managing virtual environments, but not without targeted training.

Just as it has for the server infrastructure, virtualization promises wondrous things for storage. For instance, viewing storage as a pool makes managing, backing up, archiving and migrating data far less complex than when storage is aligned with physical devices. You do have to know where you want your storage virtualization to reside, however. You can use a host-based system from Brocade Communications Systems or Symantec, for example, as part of the fabric with an appliance from EMC or IBM, or in the array, as such vendors as HP and 3Par offer.

Just as it has for the server infrastructure, virtualization promises wondrous things for storage. For instance, viewing storage as a pool makes managing, backing up, archiving and migrating data far less complex than when storage is aligned with physical devices. You do have to know where you want your storage virtualization to reside, however. You ...

The Training You Need

Storage vendors such as EMC, IBM, Hitachi Data Systems and HP offer extensive training for users of their storage systems. HP, which is an authorized training partner of virtualization vendor VMware, has provided training to 10,000 people, says Nancy Lunger, general manager of HP Education Services.

Virtualization training classes offered by local user groups can also be useful -- and they're popular. For example, a northern Nevada chapter of the HP user group Connect hosted a storage virtualization training session in May that attracted 42 people, says Steve Davidek, a Connect board member who is also a systems administrator for the city of Sparks, Nevada. In contrast, the previous Connect meeting for that chapter drew 20 people. Similar virtualization classes around the country have also been well attended, he says.

Even though some IT organizations have been involved with various types of virtualization for a few years, storage virtualization is still a brave new world. "Nobody's an expert yet," says Davidek. "We're all still learning this as we go along."

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