To: rdv@alumni.caltech.edu, rdv@ISI.EDU
Subject: comp.arch.storage - OmniStorage
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 13:49:28 +0200
From: Herbert Volk
Hello Rodney and Joe,
I have seen the overview about storage management solution in
comp.arch.storage. I work for Hewlett-Packard in Germany as
product manager for HP OpenView OmniStorage. OmniStorage is
an HSM solution.
Attached you find information about the product. I would appreciate,
if you could mention OmniStorage in your overview about available
software solutions.
Please let me know, if you need more information.
Thanks and regards,
Herbert Volk
=======================================================================
Hewlett-Packard GmbH e-mail : herbert_volk@bbn.hp.com
NSMD Boeblingen
Herrenberger Strasse 130 Phone : ..49-7031-14-2860
71004 Boeblingen Fax : ..49-7031-14-7481
Germany
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product information:
1) Product Description
2) New functionality of A.02.00
3) Datasheet text of A.01.01
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Product Description
Vendor: Hewlett-Packard Co.
Product: HP OpenView OmniStorage
Description
-----------
PRODUCT FUNCTION
OmniStorage is a hierarchical storage management solution, providing
policy-driven and transparent file management by assigning data to
the most efficient storage media automatically and dynamically.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The basic concept of OmniStorage is, to keep the expensive magnetic
disks free from infrequently used or even almost dormant data. Water
marks, indicating a certain filling level of the magnetic disks are
used, to trigger the automatic migration of data. This automation
reduces the cost of administration and helps the operating staff to
focus on other tasks. Furthermore it helps to reduce the purchasing
cost for storage media, because media with different price/performance
characteristics can easily be used in conjunction. As a result, less
used data is migrated to cheaper storage media and the most frequently
used data is cached on magnetic disks. Functionality includes, block-
level migration, migration across the network and integrated backup
(HP OpenView OmniBack II).
2) New functionality of A.02.00
- Migration of data to tape peripherals
Data can be migrated directly from magnetic storage to tape
storage of first from magnetic to optical and then to tape
storage.
- Migration of data to WORM disks
- Support of SUN Solaris as client system
- Graphical User Interface for easy configuration and administration
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage
=======================
Data Sheet
----------
The Best of Different Storage Technologies
------------------------------------------
Automated and Transparent Hierarchical Storage Management - HP OpenView
OmniStorage - Reduces the Cost of Online Storage
Without a doubt, the amount of data to be stored, together with the
need for fast and convenient access, is increasing rapidly with an
accelerating growth trend . At the same time, the optical storage
technology has proven its benefits by offering the capability to
store huge amounts of data that can be accessed directly - in seconds
- with outstanding reliability.
Huge amounts of data (hundreds of gigabytes or even terabytes) cannot
be managed efficiently without the help of intelligent software so-
lutions. HP OpenView OmniStorage presents optical storage as a trans-
parent and seamless expansion of magnetic disk storage, and it provides
unattended and automated operations.
Typical applications which need access to large amounts of online data
and which benefit from OmniStorage are, for example, CAD/CAM and Docu-
ment Management. Also, customers planning to re-engineer the IT infra-
structure expect a Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) solution sup-
porting the client/server environment.
Solution Concept
----------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage is part of the HP OpenView Storage Management
Product Family and complements HP OmniBack and HP OmniBack/ Turbo, the
HP OpenView backup and recovery solutions.
HP OpenView OmniStorage is HP's hierarchical storage management solution
that cost-efficiently provides the required online storage capacity. This
is achieved by integrating different storage technologies (magnetic hard
disks and optical disk libraries) and combining their advantages. As a
result, the data is balanced most efficiently on different storage media
according to its usage. This means improved efficiency of users, operators,
and administrators by shifting storage management tasks to systems.
Do not choose between magnetic and optical disks...choose OmniStorage for
the advantages of both.
Easy to Use - Migrates Data Automatically and Transparently
-----------------------------------------------------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage ensures that the expensive magnetic hard disks
only contain the most frequently used data. Seldom used data is auto-
matically migrated to optical disk libraries, and magnetic disks are
then reserved for active data.
When accessed, data migrated to optical library systems are transparently
and automatically migrated back.
Extended Disk Capacity at Reduced Cost
--------------------------------------
This provides two benefits. First, OmniStorage combines expensive hard
disks with less costly, very reliable optical disks. For users and appli-
cations, this appears to be an extension of magnetic disk capacity. Second,
it improves the productivity of users and applications and reduces over-
head by off-loading data management tasks from system administrators and
operators. After installation and configuration, data is managed in un-
attended mode by OmniStorage.
Central Management and Monitoring
---------------------------------
The integration into HP OpenView OperationsCenter provides customers with
the benefit of using the management capabilities of OperationsCenter to
set up and monitor OmniStorage from a central point.
Data Security and Disaster Recovery
-----------------------------------
Information is stored on optical disks in a self-contained, standard HP
file system format. Optical disks can be removed from a library, put
into another one, and read and processed by another system.
In case of magnetic disk crash, only the magnetic portion of the data
has to be restored from backup media. The links to the data migrated to
optical storage can be rebuilt directly from optical storage. This greatly
reduces the recovery time.
Customizable to Customer Needs
------------------------------
The solution can be customized to the individual needs of users and appli-
cations. For example, migration can be controlled through file size and
access time; individual files or complete directories can be excluded
from migration. The whole system can be dynamically reconfigured.
Supports Heterogeneous Environments
-----------------------------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage is supported on an HP 9000 as the server platform.
Client systems in a networked environment are supported in two different
ways:
- Native network migration. Migration of data is provided directly between
client disks and optical disk libraries managed by the storage server.
Native network migration is available for HP 9000 (Series 700 and 800)
clients.
- Migration via NFS (Network File System). File systems on any system with
OmniStorage installed can be exported to other systems in the network.
This function is available for HP and non-HP systems capable of NFS.
Migration Commands
------------------
In addition to the automatic migration, files can be migrated manually
through commands.
Backup and Restore
------------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage contains backup and restore capabilities to
efficiently save the data managed by it.
HP OpenView OmniStorage Components
----------------------------------
HP OpenView OmniStorage contains several components. See figure 1 for an
overview of the OmniStorage architecture.
Library Manager
---------------
The library manager manages the optical storage (optical libraries and
disks). It controls the mounting and unmounting of platters, and it main-
tains a database that keeps track of the managed jukeboxes and the op-
tical disks.
VBFS
----
HP OpenView OmniStorage introduces a new file system type, VBFS (Very Big
File System). VBFS is an extension of the standard HP-UX file system. It
provides a transparent view to all managed data, independent of its physi-
cal location (i.e., magnetic and/or optical storage). Embedded in the file
system is information which tracks such attributes as migration priorities,
read-ahead strategies, and segmentation of very large files. System admini-
strators can specify this information on a per file, directory, or file
system basis.
Ager
----
The Ager controls transparently outward migration based on criteria estab-
lished by the system administrator. System-level default configuration
values can be inherited and are fully customizable.
In addition to determining the migration priority of files, these confi-
guration values establish the levels, called water marks (see figure 2).
They are expressed as a percentage of used magnetic disk storage space.
The Ager migrates data from magnetic disk to optical storage when reaching
the water marks.
To achieve this, the Ager is triggered in either of two modes: Active Mode
or Bulk Mode. The Ager runs per default in Active Mode when magnetic disk
storage reaches an established limit, called the High Water Mark (e.g.,
80%). At this point, the Ager migrates files to optical storage, freeing
up magnetic storage until magnetic storage reaches another limit, called
Active Low Water Mark (e.g., 60%).
The Ager runs in Bulk Mode during off-peak periods, at which time the Ager
migrates files to optical storage until the Inactive Low Water Mark is
reached (e.g., 50%). At that time, the Ager continues by copying files
until the Bulk Water Mark is reached (e.g., 40%). These copies allow the
Ager to simply delete the file copies on magnetic disk when the disk
fills up again.
Queuer
------
The primary responsibility of the Queuer is to satisfy requests from the
VBFS file system, from the Ager, and from OmniStorage utilities migrating
data between the optical storage and magnetic disk storage. The queuer
determines the priority of migration requests (i.e., migrate in versus
migrate out).
Ordering Information
--------------------
Product No Product Description
---------- -------------------
B1970AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Manager LTU (<= 20 GB)
B1971AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Manager LTU (<= 120 GB)
B1972AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Manager LTU (<= 400 GB)
B1973AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Manager LTU (> 400 GB)
B1975AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Managed Element LTU
B1977AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Media and Documentation for
HP9000 Series 700
B1978AA HP OpenView OmniStorage Media and Documentation for
HP9000 Series 800
Supported Platforms
-------------------
Server:
- HP 9000 Series 700 (HP-UX 9.01)
- HP 9000 Series 800 (HP-UX 9.04)*
Client:
Via NFS
- each client system capable of NFS**
Native network migration
- HP9000 Series 700 (HP-UX 9.01)
- HP9000 Series 800 (HP-UX 9.04)*
* Available first half of 1994.
** Certain restrictions can apply to older NFS versions.
Supported Peripherals
---------------------
- All magnetic hard disks supported by HP9000.
- HP optical disk libraries.
- HP 4mm DAT/DDS drives for backup.
Prerequisites
-------------
- HP optical disk library
- Additional hard disk for VBFS
Technical information in this document is subject to change without notice.
All registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned are the sole property
of their respective companies.
c Copyright 1993 Hewlett-Packard
Printed in U.S.A. 12/93
5962-6139E