VM-Aware Storage for Dummies

There’s a disconnect in your data center. You’ve virtualized your applications, and your teams are thinking and working in virtual machines (VMs). But your storage hasn’t materially changed in decades — it still uses the same constructs (such as logical unit numbers, or LUNs) that were introduced for physical server workloads during an era that has long since passed. That disconnect between virtualized applications and conventional storage is costing your business time and money. Many storage innovations are happening, and you might be exploring or deploying some of them to address the storage pain in your data center. But it doesn’t matter if those products aren’t VM‐aware. A big claim? Yes, but it’s an important concept to understand. Only VM‐aware storage (VAS) is specifically built for virtualized applications, stripping out the complexity of physical storage management so that you can focus on the applications that matter most for your business. With VAS, you can manage storage functions on individual applications, saving you time, money — and sanity.