TCO
Reinvented
Copyright IBM Corporation 2009
15
application data. The capability also allows storage teams to proactively implement critical
fixes rather than waiting for scheduled downtime windows, not only ensuring continuous
availability but also preventing costs resulting from escalation of issues left untreated.
Summary: How to reduce downtime costs
The IBM XIV system is exceptional in its ability to avoid most of the traditional causes of
unplanned downtime. It achieves this through reduced hardware requirements,
automated and simplified management, self-healing, and hot-code fixes. In addition, the
XIV system architecture provides for ongoing changes in storage capacity without
incurring degradation in performance or requiring scheduled downtime.
Backup/Restore Costs
With traditional enterprise systems, even backup and restore processes are costly.
Traditional backup processes involve the writing of full volumes of data onto additional
storage space, including the copying of unused space that has never been written to. The
XIV storage system handles backup by copying only the blocks of data that have been
actually written to
– it does not copy zeroes. In contrast to the high rates of unused space
in legacy systems, the XIV approach greatly reduces the time and space that backups
require and, consequently, the costs involved.
In addition, the XIV storage system offers logical backup and low-cost recovery through
differential snapshots. This innovative mechanism allows organizations to expand and
fortify their backup practices without necessarily increasing their physical capacity needs.
IBM XIV offers up to 16,000 differential snapshots, on demand, with no administrative
overhead or perceptible degradation in system performance. Differential snapshots can
save 15% to 30% of storage requirements, contributing further to the XIV system’s low
overall TCO. For more information on the XIV snapshot capability, see the
IBM XIV
Snapshots Reinvented
white paper.
Summary: How to reduce backup costs
The XIV system's easy-to-use differential snapshots take up much less space and fewer
system resources to back up data in the system. This approach translates into overall
backup and recovery savings through reduced physical capacity and related
administration.
Conclusion
A storage system’s total cost of operation is comprised of a complex blend of obvious and
less obvious factors. It is critical to look beyond easy to compare factors, such as initial
cost and power, to consider the indirect factors that are costing the organization money
over time. The XIV system is designed to reduce both direct and indirect costs, including
