Which type of storage offering uses SSDs and is intended for use with Virtual machines?
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Answered by
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If you are deploying services that require fast data then you might need to use shared SSD storage for your data disks, and this is made possible using a Premium Storage Account with DS-Series or GS-Series virtual machines. Read on to learn more.
More Speed, Scottie!
A typical virtual machine will offer up to 300 IOPS (Basic A-Series) or 500 IOPS (Standard A-Series and up) per data disk. There are a few ways to to improve data performance:
More data disks: You can deploy a VM spec that supports more than 1 data disk. If each disk has 500 IOPS, then aggregating the disks multiplies the IOPS. If I store my data across 4 data disks then I have a raw potential 2000 IOPS.
Disk caching: You can use a D-Series or G-Series to store a cache of frequently accessed data on the SSD-based temporary drive. SSD is a nice way to improve data performance.
Memory caching: Some application offer support for caching in RAM. A large memory type such as the G-Series offers up to 448 GB RAM to store data sets in RAM. Nothing is faster than RAM!
Shared SSD Storage
Although there is nothing faster than RAM there are a couple of gotchas:
If you have a large data set then you might not have enough RAM to cache in.
G-Series VMs are expensive – the cloud is all about more, smaller VMs.
If an SSD cache is not big enough either, then maybe shared SSD storage for data disks would offer a happy medium: lots of IOPS and low latency; It’s not as fast as RAM, but it’s still plenty fast! This is why Microsoft gave us the DS- and GS-Series virtual machines which use Premium Storage.
Premium Storage
Shared SSD-based storage is possible only with the DS- and GS-Series virtual machines – note that DS- and GS-Series VMs can use standard storage too. Each spec offers support for a different number of data disks. There are some things to note with Premium Storage:
OS disk: By default, the OS disk is stored in the same premium storage account as the premium data disks if you just go next-next-next. It’s possible to create the OS disk in a standard storage account to save money – remember that data needs the speed, not the OS.
Spanning storage accounts: You can exceed the limits (35 TB) of a single premium storage account by attaching data disks from multiple premium storage accounts.
VM spec performance limitations: Each VM spec limits the amount of throughput that it supports to premium storage – some VMs will run slower than the potential of the data disks. Make sure that you choose a spec that supports enough throughput.
Page blobs: Premium storage can only be used to store VM virtual hard disks.
Resiliency: Premium Storage is LRS only. Consider snapshots or VM backups if you need more insurance.
Region support: Only a subset of regions support shared SSD storage at this time: East US2, West US, West Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan East, Japan West, Australia East.
Premium storage account: You must deploy a premium storage account (PowerShell or Preview Portal); you cannot use a standard storage account which is bound to HDD-based resources.
More Speed, Scottie!
A typical virtual machine will offer up to 300 IOPS (Basic A-Series) or 500 IOPS (Standard A-Series and up) per data disk. There are a few ways to to improve data performance:
More data disks: You can deploy a VM spec that supports more than 1 data disk. If each disk has 500 IOPS, then aggregating the disks multiplies the IOPS. If I store my data across 4 data disks then I have a raw potential 2000 IOPS.
Disk caching: You can use a D-Series or G-Series to store a cache of frequently accessed data on the SSD-based temporary drive. SSD is a nice way to improve data performance.
Memory caching: Some application offer support for caching in RAM. A large memory type such as the G-Series offers up to 448 GB RAM to store data sets in RAM. Nothing is faster than RAM!
Shared SSD Storage
Although there is nothing faster than RAM there are a couple of gotchas:
If you have a large data set then you might not have enough RAM to cache in.
G-Series VMs are expensive – the cloud is all about more, smaller VMs.
If an SSD cache is not big enough either, then maybe shared SSD storage for data disks would offer a happy medium: lots of IOPS and low latency; It’s not as fast as RAM, but it’s still plenty fast! This is why Microsoft gave us the DS- and GS-Series virtual machines which use Premium Storage.
Premium Storage
Shared SSD-based storage is possible only with the DS- and GS-Series virtual machines – note that DS- and GS-Series VMs can use standard storage too. Each spec offers support for a different number of data disks. There are some things to note with Premium Storage:
OS disk: By default, the OS disk is stored in the same premium storage account as the premium data disks if you just go next-next-next. It’s possible to create the OS disk in a standard storage account to save money – remember that data needs the speed, not the OS.
Spanning storage accounts: You can exceed the limits (35 TB) of a single premium storage account by attaching data disks from multiple premium storage accounts.
VM spec performance limitations: Each VM spec limits the amount of throughput that it supports to premium storage – some VMs will run slower than the potential of the data disks. Make sure that you choose a spec that supports enough throughput.
Page blobs: Premium storage can only be used to store VM virtual hard disks.
Resiliency: Premium Storage is LRS only. Consider snapshots or VM backups if you need more insurance.
Region support: Only a subset of regions support shared SSD storage at this time: East US2, West US, West Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan East, Japan West, Australia East.
Premium storage account: You must deploy a premium storage account (PowerShell or Preview Portal); you cannot use a standard storage account which is bound to HDD-based resources.
Answered by
3
Disk storage type of storage offering uses SSDs and is intended for use with Virtual machines. Disk storage comes as a part of the computer system and the main purpose of this is to store the data.
And it can manage any amount of data that is stored in the computer. This can also offer SSDs and is intended to use with the other virtual machines.
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