The StorageGRID SG100 appliance for FabricPool: Ideal load balancer for entry-level deployments
Krister Eriksson
FabricPool offers a convenient and affordable way to tier data from your NetApp® ONTAP® systems to NetApp StorageGRID® object-based storage. FabricPool and StorageGRID create a win-win combination for customers everywhere. The FabricPool feature makes sure that data is stored where you automatically get the best performance for the data you access most frequently, and it uses the most cost-effective storage for data that is accessed less often. Now, with the SG100 services appliance launch, even entry-level FabricPool and StorageGRID deployments are enhanced with a more cost-effective load balancer and Admin Node appliance.
What is FabricPool?
FabricPool is a hybrid storage solution that uses a hybrid ONTAP based aggregate as the performance tier and an object store, like StorageGRID, as the cloud tier. Data in a FabricPool is stored in a tier based on how frequently it is accessed. Using FabricPool with StorageGRID helps reduce storage cost without compromising performance, efficiency, or protection.
FabricPool tiering policies enable you to move data efficiently across tiers as it becomes hot or cold. Four options are available:
- The Snapshot-Only tiering policy (the default) moves user data blocks of the volume NetApp Snapshot™ copies that are not associated with the active file system to StorageGRID.
- The Auto tiering policy moves cold user data blocks in both the active file system and Snapshot copies to the cloud tier.
- The All Tiering policy moves all user data blocks in both the active file system and Snapshot copies to the cloud tier.
- The None tiering policy keeps data of a volume in the performance tier, preventing it from being moved to the cloud tier.
What is the SG100 appliance?
SG100 services appliance[/caption] All object storage deployments require load balancers to enable traffic to flow efficiently between users and the various storage nodes in the installation. NetApp is the only storage vendor that offers a purpose-built load balancer for object storage workloads. The SG1000 services appliance, launched in 2019, has been very well received in the market. With dual processors running 40 cores each and four 100GbE interfaces, the SG1000 is ideally positioned for midsize to large StorageGRID and FabricPool deployments.
In December of 2020, NetApp launched the SG100 services appliance, specifically designed for entry-level to mid-level StorageGRID deployments. The SG100 runs the same software as the SG1000, with all the same functionality in the same 1U footprint, but with cost-reduced 10-core processors and four 10/25GbE interfaces. Like the SG1000, the SG100 is specifically designed for object storage workloads and works in collaboration with the StorageGRID software to simplify deployments and create the ultimate user experience.
How can I use the SG100 with FabricPool?
The FabricPool feature combined with StorageGRID and the SG100 appliance allows you to start with a small all-flash investment. As your storage needs grow over time, you can incrementally add cost-effective object storage for the data that is retrieved less often.The StorageGRID load balancers can be provisioned to achieve high availability at all times, even when a grid spans multiple sites. As your grid grows, you can seamlessly add more SG100 and SG1000 appliances and scale out your grid as required, with no service interruptions. With the SG1000 and SG100 appliances, NetApp is the first object storage vendor to offer an end-to-end all-appliance solution for small or large object storage and FabricPool deployments.
