Distributed Storage System
Terms related to simplyblock
Distributed Storage Systems: The Foundation of Modern Cloud Infrastructure
Distributed storage is a relatively innovative approach to data management. Unlike traditional storage that centralizes data in one location, distributed storage systems spread data across multiple storage nodes, potentially across different physical hardware and data centers, while presenting applications with a unified storage interface. This architectural transformation enables unprecedented levels of scalability, performance, and reliability.
The true power of distributed storage becomes evident in Kubernetes environments, where containerized applications demand storage that can dynamically scale out or scale up and still maintain high availability. When a containerized application needs to persist data, the distributed storage system automatically handles data placement, replication, and protection across the storage cluster, ensuring data remains available even if individual nodes fail.
What is Distributed Storage?
Distributed storage is a technology that divides data storage across multiple physical or virtual devices connected through a network, operating as a single unified storage system. In this architecture, data is broken into smaller components, replicated for redundancy, and spread across different storage nodes that communicate with each other to serve read and write requests. Each storage node has its own processing power and memory, enabling parallel operations while a central control plane manages data distribution, replication, and fault tolerance. This approach fundamentally differs from traditional centralized storage systems where all data resides on a single storage array or device.
The Technical Foundation
Modern distributed storage systems are built on advanced protocols, with NVMe over TCP (NVMe/TCP) emerging as the standard for high-performance deployments. NVMe/TCP delivers sub-millisecond latency and significantly higher IOPS per CPU core than traditional iSCSI protocols. This performance advantage comes from the protocol’s efficient design and direct integration with modern operating systems, eliminating the need for additional drivers or complex configurations.
At the heart of any distributed storage system lies the control plane, which orchestrates data placement and management across the cluster. This intelligent layer continuously monitors the health of storage nodes, manages data distribution, and ensures optimal performance. When applications write data, the control plane determines the ideal placement based on factors like performance requirements, fault domain distribution, and current system load.
Performance and Protection
Performance in distributed storage systems extends beyond raw speed. While delivering high IOPS and low latency is crucial, modern systems must also provide consistent performance when scaling out the storage cluster. This is achieved through intelligent data placement algorithms considering factors like data locality, network topology, and workload patterns.
Data protection in distributed environments requires a sophisticated approach. Modern systems employ erasure coding rather than traditional replication. Erasure coding providers the same level of data protection while consuming significantly less storage capacity. When written, data is encoded and distributed across multiple nodes in a way that allows for reconstruction even if multiple nodes fail simultaneously.
Cloud Integration and Edge Computing
The relationship between distributed storage and cloud computing continues to evolve. Modern distributed storage systems bridge the gap between on-premises and cloud environments, enabling consistent data access and management regardless of location. This hybrid capability allows organizations to place data where it makes the most sense from both a performance and cost perspective.
Edge computing introduces new challenges and opportunities for distributed storage. As organizations push computing resources closer to where data is generated, distributed storage systems must adapt to manage data across a wider geographic area while maintaining performance and consistency. Advanced systems accomplish this through sophisticated caching mechanisms and intelligent data placement strategies.
Operational Transformation
The impact of distributed storage extends beyond technical capabilities to fundamentally transform how organizations operate their storage infrastructure. Automation plays a crucial role, with modern systems handling many tasks that previously required manual intervention. Storage capacity running low triggers automatic system expansion. If a node fails, data is automatically redistributed. Performance bottlenecks prompt immediate workload rebalancing.
Security in distributed environments requires a comprehensive approach. Modern systems provide encryption at rest and in transit, with granular access controls enabling secure multi-tenant operations. This security model extends across all aspects of the system, from data access to management operations.
Distributed Storage with Simplyblock
While distributed storage promises significant benefits, implementing it effectively requires the right solution. Simplyblock’s unique approach combines high performance with operational simplicity. By leveraging NVMe over TCP, the platform delivers near-local storage performance with latencies consistently under 1 millisecond. This enables organizations to run demanding workloads like databases, analytics applications, and scale-out AI storage without compromising on performance.
What truly sets us apart is our intelligent storage optimization. Through advanced features like thin provisioning and automated tiering, organizations can dramatically reduce storage costs while maintaining performance. The platform automatically moves infrequently accessed data to more cost-effective storage tiers while keeping hot data on high-performance NVMe storage.
For organizations running Kubernetes, simplyblock provides seamless integration through its Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver. This enables dynamic provisioning of persistent volumes and automatic storage lifecycle management. The platform’s copy-on-write technology enables instant volume snapshots and clones, accelerating development workflows and simplifying data protection.
Security and data protection are built into the platform’s core. We provide volume-level encryption, secure multi-tenancy, and automated disaster recovery capabilities, ensuring data remains protected without adding operational complexity. The platform’s erasure coding implementation provides efficient data protection while minimizing storage overhead.
At simplyblock we provide enterprises with the distributed software defined block storage foundation they need. Combining enterprise-grade features with operational simplicity, simplyblock enables organizations to focus on their applications rather than managing storage infrastructure. You can deploy simplyblock on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments. Simplyblock delivers the performance, reliability, and efficiency that modern enterprises demand, wherever you operate.
Questions and Answers
Distributed storage systems replicate or stripe data across several nodes. If one node becomes unavailable, the system can still access the data from other nodes. This fault-tolerant design ensures high availability for mission-critical applications, such as databases on Kubernetes.
Kubernetes requires scalable and resilient storage to support dynamic workloads. A distributed storage backend like Simplyblock’s NVMe TCP storage for Kubernetes ensures persistent volume access with high throughput and low latency.
By combining NVMe performance with TCP’s ubiquity, NVMe/TCP enhances distributed storage with better IOPS, lower latency, and easier deployment over Ethernet. Learn more in our NVMe over TCP vs iSCSI comparison.
Yes, Simplyblock is a modern distributed storage platform that supports NVMe over TCP and iSCSI. It integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes and provides features like multi-tenant isolation, snapshots, and encryption at rest for secure and scalable storage.
A distributed storage system works by splitting and storing data across multiple servers or nodes, often in different locations. It ensures redundancy, scalability, and fault tolerance. Systems like Simplyblock use NVMe over Fabrics to deliver high performance in distributed environments.