Virtual Storage and File Sharing for Arboreal
How Virtual Storage and File Sharing would help Arboreal for better communication?
1.0 Introduction
Information technology, or simply IT, is considered as an emergent trend in which value of processes are acquired and enhanced. The design features of the Internet, in particular, its robust, decentralized and open communication, have been transformed into recognizably social features of the system and these have particular importance for the way online services function for individuals and the society as a whole. For instance, the decentralized nature of the communication systems allows users access from a variety of locations using a variety of devices, placing greater responsibility on the user. It is in this multi-level interactivity that we can consider virtual storage and file sharing strategies as necessities for an entity wishing to interact with their users more effectively and hence make sense of the information that the entity can provide to their users.
An entity, Arboreal is recently embarking on putting their communication with their supporters on a higher level, that is, through the Internet. The question now is: how virtual storage and file sharing would help Arboreal for better communication? Arboreal aimed at sharing with their supporters text, promotional and educational videos, images, programs and music over the Internet. In this report, virtual storage and file sharing strategies recommended for Arboreal are discussed.
2.0 Background
Storage virtualization is the endevour that Arboreal is embarking on wherein the charity will use a virtual storage, perhaps, a website, to store files on. Storage virtualization is the concept of creating virtual storage pools out of discrete physical storage elements. Das Gupta (2004) asserted that the concept has existed for a long time in a form of volume management. Nonetheless, the new concept of storage virtualization is the externalization of virtualization from both the host and the storage engine which can be found in the storage cloud. Externalized cloud-based virtualization deals with multiple storage devices and multiple hosts. This could be important considering the multi-user and multitasking environment we are considering. Brent and Anderson (1990, p. 51) referred to multi-user which permits multiple users to use the computer at the same time and multitasking which permits multiple programs to be run simultaneously or in quick succession.
Early Internet users used to say that ‘information just wants to be free’ hence information will soon be freed from existing in a place through virtualization of storing and sharing (Van Horn, 2006, p. 730). Brent and Anderson (1990, p. 52) referred to virtual storage as a strategy that permits that computer to operate on programs which are actually larger than the available main storage (or real storage). Further, Van Horn (2006) made mention that ubiquitous or virtual storage refers to a trend toward storing information and media on the network rather than on a computer and other devices such as mobile phones and portable media player.
Virtualization of storage is basically enabled by networks of computers and algorithms to move information around and so that these information will be close to users whenever necessary. One requirement of virtual storage is enough bandwidth for the purpose of building converged devices with high storage capacity (Van Horn, 2006). When it comes to bandwidth control, Arboreal therefore could maximize the use of a storage area network (SAN), which, in a way, controls bandwidth utilization and ensure good quality of service for data warehousing and other data-intensive applications. Nonetheless, Arboreal must be also aware of the storage threats. Stewart, Title and Chapple (2005, p. 226) identified these threats as the threat of illegitimate access to storage resources and the threat to manipulate free space available.
Prior to the implementation of virtual storage system, Cerin and Li (2007, p. 28) identified three main requirements such as high performance data transfer, data sharing and single sign-on. Large data transfer over the Internet usually leads to a long latency and becomes a bottleneck among the users hence there is a need for high performing data transferring procedures. Sharing and collaboration will be evident among the users, making the requirement for effective data sharing critical. To uphold security among the users, single sign-on mechanisms will be also a requirement. With all of these, supporters of Arboreal will be provided a platform where they can work collaboratively through forming user groups and specifying access permissions while also offering Arboreal an unlimited space and few compatibility problems among varying disks and drives.
Another consideration that Stretchay (2001) reminded aside from the data needs of the application as well as the location, volume and frequency of the data are the related impacts of storage management and staff considerations prior to developing an appropriate storage solution for Arboreal. Das Gupta (2004) considered other factors which include the difficulty of estimating network storage solutions since other factors should be also considered such as size, scalability, locations and growth. Yet another consideration of equal importance is the choice of a third party storage service provider. Storage service provider manages storage facilities for an enterprise. As such, storage devices will not be on Arboreal’s premises instead to a provider that will be chosen. Coordination and utilization of storage resources, as according to Stretchay (2001), have also become a big deal since an entity depends on the data available internally and externally. When considering volume and frequency, growth rate and pattern for these data should be also considered.
Madison (2004, p. 1527), on the other hand, noted that the Internet has brought, among other things, file sharing systems also known as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. End-user oriented file sharing programs enable a participant in a network of digital electronic computers to transmit content directly and horizontally, that is, from peer computer to peer computer rather than transmitting content hierarchically to, or retrieving content from, a higher level server or host computer. Digitization of copies of songs, movies, books, video games and computer programs to be exchanged or acquired is now possible through these P2P networks (p. 1530).
Jia and Zhou (pp. 464-465) maintained that P2P file sharing is a product of the P2P file networking technology, involving two systems sharing services or files amongst themselves. Data transfer would be quicker if the two users are geographically close to each other. P2P file sharing, nonetheless, allows users to share whatever work they had created with a big user group over the Internet. P2P file sharing systems fall under two main categories known as hybrid P2P and pure P2P. Hybrid P2P system is one wherein all files are indexed at a central directory server. Such a central server maintains a ‘master list’ of all connected computers and the types of files stored on each connected peer. Sosinsky (2009, p. 260) also contended that hybrid P2P are widely used for distributed Internet applications.
Further, hybrid P2P architectures include two types of nodes: leaf nodes and directory nodes. The former provide information as well as post queries and can be used to model an individual with an information need or an information resource. The latter do not have content of their own but provide regionally centralized directory services for the network to improve the routing of information requests. Each of these nodes provides services for portions of the network hence are working on a cooperative manner to cater the whole network (Shen and Barthes, 2005, p. 417).
In a pure P2P system, there is no central server or router hence all nodes are peers, meaning each node can operate as a router, client or server depending on the query (Jia and Zhou, p. 465). Druschel, Kaashoek and Rowstron (2002, p. 85) individual computers communicate directly with each other and share information and resources without using dedicated servers. At the application level, pure P2P architecture builds a virtual network with its own routing mechanisms. Because of its distributed design, pure P2P do not encounter discovery problems. Despite this, it is recommended for Arboreal to make use of a hybrid P2P file sharing system with reasons stipulated below.
3.0 Advantages
Based on the discussions above, it will be recommended for Arboreal to make use of an external virtualization scheme particularly the out-of-band virtualization engine. Out-of-band virtualization engine sits on a special box that connects to the storage network but is not in the data path. Such an approach offers no scale limitations but does require special host software/drivers that may either be software or firmware that is embedded in a special host bus adapter (HBA) (Das Gupta, 2004). As already noted, SAN will be a strategy for Arboreal which will purport to achieve better response rate and viewership from the supporters’ side.
Basically, a network-based storage approach advents Arboreal of true heterogeneous storage virtualization (InfoWorld, 2006, p. 18), single management interface (Connor, 2002, p. 24) and replication services across heterogeneous devices. Sunderam (2005, p. 400) specifically determined the benefits of network-based out-of-band virtualization such that the handling of metadata is separated from data path and is done by a dedicated appliance. Through this, it enables a direct data transfer between hosts and storage subsystems. Such a process could be a solution to scalability problems and improved reliability in the process. This could be apparent in system ecology which can facilitate an architecture of participation or simply interactivity.
Particularly, SAN facilitates larger parallel paths through the process of connecting the applications and their data stores over the fiber optic cable. Speed is one of the main drivers and an indicator is heavy database interaction which reduces speed in a way. Therefore, Arboreal could benefit from increased and faster video serving, telephony and some transaction processing applications especially if the data is to be housed in one location and used by other applications in other locations. Stretchay (2001) continued that a SAN might be appropriate when the data are not physically close to the server that needs it, depending on the type of data and the IT budget. SAN works more effectively in a more interactive, collaborative environment, which is the inherent nature of Arboreal and its supporters.
SAN could be regarded as people-centered that make usability easy and exchange of ideas, above all, could help in modulating information flow wherein positive feedback could generate change while negative feedback could only create resistance and promote stability. Elaborative structure of collaboration and complementarily between applications and users can be considered analogous to the functioning of the natural system. But because each part is connected to every other part, changes in a single component will have a knock-on impact on other components.
Moreover, the SAN infrastructure would be also shared in the content management system that serves content to Arboreal’s website. In this way, Arboreal would be able to utilize information from the analytical application to personalize the website for its supporters/users. Because of multiple users, SAN could provide the advantage of multiple paths. SAN makes a lot of sense because of the fact that it can share web data among applications and reduce bottlenecks that would lead to more timely campaigns for Arboreal. The goal of having a website for Arboreal is for long term hence free online website services will be avoided. Registering own domain name requires a yearly fee and selecting web host also requires a monthly fee. It would be better for Arboreal to pay in advance instead of annually and monthly to save in maintenance cost.
Relevance of content is the most critical aspect of SAN whereby relevance is not immediately apparent but only when collective responses are inexistence. Hansson (2008) acknowledge that criticality of SAN should be evaluated on the impact of ethics to categorize systems on the basis of agency, message, medium and transport. Interlocutors committed to exchange of information or knowledge over SAN applications could eventually form a community of practice which will be the prime unit of analysis.
Furthermore, hiring the services of a storage service provider will provide Arboreal an alternative to buying own computer infrastructure and managing it themselves. Das Gupta (2004) stated that most providers offer capacity in huge RAID farms and primarily target enterprises with mainly Internet-related storage needs like Arboreal. RAID refers to redundant array of independent disks.
When it comes to file sharing, Arboreal could advent from hybrid P2P systems in such that it makes use of both structured P2P systems and unstructured ones. One the one side, the system locates desired resources more efficiently than those used by unstructured systems which make them more scalable. On the other side, hybrid P2P systems loose the control of data placement and network structure compared with structured P2P systems which make them more adaptive to real applications. Performance of hybrid P2P systems can be improved greatly and the network resources can be made better use of through the help of both agent technology and network reconfiguration (Vu, Lupu and Ooi, p. 78).
Rich user experience could be achieved in the process wherein hybrid P2P system provide not just retrieving information but is an interactive process, allowing owning of data and exercising control over that data. Involvement or participation is important in P2P systems as the value of such an application is largely vested on its usability as perceived by its users.
With this said, it is obvious that hybrid P2P system impacts individuals on the way they communicate and interact with others. Socialization has taken a new paradigm wherein interface among individuals happen in the virtual world. Communication is changing in powerful ways that distance and space is becoming insignificant as software are leveraged to support and facilitate the creation and maturation of relationships between individuals.
Deans (2008) noted that hybrid P2P system affects individuals in two ways: helping them to cross traditional boundaries which keep individuals from creating relationships and assisting individuals to better leverage their existing relationship in order to find knowledge. In the first, most specifically hybrid P2P system recognizes that there are boundaries thereby the need to cross them for the purpose of connecting people (p. 3). Collaboration could be also considered as the third in which individuals are given the ability to organize and collaborate toward a common goal in the public domain (p. 4).
File sharing changes in the way users produce, distribute, access and use information, knowledge, culture and entertainment, resulting in increased user autonomy, increased participation and increased diversity. the Internet and user-created content draws away from traditional communication medium wherein individuals has the power to choose who are they are going to communicate with, under what conditions and whose discretion (Vickery and Wunsch-Vincent, 2007, pp. 62-63).
4.0 Disadvantages
Since specific issues including bandwidth, latency and reliability are being considered, there could be limitations that disadvantage the implementation of virtual storage systems and file sharing applications. Network-based storage virtualization, for instance, is of complex interoperability matrices which is limited to vendor support. As it requires specific host based software, it is also difficult to implement fast metadata updates (Poelker and Nikitin, 2008, p. 389).
One disadvantage of SAN, nevertheless, is that it requires more training especially since the technical director has zero background to this. SAN requires networking knowledge plus the servers that are being connected to the SAN. If new storage equipment will be purchased, there would be the necessity to supplement technical staff including vendor pro-services time and training for the personnel (Strecthay, 2001).
Storage service provider may likewise impose disappointing areas such that it is very particular of storage points of presence. Storage usage may be also costly in the long run if Arboreal will not be efficiently able to monitor their storage use in real time apart from the fact that storage management is the most time-consuming (Connor, 2000, p. 22; Stretchay, 2001). Stretchay (2001) claimed that management software that controls the systems are now targeting mid-sized enterprises and with more moderately priced versions.
One disadvantage of the hybrid P2P system is the selection of the source peer selection protocol which is critical to the performance of the file sharing system itself. An effective source peer selection protocol can dramatically accelerate the speed of file download and minimize the consumption of networks resources.
5.0 Conclusion
In sum, Arboreal is recommended to take maximum advantage of external virtualization scheme particularly the out-of-band virtualization engine. A network-based approach, SAN will be also used which will be monitored by a storage service provider other than the technical department. In terms of file sharing, Arboreal is suggested to make use of a hybrid P2P system. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the chosen and recommended virtual storage and file sharing strategies. Nonetheless, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages considering functionality and performance that directly relates with speed, scalability, discovery and higher levels of connectivity and interactivity.
6.0 References
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Vickery, G & Wunsch-Vincent, S 2007, Participative web and user-created content: Web 2.0, wikis and social networking, OECD Publishing.
Vu, Q H, Lupu, M & Ooi, B C 2009, Peer-to-Peer Computing: Principles and Applications, Springer.
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