The virtual machine (VM), which is a computer program, requires storage to store its data. Virtual storage can be utilized to enhance the performance of a VM by providing a single physical storage device or network-based storage in various types. The VM can access it without needing to be aware of the hardware.

Virtual storage management requires a careful balance between capacity, performance, and costs. Admins need to decide if they would like to only use solid-state drives, or hard-drive disks. They must also decide what kind of storage controllers and the number of controllers to install. IT managers can cut storage costs by using compression and deduplication.

There are three kinds of RAID groups: logical volumes (LV) and physical disks. Physical disks and RAID groups split the physical capacity into smaller units that applications or servers interpret as a single storage device. A virtualization layer manages I/O requests from the server, and translates them to the correct physical disk.

The virtual storage model minimizes the hardware-related overhead by distancing operating systems from physical devices and by providing one point of administration. It also allows for scalability as it automatically adjusts the physical capacity to meet demand. Additionally, it permits administrators to perform many tasks in a non-disruptive fashion such as transferring data off storage devices that are over-used. Data migration is a technique that allows this to be accomplished. The mapping granularity determines the speed of meta-data updates that can be completed, how much space is required to migrate, and how quickly the previous location will be free.

what is the role of a virtual storage manager