A software-defined storage (SDS) is a type of storage architecture that uses software to abstract, pool and manage storage resources from underlying hardware. This allows IT managers to have more flexibility and control over their storage infrastructure, and can make it easier to scale storage capacity and performance.
SDS can be implemented in a number of ways, but most commonly it uses a hypervisor to virtualize storage resources and create a storage pool that can be managed by storage management software. This approach can be used with both local storage (internal hard drives, SSDs, etc.) and remote storage ( SAN, NAS, etc.).
One of the benefits of SDS is that it can make it easier to provision storage, as the software can automatically allocate storage resources as needed. This can be helpful in reducing the time and effort required to set up and manage storage infrastructure.
Another benefit of SDS is that it can provide greater flexibility in how storage resources are used. For example, if one application requires more storage than another, the SDS can dynamically allocate more storage to that application without affecting the others.
SDS can also help to improve storage performance as the software can allow for the use of storage caching and other performance-enhancing techniques.
Overall, SDS can provide many benefits to organizations, including greater flexibility, easier management, and improved performance.