The following table is a comparison of both the local and shared storage for a quick reference:
|
Features |
Local storage |
Shared storage |
|
VM live migration |
No |
Yes |
|
High availability |
No |
Yes, when used in distributed shared storage |
|
Cost |
Lower |
Significantly higher |
|
I/O performance |
Native disk drive speed |
Slower than the native disk drive speed |
|
Skill requirements |
No special storage skills required |
Must be skilled in the shared storage option used |
|
Expandability |
Limited to available drive bays of a node |
Expandable over multiple nodes or racks when multinode or distributed shared storage is used |
|
Maintenance complexity |
Virtually maintenance free |
Storage nodes or clusters require regular monitoring |
