Now that we understand the core concepts of SDS, storage clusters, and the differences between block, file, and object storage, we can go through some of the reasons why enterprise customers choose GlusterFS for their storage needs.
As previously stated, GlusterFS is an SDS, that is, a layer that sits on top of traditional local storage mount points, allowing the aggregation of storage space between multiple nodes into a single storage entity or a storage cluster. GlusterFS can run on shelf-commodity hardware to private, public, or hybrid clouds. Although its primary usage is file storage (NAS), several plugins allow it to be used as a backend for block storage through the gluster-block plugin and for object storage with the gluster-swift plugin.
Some of the main features that define GlusterFS are as follows:
- Commodity hardware
- Can be deployed on a private...
