Virtual data storage is now an increasingly popular option for companies looking to reduce IT costs. These solutions can save lot of money because they don't need the redundancy of hardware that's typically required in traditional enterprise storage systems to ensure disaster recovery.

Virtual data storage allows IT departments to pool physical storage devices, such as SANs and SANs, into what appears to be a single device or virtual storage array. There are many ways to utilize the technology, including host-based virtualization and network-based storage (which integrates storage devices from an FC or iSCSI storage device http://www.virtualdataspace.biz/dropbox-vs-sharefile-what-to-choose/ into one pool controlled by a central management console). Host-based virtualization can be used in HCI systems and cloud storage.

Virtual storage must be compatible with the underlying hardware infrastructure but also with the hypervisors, servers, and networking components. It should also be able to provide encryption of data access, granular authentication and access controls, as well as robust backup and disaster recovery capabilities.

Additionally, virtual storage must be able to tackle the issues of performance and latency. This means that crucial applications run without hindering performance or increasing the speed of data retrieval. This involves evaluating storage controllers, network bandwidth, and disk I/O capacities and using cache mechanisms. It also means installing advanced storage functions such as tiering and replication at the virtualization level.