Storage virtualization is the use of software to simplify the management of storage by using logical representations of physical resources. Without virtualization, system operators must understand and maintain detailed information about devices, switches, and servers. With storage virtualization, operators manage logical storage resources, and software maps the operators' requests to the appropriate physical devices. Storage virtualization provides a foundation for automating routine tasks.

IDC believes that managers of enterprise storage face five urgent challenges: the need to centralize storage administration, to support a mixed-vendor information technology (IT) environment, to assimilate new storage products, to guarantee data availability and recovery, and to maintain system scalability. In every case, storage virtualization is a key enabler in meeting these challenges. Whether deployed on host servers, as a part of the storage subsystem, or embedded in network switches and appliances, storage virtualization provides the basis for improving manageability of networked storage environments.

VERITAS Software supplies a suite of software products that provide storage virtualization for host servers and storage network devices. VERITAS Volume Manager is host-based software that allows applications to use logical disk volumes by mapping storage requests to physical storage devices. VERITAS ServPoint SAN and VERITAS ServPoint NAS transform generic servers attached to storage networks into management appliances that provide a single point of management for a farm of servers and a pool of storage resources.VERITAS SANPoint Control automatically detects and stores network and device information and provides a single console for viewing and administering the storage environment.

IDC believes that storage virtualization is an important focus for the storage industry. VERITAS and other suppliers are cooperating within the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA), to improve interoperability and to develop standards that will accelerate the adoption of storage virtualization. IT managers of storage systems are encouraged to monitor storage virtualization activities and to evaluate VERITAS offerings in this context.