storage virtualization

Virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple network storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device that is managed from a central console. Storage virtualization is commonly used in a storage area network (SAN). The management of storage devices can be tedious and time-consuming. Storage virtualization helps the storage administrator perform the tasks of backup, archiving, and recovery more easily, and in less time, by disguising the actual complexity of the SAN.

the pooling of physical storage on a storage area network into what appears to be a single storage device that is managed and provisioned from a central console. See also storage area network.

Physical storage resources are aggregated into storage pools,from which the logical storage is created. Multiple independentstorage devices which may be scattered over a network, appearto the user as a single, location-independent, monolithic storagedevice which can be managed centrally.