Virtual Block Mapping

Albireo Virtual Data Optimizer (VDO) provides block-level virtualization implemented at the Linux device mapper layer. Virtualized blocks support deduplication by allowing multiple identical ‘virtual’ blocks to point to a single physical data location in a data storage solution.  This functionality may be layered directly on top of physical storage, or it may interoperate with other facilities such as logical volume managers, block encryption services, or remote device access services. Albireo VDO maintains a consistent view of all mapping information for the virtualized storage.

Block virtualization refers to the abstraction of logical storage from physical storage which allows a system to access the logical storage partition without regard to the physical storage structure.  This separation enables the storage system greater flexibility in managing the storage space. 

Virtualization of storage helps achieve location independence by abstracting the physical location of the data.  The virtualization system presents the users with a logical space for data storage and handles the process of mapping it to the actual physical location.  The block-level virtualization device is responsible for maintaining a consistent view of all the mapping information for the virtualized storage. 

Albireo Virtual Data Optimizer VDO is a block level virtualization technology that allows OEMs to easily create deduplicated pools for block storage.  Data deduplication capabilities within VDO eliminate multiple copies of data. The information of the duplicate data is still captured and recorded as meta-data.  Instead of writing the same data more than once, each duplicate block is detected and recorded as a reference to the original block.  VDO maintains a mapping from the logical block addresses to physical block addresses.  After deduplication, multiple block addresses may be mapped to the same physical block address; these are called shared blocks.  Block sharing and address space remapping is invisible to users of the storage, who read and write blocks as they would if VDO were not present.

Albireo VDO provides data deduplication and thin provisioning capabilities for Linux while enabling OEMs to continue leveraging all of their storage solutions’ existing features, including existing file systems, virtualization features, and data protection capabilities. Because Albireo VDO uses Permabit’s patented Albireo deduplication technology it is able to avoid costs associated with today’s “Big Storage” deduplication solutions that typically require large amounts of system memory and proprietary PCI Express cards to achieve even a fraction of Albireo’s scalability and performance.

A ready-to-run solution, Albireo VDO supports all major Linux versions used by the storage industry. The solution delivers everything needed for deploying enterprise data optimization capabilities, including binaries, open source code modifications, management scripts, and full documentation. The Permabit development team provides full technical assistance to ensure rapid and seamless integration. Typically, Linux-based Storage OEM customers will have an operational solution on the first day of receiving the kit and can immediately begin performance tuning and testing for their specific configurations.