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Hu Yoshida: Virtualization is about lying

Eric Hibbard, the plain speaking Chair of the SNIA Security Technical Work Group, often says that Virtualization is about lying and security is about understanding the truth. I prefer to say that virtualization simplifies management and improves efficiency by masking the underlying physical complexity.

Eric also makes the point that if you are going to lie, you better be in position to know the truth as well. I whole heartedly agree with him there. That is why it is important to do your storage virtualization where you are also working with the truth and the only place to do that is in the storage control unit, not in the storage network. If you are virtualizing storage in the storage network, creating virtual volumes with mapping tables, while the real volumes, cache slots and track tables reside in the storage array, you have a disconnect and a potential for a security disaster, i.e., the loss or compromise of data..



Well we can say that about everything in life. Our lives on this planet too is a lie. We just happen to inhabit this piece of rock which is part of the 200,000 billion star-systems (or solar systems).

OK, my point is: You CAN lie about virtualization and you CAN blame everything on everything else, BUT you have to understand one thing: Not only you must know and understand the truth, but the fact the person you are lying to, will find out the truth.

Check out Hu's post.
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