"Proof of Concept for a Simple Storage Service," an article by Carol Zhang and Case Cao on the Sun Developer Network, briefly introduces the components that make up a storage service, describes in detail how to use Apache web server to set up a proof of concept (PoC) for a simple storage service, and touches on issues affecting storage service in the real world. The authors present a diagrammatic view of a simple storage architecture and then discuss the Apache Web Server, the Sun LDAP Server, the Sun OpenSSO Server, the Squid Proxy Server and the Distributed/Network File System as components for setting up a storage service.

Next, the authors guide their readers through setup for PoC for a simple storage service, noting that, while this storage service is far from a real storage service, it can nevertheless prove and demo the concept. Zhang and Cao implement a simple WebDAV-enabled storage service with the Apache web server and simple authentication, and then use various clients to connect the storage service. They approach the PoC from both server and client sides, presenting both code samples and screenshots.

By way of expanding the discussion beyond PoC for the simple storage service itself, the authors also briefly consider storage appliances and the need to separate both the storage and the HTTP server from one another in ideal circumstances, and recommend the use of Storage Area Network (SAN) or Network Attached Storage (NAS) to provide scalable and high-performance storage.

As an ideal storage solution, the authors recommend the Sun OpenStorage product for the following features:

• ZFS and hybrid storage pool for low cost and high performance;
• superobservability with DTrace;
• easy management;
• support for many storage protocols, including WebDAV; and
• no vendor lock-in.

Zhang and Cao also urge storage-service vendors to undertake serious consideration of security issues, recommending the use of LDAP to store user information or, at a minimum, the use of HTTP Digest Authentication or basic authentication over an SSL-enabled connection for access control. In this connection, they recommend Sun LDAP server as an appropriate option for enhancing authentication security and Sun OpenSSO Enterprise to implement access control.

The authors' concluding recommendation is to use OpenAPI, which would allow developers to integrate the storage service to their own application programs. The APIs can be wrapped in the web service and can be invoked by any application from anywhere the HTTP protocol can pass through, they write, adding that it lets third-party vendors leverage the storage service for added value, extends the reach of the business, and helps grow revenues.

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