Disktype

Disktype is a label used in storage systems to categorize a disk or volume according to its performance, media type, and access characteristics. The term is not tied to a single technology; instead, it is an abstract attribute that guides provisioning, scheduling, and policy decisions in various platforms.

Disktype appears in cloud infrastructure, virtualization, container orchestration, and database/storage products. By specifying a disktype, administrators or automated systems can request resources that meet specific latency, throughput, or durability requirements. Different platforms define their own sets of permissible values; common categories include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and non-volatile memory express (NVMe) devices, with distinctions such as local versus network-attached storage and standard versus premium tiers.

Implementation varies: in some systems disktype is a simple string parameter; in others it maps to a storage class, volume type, or disk provisioning profile. It can influence placement, replication, I/O scheduling, and cost. The exact semantics depend on the platform and the storage backend in use.

Considerations when using disktype include matching the workload to the appropriate characteristics (for example, SSD or NVMe for latency-sensitive applications, HDD for bulk storage), balancing cost against performance, and ensuring compatibility with applications and data management policies. Changes to disktype may require data migration or reconfiguration of provisioning and QoS settings.

See also: Storage, Disk, Volume, Storage class, Provisioning.