Storage
Top Stories
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News
31 Jul 2026
HPE storage exec dishes on AI, cyber, VMware migrations
It’s no secret that enterprises are trying to figure out their AI strategy. But where does storage for AI fit in? How does security affect it? And where can companies save money? Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jul 2026
SSD & memory price increases and what can you do about it
Memory and SSD prices are rising to unprecedented levels due to AI infrastructure investments, forcing IT leaders to rethink upgrade strategies. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Sep 2011
Storage Products of the Year - Nomination Form
DEADLINE EXTENDED! Products qualify for entry if they were new or significantly upgraded and shipped after Nov. 1, 2011, and before Oct. 21, 2012. Winning products will be highlighted in February. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Sep 2011
Hospital system addresses IBM SVC performance, stability problems with alternative configuration
Spectrum Health breaks up IBM SVC eight-node cluster, taking uncommon tiered approach to improve stability and performance of storage virtualization system. Continue Reading
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Podcast
25 Jul 2011
What you need to know about SMB SANs
Marc Staimer discusses what to look for in an SMB SANs this Q&A and recent developments in SMB SAN technology. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2011
Storage vMotion: Application and performance
In this tip, learn how Storage vMotion operates, its uses, its system requirements and the steps to take to perform a Storage vMotion. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 May 2011
Using SSD technology to support memory overcommitment in vSphere
Using SSD in a vSphere environment helps with memory overcommitment. Find out how memory overcommitment works and why SSD is better at supporting it than mechanical disk. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Apr 2011
The impact of SSD technology on the network and CPU
SSD technology can have a noticeable effect on the network and CPU utilization. Learn how increased traffic loads can change the bottlenecks in your environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Mar 2011
Hybrid clouds: Three routes to implementation
Are you implementing hybrid clouds in your firm? Find out whether cloud storage software, cloud storage gateways or application integration is the best bet. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Feb 2011
Sub-LUN tiering: Five key questions to consider
IT shops must consider five areas before adopting sub-LUN tiering as offerings vary in number of tiers, block size, analysis period, policies and monitoring Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Feb 2011
Auto-tiering software set to boost adoption of SSDs
Discover why auto tiering could make expensive SSDs a more viable option, and about improvements to sub-LUN auto tiering and available auto-tiering options. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2011
EMC combines Clariion, Celerra into VNX unified storage
EMC VNX is the result of the long-awaited consolidation of its Clariion SAN and Celerra NAS platforms into a unified storage system that will sharpen the competition with NetApp. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2011
NetGear ReadyNAS review: A look at the ReadyNAS 2100
This NetGear ReadyNAS review takes an in-depth look at the ReadyNAS 2100. Learn about the ReadyNAS 2100 features, setup and configurations to determine if it's right for your environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2011
Is PCIe SSD right for you? Deploying PCI Express SSD devices
Learn about the PCI Express (PCIe) solid-state drive (SSD) market, how and where to deploy PCIe SSD in your environment, and challenges with the technology. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
16 Dec 2010
Cloud data storage: New technologies make cloud storage more appealing
Discover the benefits and drawbacks of cloud data storage, get details on players in the private storage cloud space and learn more about cloud storage services. Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2010
Data storage trends 2011: Predictions of hot data storage technologies
Explore this expert FAQ as three analysts weight in and tell us what they think are the hottest data storage technologies and data storage trends for 2011. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2010
Data archiving techniques: Choosing the best archive media
Read this tip about data archiving techniques and to discover what's the best archive media for your organization: tape, disk, optical or the cloud. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
08 Nov 2010
Data archiving methods and best practices for small businesses
Improper data archiving methods or improper use of archiving software can lead to legal problems in your business. Find out how to avoid data archiving problems with these top six articles on data archiving. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Oct 2010
Implementing ITIL: Getting started with ITIL v3 service management
Are you implementing ITIL v3 service management? Discover five phases of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library process and the benefits of ITIL. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Oct 2010
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) implementation case studies
Learn how three firms tackled management issues in a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) implementation; case studies detail potential turf wars, restructuring. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Oct 2010
Understanding storage performance metrics
Learn how to accurately measure storage performance metrics in your data storage system, and discover why your results may differ from vendor benchmark numbers. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Sep 2010
RAID level comparison chart: A free download
Download our free RAID level comparison chart, where the most important RAID levels are defined, along with information about the pros and cons of each RAID level. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Sep 2010
How RAID storage systems protect your application data
RAID storage systems improve application performance and data availability. Learn about RAID levels and choosing the right RAID technology. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Sep 2010
iSCSI storage area networks explained
In part two of our series, we examine the features of an iSCSI SAN to help you decide if it's the best SAN technology for your SMB. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Aug 2010
Implementing an electronic records retention system
Learn the components of an electronic records retention system and best practices for implementing an electronic data discovery policy. Don't risk e-discovery request errors. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
09 Aug 2010
An off-site tape storage tutorial: Tape backup and recovery best practices
Tape still fills the role of media for choice for off-site vaulting, but organizations have other options such as the cloud and replication for securing data for disaster recovery. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Jul 2010
10 Gigabit Ethernet for iSCSI storage, NAS storage still hinges on cost
While 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) offers greater bandwidth for iSCSI storage or NAS storage, IT shops still have to justify upgrade costs with their needs. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
19 Jul 2010
Does Nimble dedupe?
Nimble Storage Thursday came out of stealth with a storage system that the startup’s executives said combines primary storage with deduplication for backup in the same device. It makes sense that ... Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2010
As the WORM turns: The pros and cons of WORM disk vs. tape
Learn about how WORM disk is still an important option for data retention, and about the pros and cons of using WORM disk vs. tape. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2010
Buying your first backup tape library: What you need to know
In this tip, find out what you need to know when buying your first tape library, including when to consider a library, the cost of libraries and which format best fits your needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 May 2010
Data archiving best practices: The difference between backups and archives
In this collection of data archiving tips, learn data archiving best practices and the differences between backups and archives. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Apr 2010
Best practices for reusing data backup tapes
W. Curtis Preston answers common questions about reusing backup tapes in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Apr 2010
Buying the best backup tape library: Tape libraries vs. tape autoloaders
Learn about how to buy the best backup tape library and the key differences between tape libraries and tape autoloaders in this tip. Continue Reading
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Podcast
15 Apr 2010
Virtual tape libraries vs. disk-to-disk backup in small business storage environments
SMBs have several disk backup options to choose from. Which is more popular, VTLs or disk-to-disk backup? Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2010
Choosing a data archiving strategy: Disk archiving vs. tape archiving
Data archiving is vital for most companies, but which is best for you, archiving to disk, tape or both? Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Mar 2010
Data storage capacity planning: How to estimate your storage requirements
SMBs should ask themselves these five questions to help them get started with their data storage capacity planning. Continue Reading
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Answer
11 Mar 2010
Are LTO-4 tapes compatible with other versions of LTO tape technology?
Dave Ellis explains what LTO-4 is and its compatibility with other versions of LTO in this expert response. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Mar 2010
Data storage management strategies: Managing logical unit numbers (LUNs)
This tip explores the background of LUNs in an SMB data storage environment, the different LUN features vendors have to offer and how to determine what type of LUN is best for you. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Feb 2010
LTO tape technology continues to evolve with LTO 5
W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, outlines how LTO tape differs from other tape media, discusses the various generations of LTO tape, and the pros and cons of LTO in this Q&A. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jan 2010
Director switch comparison: Brocade DCX Backbone versus Cisco Systems MDS 9500
Are you looking for director switch for your SAN? We compare the Brocade DCX Backbone and Cisco Systems MDS 9500 offerings in terms of latency, throughput and FCoE support. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Jan 2010
virtual SAN appliance (VSA)
A virtual SAN appliance (VSA) is a software bundle that allows a storage manager to turn the unused storage capacity in his network's virtual servers into a storage area network (SAN). Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jan 2010
Archiving storage vs. data backup storage: The dos and don'ts of using backups and data archives
Learn the differences between data backup software and data archiving tools and the dos and don'ts associated with each in this FAQ with Curtis Preston. Continue Reading
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Podcast
28 Dec 2009
EDRM: Best practices when preparing for an e-discovery request
We list the nine stages of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), and tell you why the preservation and collection stage is so important to data storage pros. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2009
An introduction to data backup tape rotation schemes
Learn about the different types of data backup tape rotation schemes to determine which one is best for your environment. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
12 Nov 2009
Multiprotocol and unified data storage tutorial for SMBs
In this tutorial, learn how to choose the best multiprotocol storage system, and about the block and file storage protocol options available in the latest offerings. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
15 Oct 2009
Thin provisioning storage brings utilization and capacity benefits, but with a caveat
Thin provisioning storage can deliver capacity and utilization benefits to enterprise data storage environments, but it's been hobbled by concerns over capacity allocation overload and sluggish support from major vendors. Continue Reading
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News
07 Sep 2009
Fibre Channel switch options for SMBs
Recently, the Fibre Channel industry has become more attractive and affordable for SMBs. This article explores FC switch considerations and products for SMBs. Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2009
Top 10 technology IPOs of 2007
The market for tech IPOs heated up in 2007, and while EMC spinoff VMware attracted investors beyond anyone's expectations, other stocks tailed off late in the year. Continue Reading
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Report
03 Sep 2009
Troubleshooting and identifying data storage performance bottlenecks
Enterprise data storage performance bottlenecks that can clog ports, controllers and disk drives require a mix of tools and IT expertise to find and solve. Learn how to troubleshoot the most common storage bottlenecks and how you can avoid them. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
07 Aug 2009
Virtual tape libraries: A tutorial on managing VTL technology
In this tutorial on virtual tape library technology, learn about buying and managing a VTL, VTLs and data deduplication, and virtual tape library vendors and products. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jul 2009
Symantec Veritas NetBackup best practices: Using the maximum jobs per client setting
This is the second in a multi-part series discussing Symantec Corp. Veritas NetBackup best practices to help you make the right choices for your data backup system. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jun 2009
Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency
Green storage best practices control power and cooling costs, and increase energy efficiency in your data center. Tiered storage, consolidating storage arrays, solid-state drives (SSDs) and MAID can help. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jun 2009
Symantec Backup Exec troubleshooting performance tips
If you're using Backup Exec and your performance isn't what it should be, some troubleshooting may be in order. Here's a list of potential things to look out for. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
18 Jun 2009
Tutorials on data storage from SearchStorage.com
Check out these data storage tutorials on network-attached storage (NAS), solid-state drive (SSD) technology, tiered storage, Fibre Channel, storage-area networks (SANs) and more. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jun 2009
Tiered storage, data reduction technologies manage capacity growth for companies as IT budgets shrin
To manage capacity growth, Clackamas County tiers storage using F5 ARX switch and Data Domain devices; Rainmaker Entertainment blends BlueArc Titan, Isilon IQ NAS and Ocarina ECO appliance to dedupe and archive data. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Jun 2009
Troubleshooting data backup error log messages
Knowing what how to read your data backup error log messages can help you save time fixing common backup problems. Learn about the most common backup error messages in this tip. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2009
SaaS shopping list for SMBs
Storage-as-a-service (SaaS) companies have changed how they operate. Learn what to look for when shopping for an online data backup provider with this product features checklist. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
24 Feb 2009
Virtual desktop infrastructure tutorial: Part 2
In Part 2 of our virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) tutorial, we'll discuss which new products promise to make VDI simpler. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Feb 2009
How to optimize your backup tape rotation strategy
Backup tape rotation is an essential part of any good data backup plan. Here's a look at some of the more common tape rotation strategies and the pros and cons of each. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
08 Dec 2008
Fibre Channel SAN switches tutorial
Learn all about Fibre Channel SAN switches with these articles on selecting the right switches and the best practices for managing FC switching environments. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Oct 2008
ISCSI SAN FAQ
ISCSI storage area networks (SANs) are frequently touted as a solution for small-midsized businesses (SMBs) moving to networked storage. But, why not just use Fibre Channel? Terri McClure, analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group, discusses the pros and cons of iSCSI SANs, the iSCSI SAN market and whether iSCSI SANs are really a good fit for SMBs. Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2008
The true role of a backup administrator
When asked what they do on a daily basis, some data backup administrators often opt for the short answer and reply, "I look after data backups." While this is not necessarily the wrong answer, it is not the full answer. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Jun 2008
For an SMB, what are the advantages and disadvantages of an in-house email archiving system vs. a ho
There are a lot of pros and cons for both at all business sizes. But SMBs tend to be more price and administration sensitive. In other words, if you are a company that has an annual IT budget from $10,000 to $100,000, you simply can not go out and buy an email archiving system that costs a million. It's just not going to happen. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jun 2008
A guide to storage virtualization
Few technologies are more confusing than storage virtualization. Without a guide to explain the different storage virtualization solutions, storage administrators who want to deploy this technology will be lost. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 May 2008
Determining the number of drives in a RAID group
How many drives in a RAID group will it take to give you the performance you need for a database or email or file server, or for that new VMware implementation? Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2008
Host bus adapter (HBA) architecture explained
HBAs are integral pieces of a SAN environment -- they connect the server to the SAN -- but few storage administrators know how to configure them. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Apr 2008
How to size a SAN
If your DAS storage infrastructure has reached its limits, or your existing SAN is out of date or just plain end-of-life, your first step will be to know what your storage requirements are. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Apr 2008
The cost of tape vs. disk data backup
Here's how to determine the cost of disk vs. tape in your data backup environment. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Feb 2008
Five tips for creating a backup service-level agreement
Learn how to write a backup service-level agreement that will keep the peace between IT and information users. Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2007
Iron Mountain acquires Stratify for $158M
Iron Mountain will add legal processing to its e-discovery services through the purchase of its legal review partner. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Oct 2007
How to calculate available disk space on a RAID 5
Storage management expert Ashley D'Costa answers a reader's question: "How do I calculate the disk space available on my RAID 5?" Continue Reading
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Tutorial
09 Aug 2007
NAS appliance specifications
NAS appliances are noted for their convenience, offering dedicated internal storage that is relatively straightforward to identify and manage. The biggest issue for NAS appliances is avoiding network bottlenecks and supporting expansion without having to proliferate additional appliances across the network. The product snapshots in this chapter highlight key specifications for a cross section of major NAS appliance products. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2007
RAID levels defined
This tip offers a listing of the RAID levels in use today and details the characteristics and applications of each. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2007
How to choose the correct RAID level
This tip offers nine things to consider when deciding which RAID level is right for your organization's needs. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Jun 2007
RAID 4 vs. RAID 5
Storage management expert Ashley D'Costa discusses RAID 4 vs. RAID 5. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Jun 2007
LUN management at the heart of SAN configuration
LUNs are the basic vehicle for delivering storage, but provisioning SAN storage isn't just a matter of creating LUNs or volumes; the SAN fabric itself must be configured so that disks and their LUNs are matched to the appropriate servers. Proper configuration helps to manage storage traffic and maintain SAN security by preventing any server from accessing any LUN. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Jun 2007
How to destroy data on backup tapes
This tip offers guidelines for destroying data on backup tapes, with information about degaussing, tape cartridge destruction, tape reuse and record keeping. Continue Reading
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Answer
03 May 2007
RAID-5 configuration
Storage management expert Ashley D'Costa answers a reader's question about RAID-5. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 May 2007
How to estimate the lifespan of LTO tapes
This tip outlines what you need to consider when estimating the lifespan of LTO tape. It's not as black and white as LTO tape manufacturers would like you to believe. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Apr 2007
Storage virtualization: Where and how
This tip outlines the various locations to implement storage virtualization functionality, the different approaches to storage virtualization and offers suggestions on how to choose the right approach for your environment. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Mar 2007
What are some of the best practices for managing the growth of unstructured data?
It starts with corporate policies around data management ... Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Mar 2007
What is unstructured data and how is it different from structured data in the enterprise?
Expert Pierre Dorion talks about unstructured data and its impact on the data enterprise. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Jan 2007
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager vs. traditional backup
Learn about the architectural concepts behind IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager backup software and the main differences with what are often referred to as "traditional" backup products. This piece is the first of a series of four on Tivoli Storage Manager. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jan 2007
Block and file access unite with multiprotocol storage
This tip looks at the pros and cons, as well as when and where to deploy multiprotocol storage, which is also referred to as "unified" storage. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jan 2007
What is the difference between InfiniBand, SAS and iSCSI and where does each technology fit?
InfiniBand is an interface; just like Fibre Channel (FC) or Ethernet. As an interface, InfiniBand carries different protocols... Continue Reading
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Answer
04 Jan 2007
Hard zoning vs. soft zoning
SAN expert Greg Schulz explains the difference between hard and soft zoning. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2006
Is storage automation right for you?
This tip covers what storage automation is, and what it is not, and what it means to you. Also, you will learn why you should, or should not implement a storage automation product. Continue Reading