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• parity

  Parity is a method of detecting errors in data transmissions between computers, while parity bit and parity checking are used in RAID technology to guard against data loss. Continue Reading

• Server-side caching defined and clarified

  Server-side caching, or flash storage installed in the server itself, is deployed to accelerate application performance. Placing the flash as close to the application as possible reduces latency and improves performance.

  Over the past couple of ... Continue Reading

• Dell EMC World

  Dell EMC World is an annual event for Dell EMC customers that showcases new and emerging technologies in the virtualization, cloud and data storage market. Continue Reading

• Ceph

  Ceph is open source software providing scalable object-, block- and file-based storage under a unified system. Red Hat and SUSE sell commercially supported versions of Ceph. Continue Reading

• Server-side flash technology lifts solid-state adoption

  Server-side solid-state storage is more ubiquitous than ever due to growing capacities and rapidly dropping flash technology prices. There are a many ways to install flash technology in a server, though there are decisions to make before you buy. We... Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • storage virtualization
  • byte
  • compact disc (CD)
  • brontobyte

  • copy data management (CDM)
  • public cloud storage
  • kilobyte (KB or Kbyte)
  • hybrid cloud storage

  View All Definitions

• NetApp Data Fabric

  The products and services that compose NetApp’s Data Fabric are designed to provide customers with the agility they need to quickly and efficiently move data to and from the cloud.Continue Reading

• file storage

  File storage stores data in a hierarchical structure, usually in a NAS system. The system storing data and the client retrieving data see files and folders in the same format.Continue Reading

• Complete guide to server-based storage in its modern forms

  From hyper-convergence to the cloud, better understand direct-attached storage and its many forms with this essential guide.Continue Reading

• Qumulo

  Qumulo is a Seattle-based storage vendor that specializes in selling its data-aware storage software application called the Qumulo Core. This product provides detailed data analytics, and these analytics are meant to help customers better manage ...Continue Reading

• parallel I/O

  Parallel I/O is a way of performing multiple input/output operations concurrently, rather than serially.Continue Reading

• 3.5" SSD (3.5 solid-state drive)

  A 3.5 solid-state drive (SSD) is a data storage device designed for the 3.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD) form factor. It fits into the drive slot as a same-sized HDD in a portable computer, enterprise server, or storage system.Continue Reading

• iSCSI initiator

  An iSCSI initiator is software or hardware that enables a host computer to transmit data to an iSCSI-based storage array through a network adapter over a TCP-based IP network.Continue Reading

• IBM General Parallel File System (IBM GPFS)

  The IBM General Parallel File System is one of the top file systems used in high-performance computing and the basis for many storage products used in supercomputing.Continue Reading

• cloud file syncing

  Cloud file syncing is an application that updates files held in different locations through the cloud.Continue Reading

• IBM Spectrum

  IBM ships six storage and management software products that fall under the IBM Spectrum umbrella. They provide services such as capacity, data movement and backup.Continue Reading

• point-in-time snapshot (PIT snapshot)

  Point-in-time snapshots are a method of data protection that allows an administrator to make a full copy of a volume so that a restore can occur based on a specific time.Continue Reading

• file synchronization (file sync)

  File synchronization, often used as a form of backup, is the process by which files residing in more than one physical location are kept up to date.Continue Reading

• cloud controller

  A cloud controller is a device that moves data between on-premises storage and the cloud.Continue Reading

• read-intensive SSD (read-intensive solid-state drive)

  A read-intensive solid-state drive (SSD) is a NAND flash-based storage or caching device used with applications that write data infrequently, in contrast to SSDs that target write-intensive workloads.Continue Reading

• HDD form factor (hard disk drive form factor)

  HDD form factor is the size or geometry of a hard disk drive, determining the device’s compatibility with the drive bays in a storage array or enclosure, server, portable computer or other computing device.Continue Reading

• clustered file system (CFS)

  Clustered file systems are file systems that run on multiple storage servers and can be accessed and managed as a single system.Continue Reading

• enterprise SSD (enterprise solid-state drive)

  An enterprise SSD (also known as an enterprise solid-state drive or enterprise solid-state disk) stores data persistently or caches data temporarily in nonvolatile memory and generally provides higher performance and greater endurance than consumer ...Continue Reading

• What is eventual consistency in object stores?

  Eventual consistency in object stores can be an issue because object storage is spread over many nodes and up-to-date data may not always be available.Continue Reading

• shingled magnetic recording (SMR)

  Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) is a technique for writing data to disk drives in partially overlapping tracks to boost areal density and overall capacity.Continue Reading

• hardware RAID (hardware redundant array of independent disk)

  Hardware RAID is a form of RAID where processing is done externally.Continue Reading

• software RAID (software redundant array of independent disk)

  Software RAID is a form of RAID (redundant array of independent disks) performed on the internal server.Continue Reading

• NAS filer (network-attached storage filer)

  NAS filers add scalable, expandable storage for file-serving purposes in data sharing, cloud applications, Internet and enterprise networks, in both Fibre Channel SANs and Ethernet LANs.Continue Reading

• Data Dynamics StorageX

  Data Dynamics StorageX is a software suite that specializes in data migration and Microsoft Distributed File System management.Continue Reading

• QNAP Systems Inc. (Quality Network Appliance Provider Systems Inc.)

  QNAP Systems Inc. is a Taiwanese-based storage vendor specializing in hardware systems for file sharing, storage management, virtualization and cloud services as well as surveillance applications for home and businesses.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (Microsoft VSS)

  Microsoft VSS is a Windows Server feature used for backing up and restoring LUNs and individual files.Continue Reading

• SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

  Definition: The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) is a set of parallel interface standards used to attach disk drives and other peripherals to a computer.Continue Reading

• What are protocol endpoints in vSphere VVOLs and how do they work?

  VMware's new VVOLs feature allows storage functionality to be distributed on a per-VM basis. Protocol endpoints are integral to proper allocation.Continue Reading

• NAS enclosure (network-attached storage enclosure)

  NAS enclosures provide shared storage to all users connected to a network, and vary in models appropriate for home offices to enterprises.Continue Reading

• For maximum benefits of virtualization, storage management is key

  Server virtualization increases the complexity of storage management and forces administrators to pay even closer attention to issues such as available bandwidth and overprovisioning. Approaching management and provisioning in the same way as in a ...Continue Reading

• FreeNAS Project

  The FreeNAS storage operating system is compatible with most major protocols and storage hardware and provides file sharing in a NAS environment.Continue Reading

• orthogonal

  Orthogonal concepts have their roots in advanced mathematics. They are also associated with software development, storage and networking.Continue Reading

• Rackspace Cloud

  Cloud provider Rackspace offers several different cloud storage services including Cloud Files, Cloud Block Storage and Cloud Backup.Continue Reading

• areal density

  Areal density measures the amount of data that can be stored on a given amount of physical space on a disk drive.Continue Reading

• storage node

  A storage node is typically a physical server with one or more hard-disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SDDs).Continue Reading

• iSCSI switch (Internet Small Computer System Interface switch)

  An iSCSI switch is an appliance that processes and channels data between an iSCSI initiator and target on a storage device.Continue Reading

• IP SAN (Internet Protocol storage area network)

  An IP SAN is a dedicated storage area network (SAN) that allows multiple servers to access pools of shared block storage devices using storage protocols that depend on the Internet Engineering Taskforce standard Internet Protocol suite.Continue Reading

• How do hardware profiles work in Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager?

  The Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager allows the creation of hardware profiles, which help to provision virtual storage. Brien Posey explains how to use the tool.Continue Reading

• What criteria are most important when evaluating cloud storage costs?

  With cloud storage pricing models varying so much, it makes sense to compare summaries of these criteria to be sure you make the right choice.Continue Reading

• Kryder's Law

  Kryder's Law describes the rate at which former Seagate CTO Mark Kryder predicted disk drive density would grow.Continue Reading

• FLAPE

  FLAPE (flash plus tape) is an approach to tiered storage that allows administrators to archive data as soon as it is written.Continue Reading

• RAID 3 (redundant array of independent disks)

  RAID 3 is a RAID configuration that uses striping and parity, but it uses a parity disk to store the parity information generated by a RAID controller instead of striping it with the data.Continue Reading

• RAID 4 (redundant array of independent disks)

  RAID 4 is a RAID configuration that uses a dedicated parity disk and block-level striping across multiple disks.Continue Reading

• RAID 50 (RAID 5+0)

  RAID 50, also known as RAID 5+0, combines distributed parity (RAID 5) with striping (RAID 0).Continue Reading

• thick provisioning

  Thick provisioning pre-allocates storage capacity on a disk rather than on an as-needed basis.Continue Reading

• How is big data changing data archiving strategies?

  Analyst Jon Toigo explains why performing analytics on big data sets means that data is no longer considered cold, reducing the importance of archives.Continue Reading

• synchronous mirroring

  Synchronous mirroring is a type of data protection in which data is written to both a remote and local disk simultaneously.Continue Reading

• Essential guide to desktop and laptop solid-state drives

  Essential guide to laptop and desktop SSDsContinue Reading

• green storage

  Green storage is the practice of using a variety of "clean energy" storage methods and products to cut down on a data center's carbon footprint, as well as cost.Continue Reading

• The case for cloud storage: Cloud considerations and strategies

  Before deploying your cloud storage project, learn about cloud storage use cases, how to do a cloud cost analysis and keeping data safe in the cloud.Continue Reading

• RADOS Block Device (RBD)

  A RADOS Block Device (RBD) is software that facilitates the storage of block-based data in the open source Ceph distributed storage system.Continue Reading

• The need for application-aware storage

  Server virtualization leads to unpredictable workloads. Application-aware storage could be the answer.Continue Reading

• Are more than five nines of availability really possible?

  When cloud durability is added to the mix, cloud providers are able to tout a high number of nines of availability.Continue Reading

• RADOS (Reliable Autonomic Distributed Object Store)

  Reliable Autonomic Distributed Object Store (RADOS) is an object storage service with the ability to scale to thousands of hardware devices by making use of management software that runs on each of the individual nodes. RADOS is an integral part of ...Continue Reading

• Cloud storage challenges and choices

  Our comprehensive e-book tackles the cloud storage challenges and business decisions that surround cloud storage investments, and breaks them into three areas of concentration: architecture, availability and return on investment.
  
  Get ...Continue Reading

• cloud storage gateway

  A cloud storage gateway is a hardware- or software-based appliance that serves as a bridge between local applications and remote cloud-based storage. The appliance is located on the customer’s premises.Continue Reading

• multipathing (SAN multipathing)

  Multipathing, also called SAN multipathing or I/O multipathing, is the establishment of multiple physical routes between a server and the storage device that supports it. Continue Reading

• What is object storage technology (and why should you care)?

  Object technology offers scalability, economical operation and better data management; but it's very different from file and block storage systems.Continue Reading

• What you need to know about flash caching

  Using solid-state storage as cache can boost server and application performance dramatically, but the kind of flash cache you choose is critical.Continue Reading

• Three considerations to ensure data storage efficiency

  Vendors often claim their products cut out storage inefficiency, but administrators can make a difference as well with some planning.Continue Reading

• cloud file sharing

  Cloud file sharing is a method of allowing multiple users to access data within a public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud.Continue Reading

• active archive

  An active archive is a collection of data that is too valuable for a company to discard, but only needs to be accessed occasionally.Continue Reading

• global namespace

  Global namespace is a feature that provides a consolidated view into multiple Network File Systems (NFS), Common Internet File Systems (CIFS), network-attached storage (NAS) systems or file servers that are in different physical locations.Continue Reading

• Single namespace

  A single namespace is one presentation of file system data.Continue Reading

• spindle

  A spindle is a shaft that holds rotating hard disk drive (HDD) platters in place. The term is also often used to refer to a single HDD.Continue Reading

• bit rot

  Bit rot is the slow deterioration in the performance and integrity of data stored on storage media. It is also known by the names bit decay, data rot, data decay and silent corruption.Continue Reading

• Working with OpenStack storage: Tips on Cinder, Swift and the cloud

  This guide explores the block, object and cloud storage offerings from OpenStack, one of the most sought-after open source storage platforms.Continue Reading

• RAID rebuild

  A RAID rebuild is the data reconstruction process that occurs in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) implementation when a hard disk drive fails.Continue Reading

• production data

  Production data is data that is persistently stored and essential to completing day-to-day business tasks and processes.Continue Reading

• Examining the future of the RAID volume

  Expert Jon Toigo provides a set of tips to answer key questions regarding RAID's place in today's storage world, and whether it will be replaced.Continue Reading

• How does a scale-out NAS environment affect storage management?

  Phil Goodwin explains how scale-out NAS systems simplify storage management through a single point of control and by combating performance problems.Continue Reading

• A tiered storage model is different from caching

  In this podcast, Evaluator Group strategist Randy Kerns looks in-depth at today's tiered storage model, including how it differs from flash caching.Continue Reading

• SATA controller

  A SATA controller handles how hard drives are connected to a computer's motherboard.Continue Reading

• Choosing storage for streaming large files in big data sets

  Learn how to select storage that can both scale and perform to effectively stream large files in big data environments.Continue Reading

• External storage might make sense for Hadoop

  Using Hadoop to drive big data analytics doesn't necessarily mean building clusters of distributed storage; a good old array might be a better choice.Continue Reading

• Building a better archival storage strategy

  This guide walks through important tips and considerations regarding storage archive design strategies and technologies.Continue Reading

• How DRAM or NVRAM cache can reduce flash SSD write amplification

  DRAM/NVRAM caching provides SSD systems with better performance while reducing flash SSD write amplification.Continue Reading

• cache algorithm

  A cache algorithm is a detailed list of instructions that decides which items should be discarded in a computer's cache of information.Continue Reading

• Is there a difference between traditional tiering and sub-LUN tiering?

  Sub-LUN tiering can help with performance in some environments, but according to analyst Jon Toigo, it can also get complicated with growing capacity.Continue Reading

• Using the RESTful API as an onramp to object storage

  RESTful APIs are essential in moving data on and off of object storage systems. Expert Marc Staimer describes the three options currently available.Continue Reading

• read cache

  A read cache is a computer storage component that temporarily keeps a copy of data from a slower permanent storage location in order to accelerate the fulfillment of future requests for the data.Continue Reading

• HA storage (high-availability storage)

  High-availability storage (HA storage) is a storage system that is continuously operational or provides at least 99% uptime.Continue Reading

• delta differencing

  Delta differencing is an incremental approach to backup that only backs up blocks that have changed after the first full backup. The differences are recorded in files called deltas.Continue Reading

• Complete guide to Hadoop technology and storage

  Learn how Apache Hadoop works, some of its benefits and drawbacks, and what it means for big data and cloud storage.Continue Reading

• XFS file system

  XFS is a 64-bit, highly scalable file system that was developed by Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) and first deployed in the Unix-based IRIX operating system (OS) in 1994.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding tradeoffs include additional storage, disk update needs

  Erasure coding tradeoffs include requirement for additional data storage, need to update extra disks for redundancy purposes, UC professor cautions.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding brings trade-off of resilience vs. performance

  IT's decision on using erasure coding in storage rests on data importance, durability more than amount of data, says storage consultant Marc Staimer.Continue Reading

• Wikibon CTO: Erasure coding can help reduce data backup costs

  Erasure coding can help reduce the data needed for backups and lower the cost of backup and recovery over the traditional approach, Wikibon CTO says.Continue Reading

• SCSI controller (Small Computer System Interface controller)

  A SCSI controller, also called a host bus adapter (HBA), is a card or chip that allows a SCSI storage device to communicate with the operating system across a SCSI bus.Continue Reading

• data destruction

  Data destruction is the process of destroying data stored on tapes, hard disks and other forms of electronic media so that it is completely unreadable and cannot be accessed or used for unauthorized purposes.Continue Reading

• Windows Storage Spaces

  Windows Storage Spaces is a feature in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 that is used to virtualize and provision storage.Continue Reading

• hot spare

  A hot spare, also called a hot standby, is a backup component that can be placed into service immediately when a primary component fails. Continue Reading

• semiconductor fab

  A semiconductor fab is a manufacturing plant in which raw silicon wafers are turned into integrated circuits. Continue Reading

• What you need to know about improving iSCSI performance

  Storage expert Dennis Martin discusses how technologies like Data Center Bridging, CHAP, IPsec and iSCSI offload adapters affect iSCSI performance.Continue Reading

• Define SSD: Top terms you need to know

  How do you define SSD? Check out this list of important SSD terms. The list includes terms you should know and some that may seem obscure.Continue Reading

• RAID with SSD: A primer

  While RAID is still a storage standard, questions remain about RAID’s relevance with SSDs. This tip will explore the basics of using RAID with SSD.Continue Reading