Primary storage devices
Primary storage devices refer to storage hardware for data in active use, in contrast to storage used for backup purposes. They include SAN and NAS primary storage devices, non-volatile flash storage and other types of storage media. Find resources about primary storage and storage hardware, including RAID arrays and storage arrays, on this topic page.
Top Stories
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Feature
21 Mar 2024
A primer on multiactuator HDD technology
Enterprise data centers will soon need HDDs that can exceed today's capacities. Multiactuators, which are on the rise in HDDs, may help solve the problem. Continue Reading
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News
18 Mar 2024
DDN adds more performance to AI storage offering
At Nvidia's GTC conference this week, DDN introduced its highest performing AI storage while supporting nearly all the GPU-as-a-service cloud providers. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Jun 2022
converged network adapter (CNA)
A converged network adapter (CNA) is a single network interface device that provides the functionality of both a Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter (HBA) and a TCP/IP Ethernet network interface card (NIC). Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
StorOne connects HDDs with NVMe-oF
StorOne extended NVMe-oF to SAS HDDs, bringing some of the NVMe benefits to the older technology before NVMe hard drives hit the market while reducing costs of NVMe-oF. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Jun 2022
Pure Storage's focus shines at Pure Accelerate 2022
At Pure Accelerate 2022, Pure Storage displayed its continued investment in R&D, coupled with new product releases. The vendor should continue to make a splash in flash. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Jun 2022
volatile memory
Volatile memory is a type of memory that maintains its data only while the device is powered. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2022
Nexsan introduces compact rackmount NAS for edge storage
Nexsan has introduced a new NAS for SMB edge storage use cases. One analyst believes the move is good but will present its own challenges to the vendor. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2022
Western Digital ups the ante with 26 TB HDDs, new SSDs
Western Digital expanded its cloud storage devices with two new HDDs, a CMR drive with 22 TB and an SMR drive with 26 TB, and a new SSD form factor. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Apr 2022
School district sheds Dell EqualLogic for DDN
Simsbury Public Schools brought in two DDN arrays that helped the district speed up its VDI environment and reduce its IT footprint at a better cost. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Infinidat boosts its all-flash storage with InfiniBox SSA II
Infinidat released a new all-flash array with an updated operating system and added InfiniSafe data protection to all its arrays. Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Apr 2022
queue depth
Queue depth, in storage, is the number of pending input/output (I/O) requests that a storage resource can handle at any one time. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
World Wide Name (WWN)
A World Wide Name (WWN) is a unique identifier that is hard-coded into each Fibre Channel (FC) device by the device's manufacturer. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
Fibre Channel (FC) port types
A Fibre Channel port is a hardware pathway into and out of a node that performs data communications over an FC link. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV)
N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) is a Fibre Channel (FC) standard that makes it possible to create multiple virtual ports on a single physical node port (N_Port), with each virtual port appearing as a unique entity to the FC network. Continue Reading
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Definition
14 Apr 2022
overprovisioning (SSD overprovisioning)
Overprovisioning, in a storage context, is the inclusion of extra storage capacity in a solid-state drive. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Apr 2022
Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) is a method used to access computer peripheral devices that employs a serial -- one bit at a time -- means of digital data transfer over thin cables. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Mar 2022
oversubscription
Oversubscription in a storage area network (SAN) is the practice of committing more network bandwidth to devices connected to that network than what is physically available. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2022
SSD vs. SSHD vs. HDD: Which one is best?
Hybrid drives promise fast, cost-effective performance for primary and secondary storage. Here's what you need to know about the benefits and drawbacks compared to SSDs and HDDs. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2022
Vast Data unveils new storage platform built on Nvidia DPUs
Vast Data's Ceres combines the vendor's Universal Storage system with data processing units, which provide denser, more efficient storage targeted at AI workloads. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Mar 2022
Composable infrastructure providers tackle modern workloads
Composable infrastructure vendors include titans in IT like Dell and HPE, but also startups such as Fungible and Liqid. Explore product features and the tech's pros and cons. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Mar 2022
clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system
A clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system is a scale-out storage platform made up of multiple NAS nodes networked together into a single cluster. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Mar 2022
LUN masking
LUN masking is an authorization mechanism used in storage area networks (SANs) to make LUNs available to some hosts but unavailable to other hosts. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Mar 2022
virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number)
A virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number) is a representation of a storage area that is not tied to any physical storage allocation. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2022
Performance, capacity tick up with Dell PowerVault ME5
Dell Technologies modernized its entry-level storage with the new Dell PowerVault ME5, bringing more performance, capacity and ease of use for its SMB customers. Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2022
Hitachi Vantara simplifies hybrid cloud storage
Hitachi Vantara is now providing customers a path to the hybrid cloud with software-defined storage and colocation. It also unveiled a new midrange storage offering. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2022
The best enterprise storage arrays of 2021
Tintri, Infinidat and Dell EMC enterprise arrays win top honors in the Products of the Year disk and disk subsystems category for their use of flash and automation. Continue Reading
- E-Zine 14 Feb 2022
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News
14 Feb 2022
Ruggedized storage takes autonomous vehicle research to edge
Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems selected Quantum Corp.'s R-Series SSDs to collect sensor data at the edge. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Feb 2022
HD-DVD (high-definition DVD)
HD-DVD (high-definition DVD) is a defunct high-capacity optical storage medium that was once seen as the successor to the DVD. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Feb 2022
RAIN (redundant/reliable array of inexpensive/independent nodes)
A reliable array of independent nodes (RAIN) is a heterogeneous cluster of compute and storage nodes connected in a fault-tolerant network topology that incorporates multiple interfaces and redundant hardware. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Jan 2022
storage filer
A storage filer is a type of file server designed and programmed for high-volume data storage, backup and archiving. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jan 2022
Hard disk drives to remain dominant storage media in 2022
Hard disk drives are increasing in density and maintaining a lower price point than alternatives, but flash is gaining ground. Here, experts sound off on the fate of HDDs in 2022. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Jan 2022
direct access
In computer storage, direct access is the process of reading and writing data on a storage device by going directly to where the data is physically located on the device rather than having to move sequentially from one physical location to the next to find the correct data. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2022
Dell Apex introduces new multi-cloud management tools
Dell is adding more capabilities to its Dell Apex cloud as-as-service portfolio, which are billed as tools to simplify and manage a multi-cloud infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Dec 2021
InfiniBand
InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Dec 2021
Best options for video data storage include cloud, tape
Video data storage presents some challenges, such as dealing with large file sizes and compliance. Here's what to consider when assessing storage options for video data. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2021
5 tips for primary storage ransomware protection
Explore the steps storage administrators can take to safeguard against ransomware. Dive deep into tips on access control, vulnerabilities and storage monitoring. Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2021
Nexsan Unity 7.0 boosts security, performance
StorCentric's unified storage product line, Nexsan Unity, hits version 7.0 and brings more protocol support, security features and performance for existing hardware. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Dec 2021
hard disk drive (HDD)
A computer hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2021
Seagate's 20 TB hard drives ship
Seagate has pumped its max-capacity hard drive up to 20 TB, with a version for the enterprise, Exos X20, and another for SMBs, IronWolf Pro 20 TB. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2021
Seagate debuts NVMe HDD technology at OCP
Seagate demonstrated NVMe HDD technology, showing off its stability and its potential benefits. Customers can see a reduction in complexity and a step toward composability. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2021
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is an electronic interface standard that defines the connection between a bus on a computer's motherboard and the computer's disk storage devices. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2021
host bus adapter (HBA)
A host bus adapter (HBA) is a circuit board or integrated circuit adapter that connects a host system, such as a server, to a storage or network device. Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2021
Upgrades to Vast Data OS emphasize simplicity, security
Vast Data released VastOS 4, which includes security features such as indestructible data snapshots and visualization tools aimed at making storage simpler to use and manage. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Oct 2021
storage volume
A storage volume is an identifiable unit of data storage. It can be a removable hard disk, but it does not have to be a unit that can be physically removed from a computer or storage system. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Oct 2021
optical disk
An optical disk is an electronic data storage medium that can be written to and read from using a low-powered laser beam. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Oct 2021
What is SAN zoning and what are the different types of zoning?
Zoning can be set up according to server, storage and SAN switch. Discover what type of zoning to use, how zone sets extend SAN segmentation and the various zoning schemas. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Oct 2021
TB vs. GB: Is a terabyte bigger than a gigabyte?
A terabyte comprises more than 1 trillion bytes. Discover how the storage measurement scale was created and where a terabyte stands among other units of measurement today. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
30 Sep 2021
Computational storage: Go beyond computation offloading
Computational storage proponents include academia and the Storage Networking Industry Association. While there's behind-the-scenes work still to do, the tech could bring benefits. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Sep 2021
optical storage
Optical storage is any storage type in which data is written and read with a laser. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Sep 2021
JBOD (just a bunch of disks)
JBOD, which stands for 'just a bunch of disks,' is a type of multilevel configuration for disks. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2021
Western Digital OptiNAND stretches HDD capacity, performance
Western Digital unveiled a new storage drive architecture for hard drives that improves capacity, performance and reliability via an embedded flash drive to store metadata. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Aug 2021
RAID (redundant array of independent disks)
RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs) to protect data in the case of a drive failure. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jul 2021
AHCI vs. RAID: Which is better for performance?
The Advanced Host Controller Interface and RAID are fundamental concepts for running an efficient data management and storage infrastructure. Learn the AHCI and RAID basics. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Jul 2021
Next-generation PCIe key to composable infrastructure progress
High-performance computing and AI environments are just two strong uses for composable architecture. Explore benefits and drawbacks of PCIe in composable systems. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Jul 2021
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA)
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) is a command and transport protocol that defines how data is transferred between a computer's motherboard and mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), optical drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2021
New Seagate Exos storage uses self-healing drive technology
Seagate's Exos Corvault petabyte-scale storage array introduces self-healing HDD capabilities to ease maintenance and adds erasure coding to protect data at lower overhead. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 May 2021
Build a cloud-ready, global distributed file system
Organizations that want to extend traditional network file shares across data centers, branch offices and public cloud infrastructure have many options. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2021
A primer on DNA data storage and its potential uses
DNA storage isn't just a futuristic concept -- many companies are actively involved in its development and promotion. There's a major use case in data archiving. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
Quantum updates StorNext architecture and appliance lineup
Quantum distilled its StorNext file system down to a single 2U appliance. The new H4000 promises easier deployment without losing StorNext's speed or data management capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Dell EMC speeds up PowerStore array, debuts lower-cost model
Dell Technologies launches new lower-cost PowerStore entry model and PowerStore software updates to enhance performance, automation, NVMe over Fibre Channel and Optane support. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Apr 2021
Quobyte CEO says customers need a scale-out mindset
In order to tackle AI, machine learning and other demanding workloads, enterprises need to break out of their appliance-centric approach to storage, according to Quobyte's CEO. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Apr 2021
8 best practices for SAN deployment within SMBs
SMBs face a number of challenges when planning and performing a SAN implementation. Get out in front of an often intricate process with these best practices. Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2021
Iridia CEO sees data storage future written in DNA
As investors show interest in Iridia's DNA chip technology, its CEO believes using synthetic DNA for data storage will be the way to tackle a yottabyte future. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Mar 2021
7 signs a small business should shift from NAS to SAN
Take a deep dive into seven reasons, including performance issues and scalability demands, an SMB would want to ditch NAS in favor of entry-level SAN. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Feb 2021
Compare entry-level SAN arrays for the SMB market
Performance, capacity and data protection features are a few of the many factors SMB organizations should consider in their comparisons of entry-level SANs. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Feb 2021
Pay-per-use pricing model can boost digital initiatives
Consumption IT shifts the burden of infrastructure support to vendors and expenditures from Capex to Opex. Can pay-per-use pricing keep pace with your digital business roadmap? Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2021
The best enterprise storage arrays of 2020
Vast Data, Dell EMC and Infinidat show that flash storage rules the data center in the 'Storage' magazine and SearchStorage Products of the Year 2020 disk and disk subsystems category. Continue Reading
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Infographic
14 Feb 2021
Efficient data storage tips to achieve a green data center
This illustrated guide to energy-efficient data storage offers tips on offloading data to the cloud and areas to review when estimating storage costs. Continue Reading
- 14 Feb 2021
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News
12 Feb 2021
IBM, LucidLink the latest to tackle cloud file storage
Startup LucidLink has bundled its Filespaces file system with IBM's Cloud Object Storage offerings. Distributed work teams can access shared data as network-attached storage. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2021
Panasas storage yearns for expanded enterprise presence
After six years as chief operating officer, Panasas CEO Tom Shea took the helm last year to pilot the company's storage roadmap. Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2021
Storage as a service trending in 2021
Questions for 2021: Can Dell reach the Apex? How green is HPE's GreenLake? Large vendors highlight storage as a service as a hot area, but mass acceptance could take years. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2021
Hyperscale shift to 18 TB, SMR HDDs top '21 hard disk trends
New 20 TB energy-assisted and SMR hard disk options are starting to ship, but experts predict the top 2021 trend in data center hard drives will be the transition to 18 TB HDDs. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2021
Hitachi Vantara follows the herd on Kubernetes storage
HKS allows Hitachi Unified Compute Systems systems to directly manage file volumes and objects on clustered Kubernetes nodes. Hitachi acquired the software code from Containership. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jan 2021
Calculate HPC storage costs based on these 8 factors
IT teams that want an accurate estimate of HPC storage costs must account not only for the technology itself, but for staffing, support and ongoing operational expenses. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
Services, cloud dominated data storage news in 2020
Storage as a service, hybrid cloud, Kubernetes storage, economic fallout from COVID-19, and backup mergers and acquisitions dominated data storage news in 2020. Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2021
Enterprise data storage startups to watch in 2021
Launching a data storage startup is always challenging, and the pandemic made it even tougher in 2020. Here are six startups that can change the way enterprises buy storage. Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2020
30 TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs, 20 TB HDDs push storage limits in 2020
Enterprise storage drives continued to push the limits of performance and capacity in 2020, with fast new PCIe Gen4 SSDs at 30 TB and energy-assisted HDDs at 20 TB. Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2020
Zadara VPSAs help power Pratum security services
Security services firm Pratum was ahead of the curve in adopting Zadara Virtual Private Storage Array (VSPA) storage as a service to quickly scale capacity and performance. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Dec 2020
How the computational storage drive is changing computing
Take a closer look at computational storage technology and products, and how localized computation is changing storage architecture and the compute-storage dynamic. Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2020
Seagate, Western Digital outline progress on RISC-V designs
Seagate and Western Digital provide updates on their RISC-V-enabled processor designs that can drive advances in data storage and security at the network's edge. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2020
Managing unstructured data to boost performance, lower costs
Is unmanaged, unstructured data clogging up your primary storage? Get control of this costly, performance-sapping situation and start managing unstructured data cost-effectively. Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2020
Qumulo storage adds NVMe cache to NAS stash
The Qumulo storage software code was written to operate in containers in microservices environments. The vendor swapped SATA SSDs for NVMe to cache data in front of capacity disk. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Nov 2020
Immutable storage: What it is, why it's used and how it works
When data files must absolutely, positively remain forever unalterable, immutable storage technology is one affordable approach to consider. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2020
3 ways to ease the green data storage transition
Energy-efficient storage promises several benefits. Finding the right approach requires carefully assessing available technology, where you keep your data and costs. Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2020
IBM Spectrum protects OpenShift container data
IBM seeks to outdo Tanzu; Spectrum Protect for Red Hat OpenShift launches as new containers are spun into operation, and protects OpenShift Container Storage with snapshots. Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Oct 2020
Project Apex brings Dell into battle to control IT services
If you were looking for new products at Dell Tech World 2020, you went to the wrong place. It's all about Dell's Project Apex initiative for selling infrastructure as a service. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Dell cloud shoots high with Project Apex initiative
Dell's cloud focus culminates in launch of Project Apex, which allows data centers to flexibly consume IT and storage infrastructure as a cloud-delivered service on premises. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
DDN storage unifies IntelliFlash, Nexenta, Tintri pickups
DDN launches IntelliFlash H-Series and Tintri VMstore T7000 hybrid arrays. The new NVMe-based systems incorporate technology from recent DDN storage acquisitions. Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2020
File system software startup Quobyte chases IT, developers
Quobyte tempts developers and app owners with a free version of its distributed parallel file system software, hoping they will convince their IT admins to buy fully supported editions. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Dell EMC, Pure embrace VMware storage innovations
VMware Site Recovery Manager for Virtual Volumes lets customers replicate VMs with Dell EMC PowerMax snapshots. VMware storage management includes Tanzu for Kubernetes clusters. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Sep 2020
NVMe key-value storage vs. block and object storage
See how this modern approach simplifies the data storage process compared with block and object storage, and learn about the various potential advantages of key-value storage. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2020
7 steps to retiring storage hardware safely and efficiently
Organizations put a lot of thought into the storage equipment they purchase. The decision to retire that same hardware should get just as much consideration. Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2020
Seagate's open source Cortx object store targets HAMR HDDs
Seagate launched new open source object storage software that is designed to exploit its highest capacity hard disk drives in supported Lyve Drive converged infrastructure racks. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Sep 2020
Managed SAN services aim to ease storage chores
Offloading SAN management to an MSP partner could free IT admins from an infrastructure component that sometimes gets short shrift among other data center priorities. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Sep 2020
How to deal with the challenges of cloud storage vs. SAN
Whether you're managing cloud storage or a local SAN, both have issues. Compare 13 areas where SAN and cloud storage challenges can arise and find out how to deal with them. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Sep 2020
SAN management best practices for optimizing performance
SANs consolidate resources and provide a high-speed network for storage traffic, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook when it comes to performance management. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Sep 2020
Advantages and disadvantages of using a SAN
SAN benefits include speed, scalability and fault tolerance, but the technology isn't without its drawbacks. Cost and complexity are big concerns for smaller organizations. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Sep 2020
7 leading storage area network products and vendors
Before selecting a SAN product, learn which features seven market-leading storage vendors provide organizations of all sizes and how they distinguish their products. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Sep 2020
5 ways hybrid cloud storage is changing SAN management
Increasing reliance on cloud storage is changing the way storage area networks are managed and the challenges that SAN admins face in responding to business requirements. Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Sep 2020
unified storage (multiprotocol storage)
Unified storage -- sometimes called network unified storage or multiprotocol storage -- is a storage system that makes it possible to run and manage files and applications from a single device. Continue Reading