Virtualization Strategy
Top Stories
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Answer
25 Aug 2020
What are VMware vVols and how do they work?
VMware's new Virtual Volumes allow virtual machines and applications to be better allocated to storage. The feature is now available in beta. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Aug 2019
Hyper-V vs. VMware comparison: What are the differences?
Hyper-V and VMware are in a perpetual battle for supremacy in the virtualization market. Although the two hypervisors have similar features, capabilities are somewhat different. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2015
SanDisk InfiniFlash launches company's all-flash platform
SanDisk launched the InfiniFlash all-flash platform this week. The system is said to deliver flash storage for less than $2 per GB before data reduction. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
28 Feb 2015
Fibre Channel helps Nimble Storage grow revenue in Q4
Nimble Storage exceeded expectations with $68.3 million in revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter, helped by a new wave of Fibre Channel-based arrays that factored into about 10% of the company’s ... Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2015
Three reasons why object storage is a good HDFS alternative
HDFS manages data across dispersed nodes, but an object storage system that leverages commodity storage can be a compelling alternative. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Feb 2015
Dell to ship 2nd wave of XC Series hyper-converged appliances
Dell plans to ship the second version of its XC Series of hyper-converged appliances next week, just four months after getting the first wave of products out the door in November. The XC Series ... Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2015
PernixData FVP adds RAM compression to server-side storage cache
PernixData FVP's latest version compresses data on RAM, and its server-side caching software pools flash and memory resources. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Feb 2015
Vendors predict the future of data storage 2015
The future of data storage isn’t easy to predict. While some vendors see it clearly, others prove that, going into 2015, their crystal balls may be a little hazy. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
12 Feb 2015
NetApp blames sales slump on budget restraints
A rocky quarter with a disappointing forecast for this quarter left NetApp CEO Tom Georgens defensive about his company’s product portfolio and strategy. NetApp Wednesday reported $1.55 billion in ... Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2015
Atlantis USX 2.0
Atlantis Computing's USX 2.0 claims the silver medal in the storage system software category in Storage magazine's Products of the Year competition. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2015
Nimble CS700
Nimble Storage adds a higher-capacity model to its iSCSI hybrid arrays, plus an all-flash shelf to bulk up performance. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2015
Scality Inc. Ring 5.0
Scality's Ring 5.0 software-defined storage shares the bronze award in the Products of the Year storage system software category with VMware's VSAN. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2015
HP OneView for VMware vCenter 7.4.2
HP OneView for VMware vCenter management software provides a complete look into virtual environments, spanning both physical and virtual layers. Continue Reading
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Guide
11 Feb 2015
Best data storage products 2014: Products of the Year
A panel of users, analysts, consultants and Storage magazine and SearchStorage editors voted these 19 products the best of 2014. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Feb 2015
Veritas Rising
Appropriately, Symantec will call its new information management spinout Veritas Technologies Corp. The company will consist of many products from the original Veritas, which Symantec acquired in ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Jan 2015
CommVault now sees a point in smaller bundles
For years, CommVault boasted about how it sold one application that handled all data protection and management needs. That is changing, as its tries to perk up tepid financial growth in a more ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Jan 2015
EMC to lay off workers; Tucci to stay past February
EMC CEO and chairman Joe Tucci indicated Thursday that he will stay on after his contract expires next month. Others at EMC won’t be given that option, as the company also said it will cut jobs to ... Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Jan 2015
How does RDMA work and why is it advantageous with flash?
Remote Direct Memory Access is a good way to reduce latency in flash environments and works with InfiniBand and some Ethernet connections. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Jan 2015
How stealthy money affects technology
By my count, around 70 storage start-up companies were acquired in the past year. That is quite a few acquisitions, although not as many as in some past years. A surge in acquisitions always leads ... Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Jan 2015
What's the difference between 'usable' and 'effective' flash capacity?
Vendors often publish numbers for 'usable' capacity versus 'effective' capacity. Can you explain this and how can you plan flash capacity needs with these numbers in mind? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
23 Jan 2015
Box shares surged on the first day as a public company
Box Inc. had an excellent coming out party as a public company today. Box priced its initial shares at $14 Thursday. Those shares today opened at $20.20 on the New York Stock Exchange and rose to ... Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jan 2015
What you should know about using flash to complement DRAM
George Crump discusses emerging technology that enables using flash as memory, why it matters and its applicable use cases. Continue Reading
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Answer
20 Jan 2015
When should I use global file locking in the cloud?
According to analyst George Crump, global file locking isn't required for single-office cloud users, but for multisite organizations it is a top requirement in a cloud service. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
20 Jan 2015
EMC gives ViPR flash-related upgrade
EMC last week quietly upgraded its ViPR software-defined storage and ScaleIO hyper-convergence software, broadening support for platforms and emerging technologies. One of the selling points of ... Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2015
Storage system software: 2014 Products of the Year finalists
Vendors that describe their products as ‘software-defined storage’ dominated the 2014 Products of the Year storage system software category. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Jan 2015
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
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Opinion
05 Jan 2015
It's time to redefine the enterprise file sync-and-share market
Today's enterprise file sync-and-share products do so much more than synchronizing data that it might be time to re-think the moniker. Continue Reading
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Answer
23 Dec 2014
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
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Answer
15 Dec 2014
What are the benefits of using the Boot to VHD feature?
Boot to VHD may be seen as a novelty feature, but it also has practical uses in the workplace. Brien Posey explains in this expert answer. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Nov 2014
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
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Answer
20 Nov 2014
What are the most obvious object storage use cases for my system?
Object storage is latency-prone, making it a bad option for production data, but there are several areas where it's incredibly useful. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Nov 2014
Archiving methods: Smart meta tags, archive in place and FLAPE
Jon Toigo outlines several archiving techniques, the technologies that make them run smoothly, and explains why data classification is crucial. Continue Reading
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Answer
17 Nov 2014
What are the benefits of using an object storage system with file access?
With increasingly demanding workloads, NAS systems can have a hard time keeping up. Can using NAS with an object storage option relieve some of these problems? Continue Reading
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Guide
28 Oct 2014
Essential guide to desktop and laptop solid-state drives
Essential guide to laptop and desktop SSDs Continue Reading
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Blog Post
10 Oct 2014
A look at access methods for open systems and mainframes
The term access method is frequently used to identify types of I/O in open systems. Many who use it probably don't understand the historical context for what has been known as an access method for ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
30 Sep 2014
EMC's XtremIO 3.0 adds compression with disruptive upgrade for existing users
EMC Corp. made available the 3.0 release of its XtremIO all-flash array today with new inline compression capabilities and performance improvements – but existing customers who want the software ... Continue Reading
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Guide
26 Sep 2014
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
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Answer
19 Sep 2014
What complications can arise when thin provisioning VMware storage?
Brien Posey dives into the complications users might run into with thinly provisioned VMware data stores and how to address them. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Sep 2014
SAN storage systems purchases driven by capacity, performance
Anticipated year-over-year capacity growth of 24% and the need to boost the performance of existing applications is driving new SAN storage systems. Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Sep 2014
The need for application-aware storage
Server virtualization leads to unpredictable workloads. Application-aware storage could be the answer. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Aug 2014
How do I increase cache memory?
Increasing cache memory in your environment might help allocate CPU processes, but it doesn't necessarily result in better performance. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Aug 2014
What is the relationship between cache technology, CPU and RAM?
As flash memory caching is on its way in because of its cost and non-volatile nature, RAM may be on its way out the door, says analyst Jon Toigo. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Aug 2014
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
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Answer
27 Aug 2014
Is the cost of cloud storage really cheaper than traditional storage?
Cloud storage can be less expensive from a cost-per-gigabyte perspective, but it's important not to lose sight of other benefits as a value proposition. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Aug 2014
What should I consider when using SSD cloud?
Using solid-state in the cloud can boost performance, but first be sure you look past cost per gigabyte and are aware of any constraints from providers. Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2014
Infinio adds block storage support to RAM cache engine
The latest version of Infinio's RAM cache tool, Infinio Accelerator 2.0, borrows idle memory from servers to support large VDI deployments. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Aug 2014
What is the difference between a storage snapshot and a clone?
Cloning and snapshotting can both be good approaches to disaster recovery. Learn what environments are best suited to each. Continue Reading
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Answer
20 Aug 2014
What are some cloud migration challenges or limitations?
It's not uncommon to run into challenges when migrating data to the cloud. Here are some roadblocks to keep an eye out for. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Aug 2014
Redundant cloud storage ensures high availability
Redundant cloud storage gateways and redundant WAN links help companies avoid protection gaps that could result in outages or data loss. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Aug 2014
Keys to a painless data migration process
Moving data from array to array has always been a difficult process, but new techs and techniques make your data migration process easier than ever. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jul 2014
How do VMware thin provisioning alerts work?
VSphere allows users to set up custom alarms to alert them when capacity or memory is low. Learn how they can be especially helpful when using thin provisioning. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jul 2014
Are there any downsides to using VMware thin provisioning?
Storage should be monitored carefully when using VMware's thin provisioning feature to avoid slower performance and potentially maxing out capacity. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jul 2014
Switching cloud storage service providers comes at a cost
Analyst George Crump explains the best way to deal with the upfront costs and security issues that come with switching cloud storage providers. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Jul 2014
NVDIMM vs. memory channel flash storage
Marc Staimer of Dragon Slayer Consulting compares NVDIMM and memory channel flash, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Jul 2014
Memory channel flash storage vs. PCIe flash storage
Marc Staimer compares memory channel flash storage with PCIe connected flash and offers insight on the advantages and disadvantages of each. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2014
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
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Feature
02 Jul 2014
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
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Opinion
02 Jul 2014
Deconstructing the storage algorithm
Jon Toigo examines the four steps of the storage algorithm, and concludes that the current storage equation just doesn't add up. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2014
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
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Tip
27 Jun 2014
Use third-party SRM software to improve monitoring and management
Retrofit your existing infrastructure with third-party storage resource management software to gain more control over monitoring and management. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Jun 2014
Effective storage service management rests on well-allocated features
Jon Toigo explains how proper management of value-added storage features can make a data center more efficient. Continue Reading
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Guide
23 Jun 2014
Flash storage: Guide to all-flash storage arrays
TechTarget's all-flash storage array guide navigates the hotly contested market with a comparison chart and snapshot profiles of 15 products. Continue Reading
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Video
09 Jun 2014
Most valuable storage metrics describe performance, capacity
Analyst Greg Schulz categorizes some notable storage metrics to help users determine which ones are most beneficial to their environment. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jun 2014
Six things that can wreck storage system performance
Performance bottlenecks can occur in different places in a storage system. Here's how to identify and eliminate them. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 May 2014
Violin 6000 arrays feature proprietary flash modules, memory fabric
Violin 6000 Series all-flash storage arrays use proprietary flash modules, memory fabric architecture and RAID to improve performance and latency. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Apr 2014
Why isn't Windows Server allowing me to create a storage tier?
Microsoft expert and SearchStorage.com contributor Brien Posey addresses key challenges to creating storage tiers in Windows Server 2012 R2. Continue Reading
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Guide
09 Apr 2014
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
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Guide
18 Mar 2014
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
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Tip
10 Mar 2014
Hypervisor comparison: VMware vs. Microsoft vs. Red Hat
VMware has had the dominant enterprise-class hypervisor, but there are others worth reviewing. This tip details how Microsoft and Red Hat compete. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Feb 2014
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
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Answer
24 Feb 2014
Are SSDs necessary to perform analytics on big data efficiently?
Storage expert Phil Goodwin explains how SSDs can speed up analytics, but solid-state technology is only needed in certain types of environments. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Feb 2014
Pros and cons of file- and block-based flash caching
George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses pros and cons of file and block flash caching and how they can be implemented in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Podcast
18 Feb 2014
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
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Tip
18 Feb 2014
Three key strategies to prevent RAID failure
In this tip, analyst Jon Toigo shares several ways storage admins can proactively prevent the failure of RAID arrays. Continue Reading
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Answer
17 Feb 2014
What is the top storage challenge with in-memory databases?
Wikibon CTO David Floyer said the greatest challenge with an in-memory database from a storage perspective is recovery in the event of a problem. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Feb 2014
Something's wrong when storage vendors pitch speeds and feeds
I’m surprised to hear from IT people that storage vendors are still using “speeds and feeds” in their sales pitches. Salesmen for these companies talk about how fast and how big the storage systems ... Continue Reading
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Guide
10 Feb 2014
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
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Video
31 Jan 2014
Big data basics: Quick tips for prepping data
Find out what data looks like when it's ready for a big data environment, and hear real-world success stories from Storage Decisions speaker Ben Woo. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Jan 2014
Comparing performance and cost of DRAM vs. NAND
George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares the performance and cost of DRAM to NAND flash in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Podcast
30 Jan 2014
How NAND flash degrades and what vendors do to increase SSD endurance
Storage Switzerland senior analyst Eric Slack digs into the technical aspects of SSD cell degradation and how vendors are increasing SSD endurance. Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Jan 2014
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
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Video
30 Jan 2014
Why a big data project requires virtualized data, simplified networks
Consolidating and virtualizing data are two central themes to any big data projects, according to storage analyst Ben Woo. Continue Reading
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Guide
29 Jan 2014
Building a better archival storage strategy
This guide walks through important tips and considerations regarding storage archive design strategies and technologies. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2014
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
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Video
20 Jan 2014
How data storage type can give efficiency a boost
Jon Toigo examines how tape storage and the cloud each affect overall data storage efficiency in a given environment. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Jan 2014
Comparing write-through, write-back and write-around caching
George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares three common types of caching -- write-through, write-back and write-around -- in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jan 2014
How to create a successful data archiving strategy
A good archiving process provides the automation needed to deliver the necessary application granularity while minimizing the impact to IT operations. Continue Reading
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Video
13 Jan 2014
Achieving data storage efficiency: Chief challenges, top tools
According to Jon Toigo, IT pros need to look past vendors' claims to achieve a truly efficient infrastructure, but there are tools that can help. Continue Reading
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Guide
10 Jan 2014
Data storage systems: 2013 Storage Products of the Year finalists
These 52 data storage systems products are finalists for the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com 2013 Products of the Year awards. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Dec 2013
Alternatives to RESTful API for accessing object storage
This tip examines other options for connecting to object storage when an application isn't compatible with the RESTful API. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Dec 2013
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
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Tip
23 Dec 2013
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
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Feature
19 Dec 2013
Figuring out when 16 Gbps Fibre Channel storage networking makes sense
Moving to 16 Gbps FC makes sense for IT shops with new and heavily virtualized servers, solid-state storage and test firm president advises. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2013
Data archiving technology to keep on the radar
Archival storage options are expanding, getting more resilient and less costly. Find out which technologies are making an impression. Continue Reading
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Tip
04 Dec 2013
Five questions to ask when choosing a data archiving technology
Many factors need to be considered when determining what the right archiving platform is for you. Jon Toigo highlights the most important in this tip. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Oct 2013
Big data storage and analytics
There are two basic types of big data analytics—synchronous and asynchronous—but both have big data storage appetites and specialized needs. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2013
Hyper-V storage best practices to optimize your virtual environment
Microsoft expert Brien Posey walks through the best storage tips and features to make the most out of a Hyper-V environment. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Oct 2013
Comparing DIMM-connected flash vs. PCIe flash benefits
Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses DIMM-connected flash as compared with PCIe flash benefits in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Answer
15 Oct 2013
The variety of enterprise SSD options available today
Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses the variety of enterprise SSD options available today in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Oct 2013
Networking server-based storage
Direct-attached or server-based storage is gaining renewed attention as emerging techs offer ways to pool and share this scalable storage resource. Continue Reading
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Guide
02 Oct 2013
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
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News
30 Sep 2013
Data Dynamics resurrects StorageX for file migration
Data Dynamics buys intellectual property of Brocade's StorageX file virtualization software, develops its file migration and management capabilities. Continue Reading