Virtualization Strategy

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

Future of data storage: Addressing traditional architecture problems

Storage expert Phil Goodwin discusses the main issues with traditional primary storage options and how those issues are being addressed. 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

Micron adds RPMC support to NOR flash devices for improved security

Micron announced its Replay-Protection Monotonic Counter (RPMC) feature is now available for its serial NOR flash memory devices. 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

What to consider when storing data in the cloud

Storage administrators who want to keep data in the cloud need to consider collaboration regulations, cost factors and performance requirements. Continue Reading

Understanding storage options for big data projects

Ben Woo discusses why some storage options are better for big data than others, and what to consider when carrying out a big data project. Continue Reading

Big data storage architecture: Categories, strengths and use cases

We explore distributed nodes, scale-out NAS, all-SSD arrays and object storage as choices for a storage architecture for big data. Continue Reading

Fact or fiction? Flash SSD storage is faster than HDD storage

The general perception of SSD storage is that it's always faster than HDD storage. Marc Staimer examines whether that's actually true. Continue Reading

How does storage thin provisioning work with Hyper-V automatic trim?

Learn how Windows Server 2012 R2's automatic trim feature frees up capacity from thinly provisioned virtual hard disks. Continue Reading

Security top concern in online file sharing and collaboration

As the online file-sharing and collaboration market grows, so does the opportunity for users and hackers to damage the data and reputation of firms. Continue Reading

Problems with using SSDs for write caching and how to avoid them

Marc Staimer looks at using SSDs for write caching and explains why most storage SSD caching is write-through and not write-back. Continue Reading

Why is persistent cache important?

Leah Schoeb, partner with Evaluator Group, discusses the importance of persistent cache in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading

Use Windows Server 2012 R2's Storage QoS feature to boost performance

Learn how the new Storage QoS feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 can boost storage performance and make the best use of capacity. Continue Reading

Best practices for SSD technologies

No longer a luxury item for well-heeled data centers, SSD technologies are more affordable than ever and come in a variety of form factors with a choice of deployment options. Continue Reading

How cloud providers are using NAND flash technology today

Leah Schoeb, senior partner with Evaluator Group, discusses how cloud providers are using flash today in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading

Managing data with an object storage system

Use this guide to understand everything you need to know about object storage systems as they gain popularity in big data and cloud environments. Continue Reading

News and trends in the storage industry RSS feed is moving!

As of July 1, the News and trends in the storage industry RSS feed will be moving off of the Pheedo platform. Instead, please bookmark the following URL to make sure you continue to receive our content: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/rss/News-and-trends-in-the-storage-industry.xml Continue Reading

Storage technology learning materials RSS feed is moving!

As of July 1, the Storage technology learning materials RSS feed will be moving off of the Pheedo platform. Instead, please bookmark the following URL to make sure you continue to receive our content: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/rss/Storage-technology-learning-materials.xml Continue Reading

LUN storage: Working with a SAN's logical unit numbers

This guide provides a complete picture of LUN implementations, including best practices for LUN mapping and management. Continue Reading

How Windows Server 2012 R2 will change storage management

Microsoft MVP Brien Posey explains how new features in Windows Server 2012 R2, such as native tiering and deduplication, affect storage management. Continue Reading

Hadoop clusters: Benefits and challenges for big data analytics

Brien Posey explains how Hadoop clusters can be extremely beneficial to large amounts of unstructured data, but aren't ideal for all environments. Continue Reading

Top tips for OpenStack Swift object storage use

Senior cloud architect Beth Cohen offers tips on how to use OpenStack Swift object storage in the most efficient and economical ways. Continue Reading

How to align laptop flash drive partitions in Windows

Marc Staimer outlines how to ensure that your laptop flash drive partitions are aligned properly in this Expert Answer. Continue Reading

RAID alternatives: Will erasure codes rule?

Learn why the reliability of RAID technologies could be related to the increased use of erasure coding by both new and established storage vendors. Continue Reading

Data durability guarantees shouldn't be big concern with cloud storage

Data durability guarantees of cloud storage providers shouldn't be a big point of concern for customers; they're too tough to measure and enforce. Continue Reading

Can object storage systems be used with file-based apps?

Learn how to use applications such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Server with object storage systems on the back end. Continue Reading

How can host-based and array-based data replication techniques be compared?

Learn the benefits and drawbacks to host-based and array-based replication methods to determine which one better suits your environment. Continue Reading

Storage thin provisioning: Comparing implementation types

Analyst Erick Slack explains how to create a thin volume, migrate from thick to thin provisioning and determine when to use thin provisioning. Continue Reading

10 ways to improve virtual server storage

Virtual server storage operations can have a profound effect on the storage network. Here are 10 ways to help ensure that your storage yields its best I/O for the VMs it supports. Continue Reading

MRAM technology likely choice as post-flash solid-state storage

NAND flash-based storage is becoming a common alternative, but NAND flash could soon be replaced by newer forms of non-volatile memory like MRAM technology. Continue Reading

Manufacturing NAND flash chips

NAND flash chips are made in fabrication plants known as fabs. Market oversupply or undersupply can cause manufacturers to alter production plans. Continue Reading

Hyper-V 3.0’s virtual Fibre Channel feature explained

Microsoft MVP Brien Posey walks users through the process of establishing virtual Fibre Channel connectivity from a virtual machine to SAN storage. Continue Reading

PowerShell tutorial: Managing Windows Storage Spaces

This PowerShell tutorial shows users how to fully interact with Windows Storage Spaces, which will help them script the storage provisioning process. Continue Reading

Storing data in the cloud: Primary and near-line data

Wayne Pauley, a senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, explores storing data in the cloud, such as primary storage and near-line data, and how to evaluate gateways. Continue Reading

Hybrid cloud technology projects popular among storage pros

ESG senior analyst Wayne Pauley offers decision criteria for hybrid cloud technology projects. He also provides tips on reviewing cloud SLAs. Continue Reading

Five LUN storage questions for pros

Learn what expert Brien Posey has to say to storage administrators about five questions they have about LUN storage in their environments. Continue Reading

Streaming large video files in today's big data environments

Solid-state drives are a good choice for streaming large video files. Other factors to consider include cost and how often video will be accessed. Continue Reading

IBM SmartCloud Enterprise–Object Storage cloud plans expansion

IBM SmartCloud Enterprise–Object Storage cloud service plans to expand and offer customers 99.999% availability with three or more copies of data. Continue Reading

Survey finds cloud storage implementation growing but cautious

Cloud storage implementation by users ranges from backup and DR to tiering. We reveal the most-used cloud storage applications and access methods. Continue Reading

Microsoft VHDX format: Understanding benefits, conversion process

Virtualization expert David Davis explains how the new VHDX format in Windows Server 2012 has improved environments, and how to convert old VHD files. Continue Reading

Tegile Zebi HA2800 Storage Array

The Tegile Zebi HA2800 multiprotocol array can be used as an all-flash system or in front of a pool of hard drives as a hybrid array. Continue Reading

NexGen Storage Inc. n5-150 Storage System

IT admins using the NexGen Storage n5-150 Storage System can guarantee performance to each app and isolate workloads from one another on the SAN. Continue Reading

Can shared storage be used with Hadoop architecture?

Storage expert John Webster discusses three ways to use shared storage together with Hadoop architecture in this Ask the Expert answer. Continue Reading

How to access cloud storage: Transfer, retrieval not so simple

Public cloud data access is straightforward, but data transfer to another provider or in-house could leave users on their own, analyst warns. Continue Reading

RHEV 3.1 storage: Functionality and considerations

Virtualization expert Sander van Vugt explains how RHEV storage works and discusses some of the new storage features in version 3.1. Continue Reading

Ten questions to help compare cloud storage services

Cloud storage expert Arun Taneja suggests 10 questions to help you successfully compare cloud storage services. Continue Reading

Expert Video: Brien Posey on Windows Server 2012 iSCSI features

Microsoft MVP Brien Posey discusses how to configure iSCSI using the Windows Server 2012 iSCSI Target feature in this expert video webcast. Continue Reading

Top tips for doing a cloud storage cost analysis

Arun Taneja breaks the cloud storage cost analysis process into three categories: monthly storage pricing, transaction charges and cost of bandwidth. Continue Reading

Eight questions to ask before using cloud storage

Before using cloud storage, review these decision points from Arun Taneja to avoid issues with existing infrastructures or new cloud providers. Continue Reading

Products of the Year 2012 finalists

We reveal the 52 data storage systems finalists that stood out in the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com 2012 Products of the Year competition. Continue Reading

Data storage companies focus on flash M&A potential

Find out which data storage companies have made significant flash storage purchases and why. Continue Reading

Should you believe vendors’ jaw-dropping solid-state performance specs?

The benefits of solid-state storage are clear -- cool running, space-saving and blistering performance. But just how “blistering” is that performance? Data storage vendors toss previously unheard of numbers around, like millions of IOPS, to show the speed of their hybrid and all-solid-state drive arrays … but are they really that fast? We take a look at how the vendors get their numbers, and what numbers are meaningful for your environment.
Storage tiering’s been around for a while, but has recently received a boost from solid-state. We look at who’s doing what with automated tiering and describe some of the tiering specs that will be most important to you.

And for the seventh year, users register their satisfaction (or disappointments) with midrange and enterprise-class network-attached storage (NAS) systems in the latest installment of our Quality Awards for NAS. Continue Reading

Jon Toigo suggests SSD, tape for reeling in data center power costs

Storage expert Jon Toigo suggests ways data storage managers can bring down data center power costs and retain high IOPS. 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

Brian Madden discusses VDI IOPS, SSD, storageless VDI

VDI expert Brian Madden explains how to size VDI storage for maximum performance in this TechTalk from a TechTarget Storage Decisions seminar. Continue Reading

Understanding unified storage architecture

Randy Kerns explains that there's more than one way to build a unified storage architecture in this Storage Decisions 2012 TechTalk. Continue Reading

Comparing SLC SSD with DRAM SSD when it comes to IOPS

Find out how DRAM SSD and SLC SSD compare when it comes to IOPS and if you need a DRAM solution in this Expert Response from Marc Staimer. Continue Reading

Data management techniques more important than ever

In this Storage Decisions Chicago 2012 video, Jon Toigo discusses data management techniques that can help you control the data in your environment. Continue Reading

The storage-for-VDI equation: Capacity, IOPS, TCO, ROI and persistency

A virtual desktop project can bring savings and efficiency to IT operations, but storage for VDI is a complex issue, and the wrong choices can hobble the project. Continue Reading

Third-party tools help with VMware monitoring for storage

Third-party tools provide a single interface to help IT shops monitor the performance of storage, servers and network traffic in VMware environments. Continue Reading

Advantages of using an object storage system

Learn the advantages of implementing an object storage system in your data storage environment. Continue Reading

Persistent VDI vs. non-persistent VDI and their effect on storage resources

Learn the difference between persistent VDI and non-persistent VDI, how they affect storage and which one carries advantages in terms of capacity and backup requirements. Continue Reading

Citrix StorageLink integrates SAN with virtualization environment

Find out what benefits Citrix StorageLink delivers to Citrix XenServer, such as access to advanced features on the storage array, offloading of storage operations to the array, and more. 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

Various cloud gateway options and use cases

Arun Taneja explains why a cloud gateway is essential for cloud storage, and drills into the various types of cloud gateways on the market today. Continue Reading

Five data protection guidelines for business continuity

Storage expert Jon Toigo offers data protection guidelines to help storage admins achieve the best possible results when protecting data in their care. 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

Choose an integrated stack for efficiency, easy storage implementation

An integrated stack bundles servers, storage and networking in a preconfigured product and is easy to install and manage. Continue Reading

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. 1860 Fabric Adapter

The Brocade 1860 Fabric Adapter can partition individual physical adapters into as many as 16 virtual HBAs or virtual NICs with flexible bandwidth allocation. Continue Reading

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. 6510 SAN Switch

The Brocade 6510 SAN Switch has industry-first 16 Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) support, flexible port configuration and full-duplex 768 Gbps aggregate port throughput. Continue Reading

How to implement storage virtualization technology at the server level

Learn about storage virtualization technology at the server-, or host, level, including info on products from Virsto, VMware, DataCore, LeftHand and FalconStor. Continue Reading

Block-level storage virtualization: Reasons to implement it

Learn about the reasons to implement block-level storage virtualization, in Part 1 of a four-part series. Continue Reading

I/O performance in need of a fix

Despite technological advances, unacceptable I/O performance could hold the entire industry back. Here are some solutions that have materialized. Continue Reading

Enterprise storage trends: SSDs, capacity optimization, auto tiering

Several enterprise storage trends are emerging at big and small storage vendors. Find out why certain technologies are trending and what they can do for your storage environment. Continue Reading

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

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

Data storage startups: 10 emerging vendors worth watching

The best of today’s storage startups stand out in the areas of solid-state storage, cloud storage, virtualization and SAN/NAS. Continue Reading

Dell adds 2.5-inch SAS, MLC SSDs to EqualLogic

Dell revamped its EqualLogic iSCSI SAN hardware today, adding new entry-level and midrange platforms with support for 2.5-inch SAS drives and multi-level cell (MLC) solid state drives (SSDs) for ... Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

Storage virtualization products: An important niche

Storage virtualization products help IT shops in need of non-disruptive data migration, tech refreshes and life support for aging storage assets. Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is unified storage right for you? The latest on multiprotocol storage

We've collected our top tips and articles on unified or multiprotocol storage to help you decide whether or not it's right for your data storage environment Continue Reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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