Storage architecture

Definitions about storage and data management including backup/recovery vocabulary, business intelligence terminology, storage area networks and database management.
  • What is continuous data protection (CDP)? - Continuous data protection (CDP), also known as 'continuous backup,' is a backup and recovery storage system in which all the data in an enterprise is backed up whenever any change is made.
  • What is Dell EMC? - Dell EMC is an American multinational technology company that offers products and services across all areas of computing, networking and storage.
  • What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)? - DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network management protocol used to dynamically assign an Internet Protocol (IP) address to any device on a network so it can communicate.
  • What is direct-attached storage (DAS) and how does it work? - Direct-attached storage (DAS) is a type of data storage that is attached directly to a computer without going through a network.
  • What is FTP? - File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a network protocol for transmitting files between computers over TCP/IP connections.
  • What is green networking? - Green networking is the practice of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products to minimize resource use whenever possible.
  • What is high availability (HA)? Definition and guide - High availability (HA) is the ability of a system to operate continuously for a designated period of time even if components within the system fail.
  • What is Hitachi Vantara? - Hitachi Vantara is a data storage systems provider, previously known as Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).
  • What is hyperconverged storage? - Hyperconverged storage is a software-defined approach to storage management that combines storage, compute, virtualization and networking technologies in one physical unit that's managed as a single virtualized system.
  • What is network-attached storage (NAS)? A complete guide - Network-attached storage (NAS) is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity.
  • What is NTFS and how does it work? - NTFS, which stands for NT file system and the New Technology File System, is the file system that many versions of the Windows and Windows Server operating systems (OSes) use for storing, organizing, and retrieving files on hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).
  • What is NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe over FC)? Definition and Guide - Non-volatile memory express over Fibre Channel (NVMe over FC) is a technology specification designed to enable NVMe-based message commands to transfer data and status information between a host computer and a target storage subsystem over a Fibre Channel network fabric.
  • What is parity in computing? - In computers, parity (from the Latin paritas, meaning "equal or equivalent") is a technique that checks whether data has been lost or written over when it is moved from one place in storage to another or when it is transmitted between computers.
  • What is pay-as-you-go cloud computing (PAYG cloud computing)? - Pay-as-you-go cloud computing, or PAYG cloud computing, is a payment method for cloud computing that charges based on usage.
  • What is 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.
  • What is RAID 0 (disk striping)? - RAID 0 (disk striping) is the process of dividing a body of data into blocks and spreading the data blocks across multiple storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs), in a redundant array of independent disks group.
  • What is RAID 5? - RAID 5 is a redundant array of independent disks configuration that uses disk striping with parity.
  • What is read-only memory (ROM)? - Read-only memory, or ROM, is a type of computer storage containing non-volatile, permanent data that normally can only be read, not written to.
  • What is SRAM (static random access memory)? - SRAM (static RAM) is a type of random access memory (RAM) that retains data bits in its memory as long as power is being supplied.
  • What is SSD RAID (solid-state drive RAID)? - SSD RAID (solid-state drive RAID) is a methodology commonly used to protect data by distributing redundant data blocks across multiple SSDs.
  • What is storage virtualization? - Storage virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device or pool of available storage capacity.
  • What is TCP/IP? - TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol and is a suite of communication protocols used to interconnect network devices on the internet.
  • What is the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol? How does it work? - The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol is a client-server communication protocol used for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports and other resources on a network.
  • What is throughput? - Throughput is a measure of how many units of information a system can process in a given amount of time.
  • What is U.2 SSD (formerly SFF-8639)? - A U.2 SSD is a high-performance data storage device designed to support the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface using a small form factor (SFF) connector that is also compatible with standard SAS and SATA-based spinning disks and solid-state drives (SSDs).
  • What is virtual memory? - Virtual memory is a memory management technique where secondary memory can be used as if it were a part of the main memory.
  • What is wear leveling? - Wear leveling is a process that is designed to extend the life of solid-state storage devices.
  • Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) - Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) enables several computers to host a service, and if one has a fault, the remaining computers automatically take over the hosting of the service.
  • 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.
  • write amplification factor (WAF) - Write amplification factor (WAF) is a numerical value that represents the amount of data a solid-state drive (SSD) controller writes in relation to the amount of data that the host's flash controller writes.
  • write endurance - Write endurance is the number of program/erase (P/E) cycles that can be applied to a block of flash memory before the storage media becomes unreliable.
  • zebibyte (ZiB) - A zebibyte (ZiB) is a unit used to measure computing and storage capacity.