Storage architecture

Definitions about storage and data management including backup/recovery vocabulary, business intelligence terminology, storage area networks and database management.
  • 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 off-site backup? - Off-site backup is a method of backing up data to a remote server or to media that's transported to another physical location.
  • 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 SDRAM (synchronous DRAM)? - Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory (SDRAM) is a generic name for various kinds of DRAM that are synchronized with the clock speed that the microprocessor is optimized for.
  • 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 unified storage? Features, pros/cons, comparison to block/file storage - Unified storage, sometimes called network unified storage (NUS) or multiprotocol storage, is a storage system that combines block and file storage and enables users to run and manage files and applications from a single device.
  • 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.