The statistics are overwhelming. Researchers predict that more data will be produced in the next year than has been generated during the entire existence of humankind. Unfortunately, this onslaught means your company data may be growing out of control, and your staff could be struggling to manage ever-lengthening backup times. To keep up, you may be like many who regularly add storage capacity to their servers and SANs. But eventually, you may become frustrated with this pricey and cumbersome habit –and the increasingly long backups it requires. Or, you may seek relief by limiting your data and regularly deleting files — or forcing your employees to do it themselves. But this habit can be risky and, in regulated industries, illegal. It may be time for you to stop and consider the long-term cost of your growing data, and perhaps seek out a smarter solution that will help you balance your data growth and storage resources. Your solution may lie in tiered storage. What Is Tiered Storage? For example, your company may decide to use Fibre Channel SANs for its tier-one, mission-critical data. Tier-two data, such as financial or classified files, might shift to lower-cost disks (e.g., SCSI drives). And tier-three might contain compliance data or rarely used files, stored on Serial ATA (SATA) drives before archiving them on tape. Fortunately, storage manufacturers are helping small companies adopt these principles by introducing new, multi-tiered solutions that are affordable and easy to use. Building Tiered Storage After we evaluate your business needs, we may recommend an entry-level appliance that offers multiple tiers in a single box, and offers such features as:
Storage Management Software Here’s how it works: When a scheduled or predetermined watermark is reached, inactive files are transparently and automatically migrated to the secondary storage tier — reducing backup times and improving operational efficiency. These software tools use rule-driven migration policies to guide the movement of files to lower-cost storage options. With a little advance planning — and a commitment to acquire the proper technology tools — you can help your company cope with the ever-increasing onslaught of data. And remember, you don’t have to do it alone. We can evaluate your individual business needs and recommend the appropriate tiered-storage components for your unique environment. Call us today to discuss how we can help you achieve your long-term storage goals. |
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