Essential Guide
Guide to storage performance and specs
Everything you need to know about storage performance
Introduction
In this ComputerWeekly.com guide we explain key aspects of storage performance, including the fundamentals that affect storage performance, how to cut through the spin in vendor product specs and how to optimise storage for virtualised environments.
1Fundamentals-
Storage performance fundamentals
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
Key storage performance metrics for virtual environments

We run the rule over storage performance metrics – latency, throughput and IOPS – that are key to optimising virtual machines Continue Reading
2Storage system specs-
Storage system specs and how to read them
Storage performance metrics: How to read array supplier specification sheets

Storage array makers’ spec sheets can be difficult to translate and sometimes prove misleading – the trick is to dig out the devil in the detail Continue Reading
$/GB vs $/IOPS and how to compare enterprise storage pricing

While raw drive prices are pennies per GB, the actual cost of enterprise storage is much higher. Finding a baseline can save you money Continue Reading
Storage performance metrics: How suppliers spin performance specifications

Array makers’ storage performance specs are not always what they seem. Storage analysts explain how suppliers spin spec sheet figures Continue Reading
3Virtual performance-
Virtualisation and storage performance
How does the I/O blender effect impact flash performance?
Howard Marks discusses what exactly causes the I/O blender effect and how it can mess with your flash performance in this Storage Decisions clip. Continue Reading
The struggle between virtual machine performance and storage
Storage has been painted as the cause of sluggish VM performance, but it might be your hypervisor's fault. Continue Reading
4Cloud, flash and storage-
Cloud, flash and storage performance
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