News

SAN, NAS, solid state, RAID

January 21, 2009 21 Jan'09
How virtualisation affects backups

Server virtualisation presents us with a new problem in the backup arena. How do we capture information, and what strategy do we adopt? SMBs have three main options: Backup at the host level, backup within the virtual machine and backup via snapshot...
January 15, 2009 15 Jan'09
Navigating host bus adapters, zoning and LUNs

When implementing a SAN, you need to watch for pitfalls. Martin Taylor at the Royal Horticultural Society tells you how to navigate HBAs, zoning and LUNs.
January 05, 2009 05 Jan'09
Tiered storage steps up its game

Tiered storage that matches data types to Fibre Channel, SATA and SAS disk according to performance needs is rapidly gaining ground as a feature of storage subsystems
November 27, 2008 27 Nov'08
How to get the most from thin provisioning your storage

Thin provisioning lets you share storage space that's allocated but unused. The savings come about because you need fewer disks because you're wasting less of them.

November 24, 2008 24 Nov'08
Why are EMC, HP and IBM so tentative about clustered NAS filers?

The biggest storage vendors obviously see a huge opportunity in the rise of unstructured data. Yet for some reason, they're not taking aim at the leaders in HPC and clustered filer storage market, DataDirect Networks and Isilon.
November 19, 2008 19 Nov'08
How to evaluate and purchase a SAN

The Royal Horticultural Society's network manager Martin Taylor guides users through the process of evaluating and purchasing a SAN.
November 12, 2008 12 Nov'08
Sun places big bet on open storage arrays

Sun is betting that its bargain-priced open source, multiprotocol arrays will kickstart the open storage revolution. The "pile it high and sell it cheap" strategy worked in retail. It's working in servers. Will it work in storage?
November 05, 2008 05 Nov'08
Core Blimey -- Do we still need edge switches?

While the average SAN is rapidly growing in size, the percentage of SAN fabrics that measure hundreds of ports still remains small. The days of the core-edge fabric for large enterprises may be numbered.
October 07, 2008 07 Oct'08
IT distributor upgrades its storage... twice!

Sydney IT distributor Distribution Central explains its rocky upgrade path from DAS to NAS and beyond.
October 06, 2008 06 Oct'08
Council opts for tiered Compellent SAN to cut staff and power costs

Hillingdon borough replaces Sun SAN with Compellent mixed FC/SATA arrays.

September 25, 2008 25 Sep'08
Storage array makers not following EMC's lead on flash solid state drives

Storage array manufacturers are copycats, except when it comes to flash solid state drives. In this area, storage array makers haven't yet followed the innovator, EMC. Why?
September 17, 2008 17 Sep'08
The end of storage virtualisation?

Is "classical" storage virtualisation still relevant?
September 16, 2008 16 Sep'08
More SAN capacity is not always better

Focusing on the storage capacity an environment needs, rather than how you might go about presenting that capacity or how the application will use it, is a recipe for disaster.
September 10, 2008 10 Sep'08
SSDs no silver bullet for server hard drive I/O problems

Servers won't be able to exploit the speed of solid state drives without operating system modifications. Standards are also needed.
September 03, 2008 03 Sep'08
Systems administrators make the best SAN administrators

Learn why systems administrators were the first SAN administrators, and why systems admins are often the best SAN admins.
September 03, 2008 03 Sep'08
3PAR CEO: Storage needs to become a utility

3PAR CEO David Scott says that storage giants EMC, HDS and NetApp are unprepared for utility computing and virtualisation.
September 02, 2008 02 Sep'08
REVIEW: FreeNAS

Ian Yates reviews FreeNAS, a cut of open source operating system FreeBSD that turns old PCs or servers into network attached storage appliances.
August 27, 2008 27 Aug'08
Despite what you've heard, flash notebook era hasn't begun yet

Even though notebook makers are starting to incorporate SSDs, the real flash notebook era won't begin until we have faster Windows boot times and flash costs drop significantly.
August 19, 2008 19 Aug'08
ISP boosts storage with NetApp buy

Perth ISP Westnet turned to NetApp to help it cope with growth.
August 08, 2008 08 Aug'08
Clariion array update blurs line between EMC platforms

A bigger, faster Clariion with advanced features, which first appeared in the Symmetrix line, has industry observers wondering about the increasing overlap between EMC systems.
August 08, 2008 08 Aug'08
Pivot3 consolidates physical servers onto storage arrays

Pivot3's IP SAN offers Serverless Computing, which eliminates the need for application servers by running them as guests on its storage arrays.
August 04, 2008 04 Aug'08
SSDs making inroads into enterprise computing

For now, vendors are promoting SSDs as a Tier 0 of storage, a place to store the data that an application must access most frequently. Since this is work that might otherwise be done by 10,000 or 15,000 RPM FC, SCSI or SAS drives, in a sense SSDs ...
July 31, 2008 31 Jul'08
EMC Clariion array gets major refresh with SSDs and thin provisioning

EMC's Clariion CX-4 will include support for flash SSDs, thin provisioning, disk spindown, and an architecture for mixing Fibre Channel and iSCSI.
July 10, 2008 10 Jul'08
FCoE no threat to iSCSI SAN makers, says LeftHand exec

Larry Cormier, vice president of worldwide marketing for LeftHand Networks, explains why FCoE is not a threat and why iSCSI SANs may be the killer app for server virtualisation.
July 08, 2008 08 Jul'08
The bigger the SAN, the greater the risk it will crumble

When a SAN grows out of control, the SAN administrator can feel like they're caught in a web of switches and fibre devices.
June 23, 2008 23 Jun'08
When should hard drive capacity be part of the purchasing equation?

When it comes to purchasing disc drives for consolidated storage, a key question is whether the additional benefits of the best currently available products are justified. Or are they an unnecessary expense?
June 16, 2008 16 Jun'08
Unified NAS storage plugs business continuity leaks for water company

A utility overhauls its storage infrastructure as part of a disaster recovery initiative, and by deploying NetApp NAS filers in lieu of tape backup, reduces data recovery times from a week to just minutes.
June 12, 2008 12 Jun'08
Copan CEO: Putting spindown on disk arrays isn't MAID

Mark Ward, CEO of Copan, isn't worried about EMC or HDS offering technology similar to Copan's MAID because, he says, layering spindown onto traditional disk arrays is like putting lipstick on a pig.
May 29, 2008 29 May'08
How to buy an entry-level iSCSI SAN

Has your small business reached the point at which it needs a SAN? If so, this guide to simple SANs will make it easier to navigate your first purchase.
May 23, 2008 23 May'08
Managed services provider adopts Dell EqualLogic

Secure hosting company manageNET has adopted EqualLogic product to support its move into virtualised hosting.
May 09, 2008 09 May'08
Rein in NAS with file virtualisation

File virtualisation can reduce storage TCO and increase availability, as we explain in this feature on the technique.
May 06, 2008 06 May'08
Bulky backups spur Council to consolidate, centralise

Local authority's move to centralised backups and a mixed NAS/SAN storage infrastructure results in faster, more efficient backups because less backup traffic goes over the network than before.
April 23, 2008 23 Apr'08
Separating storage networking marketing from reality

SearchStorageUK writer takes one of SNIA's storage networking courses and learns about SAN, NAS and how to avoid storage vendor lock-in.
April 18, 2008 18 Apr'08
Optimising iSCSI SANs with the right Ethernet switch

iSCI SANS are now within the reach of many small businesses. Here's how to make sure the SAN works best, by optimising the supporting network.
April 18, 2008 18 Apr'08
3Com's SAN push stalls

3Com's plan to push into storage has stalled, with localisation of its SAN on the back burner.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
Xiotech unveils self-healing storage systems at SNW

Xiotech's Emprise storage systems use a proprietary technology to reduce heat and vibration. Xiotech claims that an Emprise system will incur zero service events over five years.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
The AA saves £34 million a year with NetApp iSCSI SAN

Car breakdown service, The AA swaps out EMC and HP/Compaq Fibre Channel SAN for NetApp iSCSI storage, halving IT costs and slashing storage staff from 16 to one.
April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08
EMC to buy Iomega

Capping weeks of rumours, EMC has announced it is acquiring Iomega.
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
Nimbus adds solid state to 10 GigE iSCSI NAS systems

Nimbus Data expands 10 Gigabit Ethernet capability and adds solid-state drives to IP storage systems that support iSCSI, NFS and CIFS.
April 03, 2008 03 Apr'08
UK debut for storage compression appliance

Ocarina claims a tenfold reduction of file data on primary storage. Alpha-testing UK photo sharing site set to put appliance into production
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
Security provider picks Pillar over EMC on cost

Dell shop chooses tiered SATA drives in Pillar Axiom mid-range array over Clariion SAN as storage for rapidly expanding Oracle 10g databases.
March 26, 2008 26 Mar'08
No-maintenance array aims to eliminate hard drive swaps

SAID - a Self-managing Array of Identical Disks - will self heal and are aimed at giving three to five years of maintenance free performance
March 14, 2008 14 Mar'08
EMC gives Centera a software refresh

EMC has tweaked the software for its Centera archiving system with an emphasis on handling more pieces of data rather than sheer bulk of information stored.
March 03, 2008 03 Mar'08
UK storage startup boosts US market presence

iSCSI SAN software specialists Stormagic adds US storage industry consultant to its team in a push to break into the SME market stateside.
February 28, 2008 28 Feb'08
NetApp ships new StoreVault iSCSI SAN

The S550 iS CSI SAN goes for just over $5,000 for 12 TB capacity; storage vendors rally around Windows Server 2008.
February 27, 2008 27 Feb'08
Animal charity opts for clustered NAS over iSCSI SAN

Animal charity The Blue Cross has deployed an 11-site clustered NAS product over an EMC Clariion iSCSI SAN in an £18,000 project, reflecting the appeal of NAS to SMEs.
February 17, 2008 17 Feb'08
NAS product specifications

NAS is so easy to install and manage that NAS sprawl is a common problem. This is why NAS is often a prime candidate for consolidation initiatives. Learn how to purchase NAS appliances with an eye toward NAS storage consolidation.
February 17, 2008 17 Feb'08
VMware, LeftHand offer iSCSI SAN as virtual machine

Channel partners will bundle LeftHand's virtual SAN appliance with VMware licenses for an ESX infrastructure that can run on one piece of physical hardware.
February 13, 2008 13 Feb'08
Telco picks EMC Celerra over HP on "value for money"

HTK deploys an EMC Celerra for combined SAN/NAS access and affordability over its existing HP SAN.
February 13, 2008 13 Feb'08
HP exec: Storage blades may replace disk arrays in data center

An HP storage executive predicts that storage blades -- storage devices using the form factor and plug-and-play philosophy of blade servers - may replace disk arrays in the next 18 months
February 12, 2008 12 Feb'08
HP pondering storage blades to cut arrays out of the data centre

Hewlett Packard has begun to contemplate blade storage architectures that the company feels could replace dedicated storage arrays.
February 04, 2008 04 Feb'08
Horticultural Society puts tiered storage into action

The Royal Horticultural Society uses tiered storage automation to keep its picture library updated with the most frequently accessed images while also reducing power consumption.
February 03, 2008 03 Feb'08
Desire to virtualise drives Austcorp to its first iSCSI SAN

Complications arising from direct attach storage, a desire to virtualise and a network expenditure surprise all contributed to Austcorp's new SAN purchase.
January 23, 2008 23 Jan'08
HDS sales chief quits

Scott Genereux, executive vice president and general manager of worldwide sales, marketing, and support at HDS has quit after 15 years to join DataDirect Networks.
January 16, 2008 16 Jan'08
New Year – New Resolutions

Here are some ideas to consider for storage New Year's resolutions.
December 05, 2007 05 Dec'07
Fibre in the storage diet's fine for Oztion

Online auctioneer Oztion has upgraded from direct-attach storage to a fibre channel SAN, defying vendor predictions that small businesses will favour IP storage.
November 28, 2007 28 Nov'07
Pros and cons of iSCSI for SMBs

The introduction of iSCSI has started a shift in SMB storage. This article discusses the benefits of iSCSI for SMBs and how to make it work.
November 12, 2007 12 Nov'07
How to integrate iSCSI and Fibre Channel, and make it work

Learn about eight best practices for integrating iSCSI into a Fibre Channel SAN, as well as best deployment practices for iSCSI.
November 06, 2007 06 Nov'07
LeftHand adds hardware to iSCSI SANs

LeftHand makes its iSCSI SAN software available on two prepackaged appliances; sources indicate the hardware comes from Dell.
October 29, 2007 29 Oct'07
Virtual appliance lets users convert DAS to iSCSI SAN

NetApp is continuing a push down-market with the release of the S300, the latest SMB iSCSI SAN in its StoreVault line.
October 29, 2007 29 Oct'07
NetApp releases $3K iSCSI SAN

NetApp is continuing a push down-market with the release of the S300, the latest SMB iSCSI SAN in its StoreVault line.
October 21, 2007 21 Oct'07
HP will give you your old, broken disk

If the disk in your laptop dies, HP want to give it back to you ... for a price.
October 16, 2007 16 Oct'07
Download NAS Upgrades Buying Guide: Chapter 2 -- NAS management software

You asked for it, so here it is -- a printable version of our NAS Buying Guide.
October 16, 2007 16 Oct'07
HDS makes SME play

Hitachi Data Systems has announced a new iSCSI SAN for smaller businesses.
October 03, 2007 03 Oct'07
Storage Basics Part 3: Getting the most out of iSCSI

The Storage Basics series continues, with a look at how to get the most out of iSCSI.
October 02, 2007 02 Oct'07
Storage Basics Part 2: What is iSCSI?

Day two of our storage basics special explains iSCSI.
September 02, 2007 02 Sep'07
Sun wants to dis-integrate storage industry

Sun believes the storage industry is mired in mainframe-era thinking and plans to release an open source NAS it hopes will open storage to cheaper solutions.
August 08, 2007 08 Aug'07
New iSCSI SAN/NAS box touts better performance

Agami's new low-end iSCSI SAN/NAS box is pricier than other scaled-down offerings, but has a few more high-end features
July 31, 2007 31 Jul'07
Make an iSCSI SAN with a USB key

An intriguing open source technology lets you turn old servers and their direct-attach storage into a NAS or SAN.
July 30, 2007 30 Jul'07
Users make iSCSI SANs with USB keys

Users say that Open-E's iSCSI SAN software, which is delivered on a USB stick, is more affordable than prepackaged systems and has more support than free iSCSI target products.
July 23, 2007 23 Jul'07
LeftHand refreshes iSCSI SAN software

Version 7.0 of LeftHand's iSCSI SAN software contains dozens of new features, including support for four-way replication and brushed-up thin provisioning.
July 16, 2007 16 Jul'07
EMC upgrades hardware range, goes green - UPDATE

EMC has upgraded its five main hardware lines, introduced power-saving technology and hinted at enhancements to its data de-duplication tools.
July 16, 2007 16 Jul'07
Sun reveals open appliances

EMC has upgraded its five main hardware lines, introduced power-saving technology and hinted at enhancements to its data de-duplication tools.
June 28, 2007 28 Jun'07
Temp agency moves hundreds of terabytes to iSCSI SAN

Adecco replaces 120 TB of Fibre Channel storage with an iSCSI SAN from LeftHand, including storage for large production databases; Exanet adds search; NetApp unleashes Topio.
June 12, 2007 12 Jun'07
LUN management at the heart of SAN configuration

Disk drives are the foundation of modern data storage, but operating systems cannot use physical storage directly. The physical drive must be translated into a logical space that an operating system sees as a linear address space comprised of ...
May 28, 2007 28 May'07
EqualLogic banks on simplicity, price to make local inroads

EqualLogic arrives in Australia hoping to shake up the SAN scene with easy adminstration and low prices for mid-tier businesses
May 08, 2007 08 May'07
ISCSI TCP/IP TOE card specifications

One means of improving iSCSI traffic performance is to include TOE (TCI/IP Offload Engine) capability on the Ethernet card itself. An iSCSI TOE allows the network adapter to process iSCSI traffic (often all Ethernet LAN traffic) locally -- relieving...
April 02, 2007 02 Apr'07
Quantum boosts SAN virtualization

Quantum has enhanced its SAN file system to aid virtualization.
March 18, 2007 18 Mar'07
Sun gets hot about 'Storvers

Sun thinks the mutant offspring of a server and NAS device could be the next big thing in storage!
March 06, 2007 06 Mar'07
EMC Australia creates new IP storage team

EMC Australia believes medium-sized organisations are ready for a new tier of infrastructure to unlock access to unstructured data.
February 11, 2007 11 Feb'07
NAS appliance purchase considerations

NAS appliances are frequently touted for bringing convenience and simplicity to network storage. Appliances include their own dedicated disks for storage and RAID, and most NAS appliances can be upgraded with more or larger disks for additional ...
February 02, 2007 02 Feb'07
Trio targets midrange with new arrays

EMC, IBM and Dell have all hit the market with new storage arrays aimed at mid-sized users.
January 24, 2007 24 Jan'07
ISCSI SAN grows in the midmarket and enterprise

ISCSI SAN carries SCSI commands and storage traffic over existing IP networks to address traditional SAN problems. Transporting "SCSI over IP" leverages ubiquitous Ethernet networks that translates to lower cost, easier maintenance and simpler ...
December 17, 2006 17 Dec'06
NAS gateway purchase considerations

NAS gateways overcome the inherent limitations of scale and flexibility by utilizing externally connected storage as external standalone disk arrays. NAS storage capacity is typically expanded by simply adding more disks to the appliance, but this ...
December 14, 2006 14 Dec'06
NAS gateway specifications

A NAS gateway offers file-based accesses to external storage on a disk array -- or a SAN, where users can take advantage of superior performance and reliability while maintaining a level of simplicity. Since storage is moved off of the NAS device, ...
December 07, 2006 07 Dec'06
NAS management software specifications

Network attached storage (NAS) appliances and gateways must be configured and managed using NAS management software that allows administrators to allocate space, manage RAID and storage behaviors, perform routine maintenance, and other tasks. ...
December 07, 2006 07 Dec'06
NAS management software purchase considerations

Typical NAS management software might automatically discover a vendor's storage resources in a network, manage and adjust RAID configurations, back up NAS contents to standard backup software, track storage utilization and offer capacity growth ...
November 27, 2006 27 Nov'06
Virtualisation buying guide [Day Three: Building a virtual SAN]

SANs have proven invaluable in enterprise storage deployment; however, administrators must frequently overcome scaling, managing and troubleshooting issues. Large SAN architectures are often broken down into one or more virtual SANs (VSAN), which ...
November 26, 2006 26 Nov'06
Virtualisation buying guide [Day Two: Virtualisation software examined]

Deploying software on a server or dedicated appliance is often easier for smaller organisations, but the actual product choice demands careful consideration. Now that you've reviewed the essential issues involved in any virtualisation product, this ...
November 23, 2006 23 Nov'06
Virtualisation buying guide [Day One: Why virtualise]

Virtualisation alleviates traditional storage growth problems by implementing a layer of abstraction between applications and physical storage, allowing storage to be combined and treated as a ubiquitous resource, regardless of location. This ...
November 08, 2006 08 Nov'06
NetApp emphasizes software, security

Network Appliance has updated its product line, but only one of its new announcements describes a new hardware product.
October 23, 2006 23 Oct'06
EMC revamps hardware line

Tired of being asked about its software strategies, the storage giant fires back with a massive refresh of its hardware lines.
October 04, 2006 04 Oct'06
ISCSI gains strength from servers

More powerful servers are helping ease some performance concerns for users considering IP SANs, but others say they still want to see more improvement.
June 06, 2005 06 Jun'05
NAS buying Tip: Common sense approach to buying NAS

I am often asked by end users what NAS they should buy? My answer always surprises them. The answer is usually the same with minor variations: "It depends."