Opinion

Opinion

Computer storage hardware

• Security Think Tank: In-depth protection is a matter of basic hygiene

  The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but ...  Continue Reading

• Storage: How ‘tail latency’ impacts customer-facing applications

  Henry He of Virtual Instruments looks at tail latency, the small percentage of storage I/O that could be causing big and costly problems for business applications  Continue Reading

• Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing

  Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the...  Continue Reading

• As data volumes grow, backup needs analytics, says StorageCraft CEO

  Backup appliance maker’s CEO says backup needs analytics so customers can prioritise restore of critical data in a world where volumes increase by 50% a year  Continue Reading

• HPE's Simplivity purchase keeps hyper-convergence in the spotlight

  Hyper-converged infrastructure is well and truly mainstream. 451 Research finds hyper-converged all set to become the number one platform for core datacentre workloads  Continue Reading

• Solid state storage in the datacentre: More than a flash in the pan

  As IT organisations transform their datacentres to meet the efficiency and agility demands of the digital enterprise, flash storage is increasingly viewed as a key element  Continue Reading

• Why the IT dinosaurs should be planning for extinction

  The planned merger of two dinosaurs of the hardware world, Dell and EMC, offers a useful insight into how to manage corporate extinction  Continue Reading

• Sale, spin-off or stay put? What should EMC do next?

  With reports suggesting some major changes may be afoot at EMC, Clive Longbottom looks at the reasons why  Continue Reading

• HP: Where next for the troubled Silicon Valley giant?

  Numerous management changes and acquisitions have created confusion about HP's strategy, but is it too late to bounce back?  Continue Reading

• Software-defined storage: a proxy for storage transformation

  Software-defined storage reflects important trends that affect storage, such as increasing separation between hardware and software  Continue Reading

• Server-side flash cache pros outweigh cons for many

  Server-side flash offers sub-millisecond latency that can be targeted at specific apps, which is why it has caught on fast for databases and VDI  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage: A threat to entry-level/mid-range storage arrays?

  There are some big obstacles to cloud storage adoption at the moment, but these are likely to diminish over time. Will that spell the end for low- and mid-range array suppliers?  Continue Reading

• Scale-out set to eclipse scale-up for enterprise storage

  Analysing the advantages of scale-out storage and why loosely-coupled grids will make scale-up storage architecture a thing of the past  Continue Reading

• Hybrid flash hot, all-flash not, in 2014 storage M&As

  All-flash arrays are over-ripe for acquisition while hybrid flash makers are still ready for plucking.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud storage: What data goes where?

  Hybrid cloud storage keeps some data on-site while the rest goes to the cloud. But what data should go where in a hybrid cloud setup?  Continue Reading

• Hyper-converged products threaten standalone SAN and NAS

  Hyper-converged storage/compute, such as IBM’s modular xSeries, poses a threat to standalone SAN/NAS in the datacentre  Continue Reading

• Flash storage second wave to hit in 2014

  2013 saw flash storage hit the mainstream with suppliers racing to get a toe in the water. But, 2014 will see the second wave, with products competing to add advanced features  Continue Reading

• Big data storage – what went wrong?

  Big data storage seemed a prime opportunity for storage suppliers, but most users run DAS, shunning dedicated systems. Is that set to change?  Continue Reading

• You’ve got flash storage, so why isn’t everything faster?

  To get the most out of flash storage you need storage performance monitoring of the whole stack, from servers to LUNs  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage needs an audit process to stay compliant

  If you use a cloud service, where does your data reside, and do you know if you’re fully compliant with laws and regulations? A cloud compliance audit is what’s required  Continue Reading

• 451 survey finds enterprise flash storage adoption real, and growing

  Flash storage is an established and growing part of enterprise datacentres. A survey from 451 Research shows hybrid flash leads the way over PCIe flash and all-flash adoption  Continue Reading

• Array-based or vSphere Replication for VMware SRM?

  What’s the best replication method for VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM)? GlassHouse Technologies’ Paul Grimwood runs the rule over array-based replication and vSphere Replication  Continue Reading

• The best storage for VDI environments? RAM, of course

  RAM it in! VDI storage needs IOPS, but what’s the best way to get it? Not HDD or SSD, but RAM and caching software, says GlassHouse Technologies’ Jamie McGinty  Continue Reading

• Nirvanix failure – a blow to the cloud storage model?

  Cloud storage firm Nirvanix has given customers a deadline to retrieve their data. Are the reasons for its failure specific to Nirvanix or a real blow to cloud storage overall?  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage creeps up the enterprise agenda

  Research from 451 Group sees private cloud storage ranked second most common storage project and public cloud in fourth  Continue Reading

• Match disk type to VMs to boost VMware storage performance

  All too often storage is the bottleneck in VMware performance. That can be solved by matching underlying VMware storage to the needs of the application and workload  Continue Reading

• When to use flash SSD instead of SAS or SATA?

  When to use flash SSDs instead of SAS or SATA spinning disk is all down to application requirements, says David Boyle, senior consultant at GlassHouse Technologies (UK)  Continue Reading

• Is it time for object storage to shine?

  Object storage is a great fit for very large, unstructured datasets, and with big data and cloud use cases. So, what is holding up adoption of this promising technology?  Continue Reading

• Storage virtualisation: An old idea being revived?

  When storage virtualisation first emerged, some did their best to ensure it didn’t succeed. Now the EMC appears to be reviving it. What’s going on with ViPR?  Continue Reading

• The I/O blender means enterprise flash is here to stay

  451 Group analyst Simon Robinson explains why enterprise flash is worthy of its hype and will consign HDDs to the background  Continue Reading

• Software-defined storage: The reality beneath the hype

  The rise of storage software and APIs on commodity hardware means there is something in the idea of software-defined storage.  Continue Reading

• 2013: a year of software-defined storage, convergence and cloud

  Simon Robinson of 451 Research says storage optimisation is the watchword of 2013, with software-defined storage, convergence and cloud also key trends  Continue Reading

• Time to assess the value of the data you hold

  Martha Bennett offers strategic advice for managing growing volumes of corporate data.  Continue Reading

• Seven enablers of effective disaster recovery for SMEs

  This article considers the current status of disaster recover (DR) in small and mid-size businesses (SMEs) and highlights a few simple steps every organisation can take to ensure it is better able to address such challenges.  Continue Reading

• Opinion: How to decommission legacy storage

  With various aspects of storage evolution marching forward (in areas such as network convergence, unified IP and SAN switching, solid state devices, content...

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• Opinion: Time to switch to solid state drives

  The argument about whether solid state drives (SSD) will usurp hard disc drives (HDD) has been rumbling on for some time.  Continue Reading

• Remote management is vital to secure USB drives

  USB drives are proving to be immensely popular and valuable as they can increase productivity and are easy to use. There are many scenarios where they...

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• Opinion: security must cover all forms of data

  You learn from the media that a memory stick containing personal data has been left on the 8.10 train out of Birmingham. The police are involved and the data relates to your company.  Continue Reading