Storage

Real-life disaster recovery boost at video firm with HDS clustered NAS

Special effects video firm The Mill boosts HDS/BlueArc clustered NAS capacity to cope with HD movies and build disaster recovery site at London’s Docklands Continue Reading

Big data storage: Defining big data and the type of storage it needs

Big data storage: What is big data, what compute/storage system configurations are used for big data analytics, and what type of storage infrastructure does it require? Continue Reading

Best practice in enterprise storage

Sean Sadler, head of infrastructure solutions at Kings College London, gives best practice advice on enterprise storage for big data. Continue Reading

Six security issues to tackle before encrypting cloud data

Concern about security and privacy is likely to drive adoption of cloud encryption, but there are six security issues businesses should tackle Continue Reading

How to tackle big data from a security point of view

Before leaping into big data, companies must be clear what they are trying to achieve, otherwise their investment will be wasted Continue Reading

DDN launches hScaler Hadoop appliance for enterprises

HPC and clustered NAS supplier Data Direct Networks aims at enterprise customers with Hadoop appliance comprising its SFA12K storage and commodity compute components Continue Reading

IT budgets to grow in 2013 as economy bumps along

UK IT departments are planning to spend more on IT in 2013 despite the downturn, a worldwide survey of IT managers has revealed Continue Reading

In-house tape vs cloud archiving: What are the pros and cons?

Have cloud archiving services reached a tipping point that makes them cheaper and easier to manage than in-house tape archives? Continue Reading

Global cloud survey: the implementation challenge

The journey to cloud is proving more complicated and challenging than many had originally anticipated, senior executives reveal in this report from KPMG. Continue Reading

Businesses wasting billions storing unnecessary data

CIOs are urged to rethink their backup strategies following warnings that companies are wasting billions on unnecessary storage Continue Reading

Interview: Alan Clark, chairman, OpenStack Foundation

Alan Clark, chairman of the board of the OpenStack Foundation, talks to Computer Weekly about the future of cloud and the role of open source Continue Reading

Whiptail tops the class with flash array plus SAN two-tier strategy

School slashes virtual desktop login times with two-tier Whiptail flash array plus budget Huawei SAN Continue Reading

EMC seals deal with Chinese server giant Lenovo for desktop NAS

Storage giant EMC completes joint venture that will see it provide desktop NAS and SME rackmount storage hardware to Lenovo Continue Reading

Top 10 storage stories of 2012

Top storage stories from 2012 reflect the rapid pace of virtualisation, big data, the proliferation of mobile devices and new twists on storage technologies such as tape and RAID Continue Reading

Data to grow more quickly says IDC’s Digital Universe study

IDC’s annual Digital Universe study finds data set to expand to 40 Zettabytes by 2020. Emerging markets and machine-generated data will account for increasing proportions of it. Continue Reading

Deduplication and single instance storage cut primary data storage costs

Data deduplication and single instance storage can cut costs in primary data environments, but implementations vary between suppliers. Continue Reading

Whiptail promises four million IOPS all-flash array performance

All-flash array maker Whiptail has upgraded its Racerunner operating system so Invicta arrays can scale to four million IOPS and 360TB of capacity Continue Reading

Digitising the BFI National Archive

The BFI has the largest film archive in the world, with 200,000 films and nearly 900,000 TV shows in its collection. Of that, 75% is British. The institute is undergoing a major digitisation programme in under to preserve its wealth of social history and bring the archive’s treasures to millions. Continue Reading

Software-defined datacentres demystified

As datacentre managers increasingly rely on software and automation, what can a software-defined datacentre bring to the enterprise? Continue Reading

DataDirect Networks takes aim at clustered NAS with SFA7700

DataDirect Networks (DDN) makes a play for clustered NAS customers with big data needs on its journey from HPC to scale-out supplier Continue Reading

Disaster recovery: An essential part of any business strategy

The November 2012 edition of CWEurope focuses on what should always be one of your top IT priorities: Disaster recovery. Without a plan B, you risk the continuance of your business in the event of a natural disaster, hardware malfunction, human error or digital threat. It's disaster recovery or disaster devastation - the choice is up to you. Continue Reading

Cheshire Constabulary polices network with SolarWinds

Police force in Cheshire uses SolarWinds’ infrastructure monitoring tools to keep its IT out of trouble Continue Reading

10 robust USB drive security tools for India Inc

USB drives are ubiquitous in Indian businesses, but pose security threats as they are easily lost/stolen. Here are 10 tools to ensure robust USB security. Continue Reading

CERN turns on new NetApp ONTAP clustered NAS capability

CERN turns on NetApp Data ONTAP 8.1.1 clustered NAS functionality for easy scaling and maintenance on its 2PB LHC data storage cluster Continue Reading

Six business continuity audit guidelines for Indian businesses

In order to be fully prepared to tackle disasters it is important to conduct BCP audits. Use these guidelines for effective business continuity audits. Continue Reading

Lamborghini slashes web costs with Amazon Web Services

Supercar maker Lamborghini has revamped and accelerated the performance of its website by running it on Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

Storage briefs: Tape library just the ticket for car park firm

Tape library for car park firm; IT departments fail on email compliance; Record HDD shipment after Thai floods; Veeam supports Hyper-V Continue Reading

We need European datacentres to 'be successful' says Box CEO

Computer Weekly speaks to founder and CEO of cloud storage firm Box about why enterprises are embracing this type of technology and what his firm has to do to keep them happy Continue Reading

HMRC becomes first major department to use G-Cloud

HMRC is the first major government department to procure through the G-Cloud in a deal with Skyscape for centralised data storage. Continue Reading

Big Data Analytics

IDC explores the initial impact that Big Data is having on organisations, its impact on IT architectures, delivery models and future roadmaps. Continue Reading

The future of computing at IBM Zurich research labs

Chips powered by the sun and cooled by water are just some of the long-term research projects at IBM's Zurich labs Continue Reading

Tune Raid performance to get the most from your HDDs

Tune Raid performance at the storage controller to match application I/O demands to optimal hard drive (HDD) performance Continue Reading

Guide to Windows Azure: Part 3 - How to configure local storage resources

Our Windows Azure tutorial series continues with an explanation of usage of local storage in Azure cloud services. Learn how to best configure local storage. Continue Reading

Business continuity strategy: Employees are the vital link!

No business continuity strategy can ignore the role that employees play in a crisis. Here’s how you can bring employees to the center of your BC plan. Continue Reading

The pros and cons of NAS as VM storage

Virtual server and desktop environments demand the use of shared storage for maximum efficiency. What are the key advantages of NAS as VM storage? Continue Reading

The benefits of an open source file system for storage

An open source file system can bring huge scalability, parallel file system capability and advanced features compared to those bundled with commercial operating systems. Continue Reading

The key capabilities of SAN as virtual machine storage

Virtual server and desktop environments demand the use of shared storage for maximum efficiency, but what are the key advantages of SAN as virtual machine storage? Continue Reading

Storage Radio: Symantec CEO switch, Proximal Data releases AutoCache

In our latest Storage Radio podcast, join SearchStorage.com’s executive editor Ellen O’Brien and senior news editor Dave Raffo as they discuss the future of Symantec. Continue Reading

Five handy data backup and DR plan best practices

Worried about the ever growing complexity of backup and DR strategies? Here’s our quick guide for backup and DR in the age of virtualization and cloud computing. Continue Reading

iSCSI security: Networking and security options available

iSCSI security options include physical and virtual IP/Ethernet networking methods as well as built-in storage and switch device security features. Read about them here. Continue Reading

10 GbE: iSCSI bandwidth increase improves protocol’s position against FC

With a boost to iSCSI bandwidth with 10 Gigabit Ethernet, products that support the protocol offer features to rival Fibre Channel SANs, including scalability and hypervisor integration. Continue Reading

VMware backup and the VMware snapshot

The VMware snapshot is a critical component of VMware backup. In this guide to the basics of VMware backup, we walk you through the key processes and suggest some best practices. Continue Reading

SSD RAID array: What it is and how to use it

An SSD RAID array offers the performance and data protection advantages RAID does with spinning disk, but what levels should you use and can you mix flash and HDDs in the same RAID group? Continue Reading

Server SSD guide to form factors and implementations

Server SSD offers immense gains in IOPS and throughput. We look at how it works, form factors available and its advantages and pitfalls, and we survey key vendors in the market. Continue Reading

SSD for laptops and desktop computers: What type and how to install it

Adding SSD to laptop and desktop computers: What form factor, MLC or SLC, SATA or AHCI, and what are the key stages of installation? We answer your questions in this podcast. Continue Reading

Cloud backup options: Pure cloud vs hybrid cloud backup

Cloud backup is increasingly being seen as a flexible and cost-effective option by many organisations, but what are the pros and cons of pure cloud backup and hybrid cloud backup? Continue Reading

Prepare for BCP audits with nine best practices

Business continuity plans are ineffective without proper BCP audits. Our expert has some guidelines on how to prepare for BCP audits. Continue Reading

HPC storage requirements: Massive IOPS and parallel file systems

We survey the key vendors in HPC storage, where huge amounts of IOPS, clustering, parallel file systems and custom silicon provide storage for massive number crunching operations. Continue Reading

Unified storage goes mainstream

Unified storage has gone mainstream, with full protocol support from the top five vendors. We survey the options available, including single platforms and NAS gateways. Continue Reading

The best place for SSD in a virtual machine environment

Using SSD in a virtual machine environment is the ideal choice to speed response times to I/O demands, but where should you install it within the server and storage infrastructure? Continue Reading

Virtual machine storage optimisation methods explained

Virtual machine storage for virtual desktops and servers has to deal with heavy and random I/O patterns. We survey the key methods of optimising storage for virtual machines. Continue Reading

Midrange SAN vendors boost solid-state and drive options

With desktop and server virtualisation driving the market, midrange SAN vendors boost solid-state and spinning-disk options to bring enterprise-like performance. Continue Reading

Seven NAS backup best practices

Rapid data growth necessitates optimization of NAS backup procedures. Here’s how you can reduce the NAS backup window and increase NAS backup throughput. Continue Reading

The reasons for missing hard drive space on storage arrays

If you installed disk and didn’t get the capacity you expected, the missing hard drive space can be a result of operating system calculations, formatting, RAID and use of hot spares. Continue Reading

Disaster recovery audit, maintenance and continuous improvement

Drawing up strategies for disaster recovery audit, maintenance and continuous improvement are the key final stages in the development of a disaster recovery programme. Continue Reading

Adding an old hard drive to RAID sets on servers

When adding an old hard drive to RAID sets on servers, it’s important to account for factors such as the number of drive bays in the host. See how to configure the drives to the appropriate RAID format for the workload. Continue Reading

DDN HPC storage calculates risk

Storage roundup: DDN HPC storage calculates risk; BBC Wales gets Object Matrix NAS; Arkivium to use IBM tape; CommVault expands global support from Reading; and more news. Continue Reading

Virtual machine storage and block vs file

Virtual machine storage requires greater performance, capacity and resiliency than with physical servers and requires a careful choice between block and file access. Continue Reading

Free SAN sizing template and useful guidelines

With the explosion in data volumes, optimal SAN design and SAN sizing is key. Use these practical SAN sizing tips and SAN sizing template to get there. Continue Reading

How to choose a NAS

Choosing a NAS might be complex but there are a few things you can do to simplify the choice Continue Reading

Ways to align ITIL processes with your disaster recovery plan

Aligning ITIL processes to your DR plan leads to more efficient and effective use of IT infrastructure. Learn more about ITIL processes and DR in this tip. Continue Reading

Cloud storage boom as users rush to outsourcers

The Spring 2011 edition of IDC’s Storage User Demand Survey says 40%of enterprise storage users plan to outsource some of their storage needs in the next twelve months, with “an average of over 250TB will be acquired” by each user. Continue Reading

Disaster Recovery Not Keeping Up With Cloud

A recent survey by Acronis reveals that companies aren't updating their DR plans as they move to cloud solutions. Continue Reading

Disaster recovery awareness and testing require training, strategic plans

After you develop DR plans, disaster recovery awareness and testing strategies ensure the plan works and that everyone knows their role within it. Continue Reading

Big data storage management challenges and how to deal with them

Big data storage management is becoming an important concern. This tip will help you deal with your big data storage management challenges. Continue Reading

Richard Gere loves EMC, so it probably isn’t worried about NetApp haters

Our monthly wade through the slime of the storage blogosphere has found an EMC Symmetrix making Richard Gere look animated, and some rather odd Spam in NetApp’s back yard Continue Reading

Encryption techniques and products for hardware-based data storage security

Encryption techniques can be applied to data on the drive or array, at the host or in the fabric. We survey the key hardware-based methods and products available for data storage security. Continue Reading

ATA over Ethernet offers SAN storage on a budget

ATA over Ethernet offers SAN storage on a budget, at 20% of the cost of Fibre Channel and half that of iSCSI SANs. But, does being a one-vendor protocol mean it’s a non-starter? Continue Reading

Fibre Channel over IP: What it is and what it’s used for

Fibre Channel over IP bundles Fibre Channel frames into IP packets and can be a cost-sensitive solution to link remote fabrics where no dark fibre exists between sites. Continue Reading

Bad Sectors – Dell, HP refresh storage ranges

Dell has announced new EqualLogic products, HP has announced a ‘storage federation’ and the VCE alliance has received a boost from a global partner. Continue Reading

SLA template and guidelines for DR outsourcing

Use these guidelines along with our downloadable SLA template to structure, implement and successfully manage SLAs for DR infrastructure outsourcing. Continue Reading

Veeam brings virtual server backup for NHS trust

Storage roundup: Hospital cuts restoration times to minutes using Veeam Backup & Recovery; Buffalo launches Windows NAS family; Coraid partners with The Blueprint IT; Dot Hill appointments; and more. Continue Reading

Key steps for a successful SAN migration

For a successful SAN migration, it’s key to understand your current environment and the future state of the SAN, as well as to carry out a testing phase against each platform and migration strategy. Continue Reading

Maritime museum backs up with HP LeftHand, Microsoft

The Australian National Maritime Museum has revamped its storage infrastructure, selecting HP LeftHand and Microsoft. Continue Reading

Bad sectors – Storage news from Dell, Zerowait and Waikato District Health Board

Dell plans to bring its vStart pre-packaged infrastructure stacks to Australia later this year, while ZeroWait has scored an Australian customer for its SimplStor product. Continue Reading

NetApp trials University alliance to tackle skills shortage

NetApp will try to introduce certifications in its products to the curricula of nine Australian universities, to address a shortage of people skilled in operating its products. Continue Reading

How to write a disaster recovery plan and define disaster recovery strategies

Learn how to develop disaster recovery strategies as well as how to write a disaster recovery plan with these step-by-step instructions Continue Reading

IT gap analysis template: Download the simplified edition

Use our simple IT gap analysis template to document gaps between promise and delivery, for foolproof IT gap analysis and recommendations for bridging gaps. Continue Reading

SAN migration strategy, preparation and execution

Learn what preparation goes into a SAN migration, how to handle the execution of the migration as well as the most difficult challenges, such as recabling in a fabric replacement. Continue Reading

Disaster recovery management: Kale Consultants’ ten-year journey

Kale Consultants’ disaster recovery management and business continuity planning journey makes for interesting reading in this comprehensive case study. Continue Reading

EMC’s caveman creed, HP says FAST is its idea, Pillar crumbles

The storage blogosphere has thrown up a fascinating EMC video explaining how cave painting is like social media. Seriously. Also HP says EMC’s FAST is its idea. Continue Reading

Choosing a RAID level depends on capacity needs and data criticality

In this Ask the Expert, Steve Pinder talks about which RAID level to choose, depending on the criticality of your data or the capacity required. Continue Reading

Free IT risk assessment template download and best practices

Here’s a structured, step-by step IT risk assessment template for effective risk management and foolproof disaster-recovery readiness. Continue Reading

Planning a NAS migration project

NAS migration requires careful planning around the needs of your organization. In this Ask the Expert, find out which approach to use for an effective migration. Continue Reading

Dell and EMC "Still get together when the kids are around"

EMC and Dell have reached an "amicable separation rather than a nasty divorce" and still get together when it's important, says EMC's marketing CTO Chuck Hollis. Continue Reading

Tata AIG General Insurance’s business continuity planning strategies

With13,00,000 active policies, non-stop ops are a must for Tata AIG general insurance. A detailed look at its business continuity planning (BCP) strategy. Continue Reading

Five types of tape for backup or archive

There are plenty of tape formats to choose from when you are looking for a backup or archival medium. Here are five of the most common formats to consider. Continue Reading

Natural Disaster Recovery Planning from Christchurch Earthquakes

What do you do when the office is destroyed. We spoke to a number of companies in Christchurch about how they got up and running after the recent earthquakes. Continue Reading

Enterprise MLC: How flash vendors are boosting MLC write endurance

Enterprise MLC: Flash vendors are boosting MLC write endurance to level read/write wear, improve error correction and combat flash’s inherent tendency to write amplification. Continue Reading

Disaster recovery: Risk assessment and business impact analysis

Disaster recovery: Risk assessment and business impact analysis are key stages in disaster recovery planning, but where do they fit into the DR planning process? Continue Reading

Business impact analysis (BIA) at heart of disaster recovery planning

Business impact analysis is at the heart of all good disaster recovery planning projects. Learn about the UK guidelines for conducting a BIA. Continue Reading

Block vs file for Hyper-V and VMware storage: Which is better?

Is block- or file-based storage better for Hyper-V and VMware virtual server environments? The answer depends on the precise needs of your virtual server environment. Continue Reading

Backing up virtual servers vs physical servers

Find out about the differences between backing up virtual servers vs physical servers, best practices in virtual server backup and how to avoid crash-consistent database backups. Continue Reading

RAID 5 explained: Sharing a 10 MB file among 5 drives

Find out how RAID 5 handles sharing data shares data in a 10 MB file among five drives, including how striping and parity data figure into the equation. Continue Reading

Backup appliance: Backup software and hardware in one box

A backup appliance provides the backup app, processing power and disk to give all you need for SMB or branch office backup pre-packaged into one easy-to-manage box. Continue Reading

Cloud compliance: What it is and how to achieve it

Cloud compliance is an issue for anyone using cloud storage or backup services. What do you need to know about your data, and how do you ensure it is compliant when in the cloud? Continue Reading

Synchronous vs asynchronous replication: Order of events during data writes

Learn about the order of events during data writes in synchronous vs asynchronous replication. Continue Reading

How Google runs its storage and more from the storage blogs

Google has posted a paper that outlines its storage architecture, and that’s the choicest morsel in a month when the usual blogosphere protagonists have gone easy on each other. Continue Reading

SMB storage: What can you outsource to cloud storage and backup services?

SMB storage: Cloud storage and backup offer many cost-saving advantages to SMBs, but drawbacks too, so what exactly can you outsource to the cloud right now? Continue Reading

Clustered NAS vs traditional NAS solutions

Clustered NAS offers file visibility across petabytes of storage and is hugely scalable with the ability to increase throughput, IOPS or disk space by adding extra nodes. Continue Reading