Are there any differences in operations between unified storage and my existing storage systems?
Typically there are, and a lot of it really depends on the particular operating environment. Normally, a block storage system is handled by a storage professional or storage administrator with specific training in those types of systems. Many
NAS environments are handled by either network people or systems administrators that don't have the deep understanding of block system operations. When a
unified [or multiprotocol] storage system is installed, there may be some "territorial" problems (which administrator handles which functions), or I may end up creating some sort of hybrid management situation to overcome more rigid job delineation. This is common in larger enterprises. When you move down the market into midsized and smaller businesses, there are frequently no storage professionals or storage administrators so the systems administrator has the added task of dealing with storage.
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This was first published in February 2007
Storage Management Strategies for the CIO