Storage Management Strategies for the CIO
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Arrays that combine block and file storage in a single box -- also known as multiprotocol arrays or unified storage systems -- are more popular now than ever before.
Arrays that combine block and file storage in a single box
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have been around for a while,
but it seems as if they're more popular now than ever before with 63% of our respondents reporting
at least one multiprotocol array. But most shops have multiple unified storage systems: 44% have
two to five systems, while 37% have six or more. Users cite three main reasons for going
multiprotocol: more efficient capacity utilization (31%), it's cheaper to combine systems (29%) and
maintaining one box is easier than two (27%). Twenty-four percent of users replaced separate block
and file arrays with a multiprotocol system, and 61% added a multiprotocol array to their already
installed mix of file and block systems. On the question of which type of block -- Fibre Channel
(FC) or iSCSI -- to combine with NAS, our group was split pretty evenly: 66% have FC-NAS combos and
61% run iSCSI with their NAS. How's it all working out? Pretty well: On a scale of 1 to 5 where 5
is "very satisfied" our group grading averaged 4.1, with 42% rating their multiprotocol as a 5.
About the author:
Rich Castagna is editorial
director of TechTarget's Storage Media Group.
This was first published in December 2012
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