Clustered storage essentials: What to ask your vendor

Clustered storage essentials: What to ask your vendor

Robert L. Scheier, Contributor
Here are eight essential questions that storage managers should be asking clustered storage vendors before adopting the technology. Rather than focus on scalability, take a deep dive into predictive caching, iSCSI compatibility, node failure and other technical considerations.

1. Will the vendor design an optimal file structure to take advantage of predictive caching or other features of their system?
2. What protocols do the clustered systems run? Can they take advantage of newer, lower cost protocols such as iSCSI?
3. Does the product require agents, adapters, initiators, drivers or other software to run on the application servers? These can add complexity or possibly hurt performance.
4. Is the product designed to deliver good sequential performance for streaming video or random I/O for transaction processing?
5. How many nodes will the cluster support without sacrificing ease of management and performance?
6. If additional hardware nodes are added, does the vendor charge more for clustering software?
7. If a node fails, how does the system handle data migration or replication to ensure uninterrupted application and data availability?
8. How easy is it to add new resources to the cluster?

BIO: Robert L. Scheier is a technology writer based in Boylston, Mass.

Material used here orginally appeared in Storage magazine.


    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

    When you register for SearchStorage.com, you’ll also receive targeted emails from my team of award-winning editorial writers. Our goal is to keep you informed on the hottest topics, the latest news and the biggest challenges you face as a storage professional today.

    Rich Castagna, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchStorage.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchStorage.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

This was first published in April 2009

Disclaimer: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.

Back to top