Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• Object storage vs. NAS: Which should you choose?

  While the choice between object storage offerings and NAS systems used to be pretty clear, innovations in the storage user interface are blurring the lines.  Continue Reading

• Should using flash backup be an option for your organization?

  There are many factors -- beyond the obvious ones of cost and performance -- that determine whether you should choose a flash storage backup option.  Continue Reading

• Are SSD as cache appliances losing prevalence in the market?

  As flash technologies and public cloud storage become increasingly common in enterprises, SSD caching appliances on hard disk drives may soon become outdated.  Continue Reading

• How can I improve flash performance with data reduction strategies?

  Data reduction techniques are important for increasing capacity on SSDs. Compression and deduplication are the most well-known, but other techniques can fill similar roles.  Continue Reading

• What important NVMe 1.2 developments should I know about?

  We know about solid-state standards like NVMe and SCSI Express, but some developments, such as using system RAM, should be on your radar. Find out how these factors affect SSD storage.  Continue Reading

• Solid-state drive costs: What factors do I need to consider?

  SSD costs are on the downswing, but users need to explore the price per IOPS and price per gigabyte before purchasing. Some workloads aren't a match with the technology.  Continue Reading

• What are the major benefits of containerization?

  The advantages of containerization become very evident in test and development environments. Explore how container technology is being used to verify application performance.  Continue Reading

• How do RDMA storage systems improve latency reduction?

  RDMA technology can help speed up I/O in storage environments by bypassing copy processes in the software stack when data is called up from a system's memory.  Continue Reading

• How can you increase SSD lifespan and keep performance?

  Solid-state drives offer high performance, but their cost remains prohibitive. Here are some ways to prolong your SSD lifecycle while maintaining performance.  Continue Reading

• Can I use Microsoft containers with the Docker platform?

  Docker is a mainstay for containerizing applications, but it has been limited to Linux systems. New support for Microsoft Windows Server containers is switching things up.  Continue Reading

• Are Windows Server containers superior to Hyper-V containers?

  In Windows Server 2016, Microsoft offers two container architectures that perform similar functions. But different use cases apply and performance varies.  Continue Reading

• Do object-based storage systems improve data protection?

  Object storage has unique features, including erasure coding and multi-copy mirroring, which may make it better suited to data protection than more traditional systems.  Continue Reading

• SSD cache performance: What is the state of the market?

  SSD caching is included with a majority of products, so vendors have turned their resources toward maximizing throughput and endurance. Discover the issues behind the innovations.  Continue Reading

• How much will 3D XPoint technology affect flash storage?

  Learn how Intel 3D XPoint fits in a flash storage technology space that has already seen single-level cell, multi-level cell, eMLC, triple-level cell and 3D NAND.  Continue Reading

• Why attach NAND flash storage directly to the memory channel?

  Why would you attach NAND flash storage directly to the memory channel? Isn't RAM much faster than NAND? Marc Staimer discusses this and more in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading