Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• Planning and management for a software-defined storage architecture

  Jon Toigo offers implementation tips to help users avoid vendor lock-in and get top performance from their software-defined storage environments. Continue Reading

• production data

  Production data is data that is persistently stored and essential to completing day-to-day business tasks and processes. Continue Reading

• To address limitations of today's NAND chips, 3-D NAND emerging

  In this Q&A, learn more about 3-D NAND, how different vendors' architectures compare and contrast, and when we'll see 3-D-NAND-based products. Continue Reading

• HP upgrades MSA, other SMB storage products

  Hewlett-Packard unveils entry-level MSA shared storage system; HP upgrades StoreEasy NAS quality of service and expands capacity for StoreOnce 4500. Continue Reading

• Examining the future of the RAID volume

  Expert Jon Toigo provides a set of tips to answer key questions regarding RAID's place in today's storage world, and whether it will be replaced. Continue Reading

• VMware Virtual SAN appeals to hyper-converged storage fans

  VMware's vSAN beta appeals to customers who like having their storage, compute and hypervisor in one box, supported by one vendor.Continue Reading

• Hypervisor comparison: VMware vs. Microsoft vs. Red Hat

  VMware has had the dominant enterprise-class hypervisor, but there are others worth reviewing. This tip details how Microsoft and Red Hat compete.Continue Reading

• Object storage systems in demand for big data, archiving

  Object storage system use cases are growing, and their unique metadata capabilities are a good match for big data environments.Continue Reading

• Fujitsu takes the Quality Award for enterprise storage arrays

  In our ninth annual Quality Awards survey for enterprise arrays, Fujitsu didn't just make the cut; it took the cake by earning top honors.Continue Reading

• The state of storage network architecture

  Storage networks are struggling with virtualized server environments and flash storage. Your company's storage network may need a major upgrade.Continue Reading

• Managing cloud storage: Tools to control your deployment

  Whether your company is using public, hybrid or a private storage cloud, you need tools to manage, monitor and keep track of the stored data.Continue Reading

• How does a scale-out NAS environment affect storage management?

  Phil Goodwin explains how scale-out NAS systems simplify storage management through a single point of control and by combating performance problems.Continue Reading

• Are SSDs the best VM storage option for high performance?

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin describes how solid-state drives can improve performance in virtual environments, if they're deployed effectively.Continue Reading

• Are SSDs necessary to perform analytics on big data efficiently?

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin explains how SSDs can speed up analytics, but solid-state technology is only needed in certain types of environments.Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of file- and block-based flash caching

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses pros and cons of file and block flash caching and how they can be implemented in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Enhance RAID by leveraging storage virtualization

  According to expert Jon Toigo, RAID doesn't have to be on its way out, as long as it's supplemented with other technologies.Continue Reading

• NetApp changes V-Series to FlexArray, launches new enterprise array

  NetApp delivers FlexArray, its answer to EMC ViPR, along with a new FAS8000 enterprise array and high-availability upgrades to clustered Data Ontap.Continue Reading

• A tiered storage model is different from caching

  In this podcast, Evaluator Group strategist Randy Kerns looks in-depth at today's tiered storage model, including how it differs from flash caching.Continue Reading

• Exablox OneBlox 3308

  OneBlox has a global namespace for data access from multiple servers, as its object-based file system presents itself as a NAS box to applications.Continue Reading

• More faith in cloud backup services compared to last year

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• Choosing storage for streaming large files in big data sets

  Learn how to select storage that can both scale and perform to effectively stream large files in big data environments.Continue Reading

• Facebook storage: Reviews vary for Blu-ray cold storage, M.2 SSD plans

  Facebook's plans to use Blu-ray discs for cold storage, 'netbook-class' M.2 SSD for booting Web servers draw mixed reviews from analysts, IT pros.Continue Reading

• Big file storage scales for large data applications

  There are two sides to the big data story: analytics using vast numbers of small files, and dealing with storage for really big files.Continue Reading

• Server SAN infrastructure model of Google, Facebook poised to spread

  Wikibon senior analyst predicts that the server SAN infrastructure model of Google, Facebook, Amazon could spread to enterprise IT, service providers.Continue Reading

• Comparing performance and cost of DRAM vs. NAND

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares the performance and cost of DRAM to NAND flash in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• How NAND flash degrades and what vendors do to increase SSD endurance

  Storage Switzerland senior analyst Eric Slack digs into the technical aspects of SSD cell degradation and how vendors are increasing SSD endurance.Continue Reading

• External storage might make sense for Hadoop

  Using Hadoop to drive big data analytics doesn't necessarily mean building clusters of distributed storage; a good old array might be a better choice.Continue Reading

• Is a helium drive just a lot of hot air?

  Filling drives with helium doesn't advance the art of hard disk design, it just makes it possible to stuff more old tech into a new package.Continue Reading

• Building a better archival storage strategy

  This guide walks through important tips and considerations regarding storage archive design strategies and technologies.Continue Reading

• How DRAM or NVRAM cache can reduce flash SSD write amplification

  DRAM/NVRAM caching provides SSD systems with better performance while reducing flash SSD write amplification.Continue Reading

• How data storage type can give efficiency a boost

  Jon Toigo examines how tape storage and the cloud each affect overall data storage efficiency in a given environment.Continue Reading

• Comparing write-through, write-back and write-around caching

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares three common types of caching -- write-through, write-back and write-around -- in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Data archiving system selection dependent on features, capabilities

  Once you've determined the specific data archiving needs of your organization, you'll have to sift through existing products to find the best fit.Continue Reading

• Martin: Future nonvolatile memory technologies

  In this segment of his Storage Decisions presentation, Dennis Martin of Demartek discusses future nonvolatile memory technologies.Continue Reading

• Achieving data storage efficiency: Chief challenges, top tools

  According to Jon Toigo, IT pros need to look past vendors' claims to achieve a truly efficient infrastructure, but there are tools that can help.Continue Reading

• When and how to implement an object storage platform

  Analyst Arun Taneja outlines what IT pros should be asking themselves to determine the best way to implement object storage.Continue Reading

• Data storage systems: 2013 Storage Products of the Year finalists

  These 52 data storage systems products are finalists for the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com 2013 Products of the Year awards.Continue Reading

• Hybrid storage arrays vs. all-flash arrays: A little flash or a lot?

  With solid-state prices dropping, more vendors offer all-flash arrays; but are they better than hybrid arrays that mix flash with spinning disk?Continue Reading

• Using the RESTful API as an onramp to object storage

  RESTful APIs are essential in moving data on and off of object storage systems. Expert Marc Staimer describes the three options currently available.Continue Reading

• Four SSD best practices for efficient virtual machine storage

  Learn how server-side implementations of SSD differ from storage-side, and how to get the ultimate performance boost in virtual environments.Continue Reading

• Figuring out when 16 Gbps Fibre Channel storage networking makes sense

  Moving to 16 Gbps FC makes sense for IT shops with new and heavily virtualized servers, solid-state storage and test firm president advises.Continue Reading

• Tackling long-term data archiving: Three crucial factors

  Jon Toigo offers insights on storage options for deep archives, and the ways they affect data integrity and potential technology issues.Continue Reading

• Data archiving technology to keep on the radar

  Archival storage options are expanding, getting more resilient and less costly. Find out which technologies are making an impression.Continue Reading

• Storage infrastructure management is still elusive

  There's more to managing storage than ensuring performance and scalability. New architectures are doing a better job of managing storage resources.Continue Reading

• Target audience to determine big data storage solutions in M&E area

  Wikibon CTO predicts object-based systems will be popular as big data storage solutions; advises tape for long-form video files, disk for short clips.Continue Reading

• Five questions to ask when choosing a data archiving technology

  Many factors need to be considered when determining what the right archiving platform is for you. Jon Toigo highlights the most important in this tip.Continue Reading

• Get ready for the 12 Gbps SAS drive

  New 12 Gbps SAS technology will usher in SSDs, HDDs and HBAs according to the SCSI Trade Association president.Continue Reading

• Martin: Know your storage needs before installing a solid-state drive

  In this Storage Decisions presentation, Dennis Martin discusses the importance of understanding storage needs before installing a solid-state drive.Continue Reading

• Sanbolic CEO: We've been doing SDS from the start

  Sanbolic's CEO says Sanbolic has been working in the SDS space a decade longer than the buzz phrase has been around.Continue Reading

• Big data storage and analytics

  There are two basic types of big data analytics—synchronous and asynchronous—but both have big data storage appetites and specialized needs.Continue Reading

• Data storage strategies for virtual environments

  Howard Marks shares advice on how storage differs in virtual server, virtual desktop and cloud environments.Continue Reading

• The benefits of data archive storage

  Data archiving is firmly entrenched as a storage management best practice. SearchStorage surveys indicate that 70% of companies use some form of archiving for email, file systems, databases or other applications. Archiving yields multiple benefits, ...Continue Reading

• Comparing DIMM-connected flash vs. PCIe flash benefits

  Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses DIMM-connected flash as compared with PCIe flash benefits in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• How OpenStack Storage fits in the larger open source OpenStack picture

  IDC analyst Ashish Nadkarni explains how OpenStack Storage's Swift and Cinder fit into the larger open source OpenStack cloud computing platform.Continue Reading

• How OpenStack Block Storage differs from traditional block storage

  OpenStack Block Storage differs from integrated stacks of traditional block storage, says IDC analyst; it's more akin to storage virtualization.Continue Reading

• Complete guide to Hadoop technology and storage

  Learn how Apache Hadoop works, some of its benefits and drawbacks, and what it means for big data and cloud storage.Continue Reading

• Data storage options: Exploring clustering, pooling, unified systems

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin discusses several different options for storing large data sets on traditional storage systems.Continue Reading

• Using an object storage system as a traditional array alternative

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin discusses how object-based storage provides better flexibility and scalability than traditional shared storage.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding tradeoffs include additional storage, disk update needs

  Erasure coding tradeoffs include requirement for additional data storage, need to update extra disks for redundancy purposes, UC professor cautions.Continue Reading

• Future of data storage: Addressing traditional architecture problems

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin discusses the main issues with traditional primary storage options and how those issues are being addressed.Continue Reading

• Are NAND flash wear-out issues solved?

  Dennis Martin of Demartek discusses whether NAND flash wear-out is still a concern in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding brings trade-off of resilience vs. performance

  IT's decision on using erasure coding in storage rests on data importance, durability more than amount of data, says storage consultant Marc Staimer.Continue Reading

• Micron adds RPMC support to NOR flash devices for improved security

  Micron announced its Replay-Protection Monotonic Counter (RPMC) feature is now available for its serial NOR flash memory devices.Continue Reading

• What to consider when storing data in the cloud

  Storage administrators who want to keep data in the cloud need to consider collaboration regulations, cost factors and performance requirements.Continue Reading

• Amazon S3 API for cloud storage leads pack, for now

  Vendors continue to add support for Amazon's S3 API, but will alternative APIs knock it down from its current status of the de facto standard?Continue Reading

• Big data storage architecture: Categories, strengths and use cases

  We explore distributed nodes, scale-out NAS, all-SSD arrays and object storage as choices for a storage architecture for big data.Continue Reading

• SCSI controller (Small Computer System Interface controller)

  A SCSI controller, also called a host bus adapter (HBA), is a card or chip that allows a SCSI storage device to communicate with the operating system across a SCSI bus.Continue Reading

• Auto tiering vs. caching in hybrid storage systems

  Auto tiering and caching provide similar benefits in hybrid storage systems, but are different technologies with different capabilities and use cases.Continue Reading

• Choosing the correct laptop SSD

  Leah Schoeb, partner with Evaluator Group, discusses the important considerations for selecting the right laptop SSD.Continue Reading

• Use Windows Server 2012 R2's Storage QoS feature to boost performance

  Learn how the new Storage QoS feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 can boost storage performance and make the best use of capacity.Continue Reading

• FlexPod architecture: Top five things you should know

  FlexPods may seem like an easy way to implement storage and a hypervisor at once, but Brien Posey explains there are several things to consider first.Continue Reading

• Avoid VDI performance issues with monitoring, testing and tools

  Steer clear of VDI performance issues with freeware monitoring and internal testing methods, and free up storage and staff resources as well.Continue Reading

• Can object storage systems be used with file-based apps?

  Learn how to use applications such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Server with object storage systems on the back end.Continue Reading

• EMC World 2013: EMC ViPR has vendor on software-defined storage route

  EMC ViPR, the vendor's software-defined storage technology, is designed to manage heterogeneous storage as one pool while adding cloud features.Continue Reading

• MRAM technology likely choice as post-flash solid-state storage

  NAND flash-based storage is becoming a common alternative, but NAND flash could soon be replaced by newer forms of non-volatile memory like MRAM technology.Continue Reading

• Hyper-V 3.0's virtual Fibre Channel feature explained

  Microsoft MVP Brien Posey walks users through the process of establishing virtual Fibre Channel connectivity from a virtual machine to SAN storage.Continue Reading

• Rackspace cloud storage features open source software, simple pricing

  Rackspace cloud storage features open source OpenStack Object Storage, Akamai Content Delivery Network and a relatively simple pricing model.Continue Reading

• NexGen Storage Inc. n5-150 Storage System

  IT admins using the NexGen Storage n5-150 Storage System can guarantee performance to each app and isolate workloads from one another on the SAN.Continue Reading

• Can shared storage be used with Hadoop architecture?

  Storage expert John Webster discusses three ways to use shared storage together with Hadoop architecture in this Ask the Expert answer.Continue Reading

• Choosing the right SSD application for addressing VDI boot storms

  Marc Staimer, founder of Dragon Slayer Consulting, discusses how to choose the right SSD application for VDI boot storms in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Ten questions to help compare cloud storage services

  Cloud storage expert Arun Taneja suggests 10 questions to help you successfully compare cloud storage services.Continue Reading

• Expert Video: Brien Posey on Windows Server 2012 iSCSI features

  Microsoft MVP Brien Posey discusses how to configure iSCSI using the Windows Server 2012 iSCSI Target feature in this expert video webcast.Continue Reading

• Enterprise storage system: 2012 Products of the Year finalists

  Find out the 15 product finalists in the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com enterprise storage system category.Continue Reading

• Should you believe vendors’ jaw-dropping solid-state performance specs?

  The benefits of solid-state storage are clear -- cool running, space-saving and blistering performance. But just how “blistering” is that performance? Data storage vendors toss previously unheard of numbers around, like millions of IOPS, to show the...Continue Reading

• Hot data storage technologies for 2013

  These six storage technologies will play pivotal roles in transforming data centers in 2013.Continue Reading

• What to expect when using HDFS in Hadoop architecture

  Analyst John Webster details issues with Hadoop architecture and what users can expect from Hadoop Version 2.0.Continue Reading

• Comparing scale-out and object-based storage systems

  Scale-out and object-based storage systems are both built for scaling, but metadata characteristics are the difference maker.Continue Reading

• Understanding unified storage architecture

  Randy Kerns explains that there's more than one way to build a unified storage architecture in this Storage Decisions 2012 TechTalk.Continue Reading

• Windows Storage Server 2012 adds enterprise-grade features

  Microsoft added enterprise features to Windows Storage Server 2012, but experts say it's unlikely to result in enterprise demand for the OEM product.Continue Reading

• Understanding unified storage architecture

  Randy Kerns explains that there's more than one way to build a unified storage architecture in this Storage Decisions 2012 TechTalk.Continue Reading

• Enterprise IT shops now choose SSD storage

  Despite high costs, more enterprise IT shops now choose SSD storage for their I/O-intensive applications.Continue Reading

• DRAM SSD vs. NAND SSD: Let the FUD begin

  This tip looks at areas such as volatility, performance and longevity where buyers will want to weigh the difference between DRAM SSD and NAND SSD.Continue Reading

• PCIe SSD technology offers benefits beyond speed

  In this Q&A, expert Mark Peters looks beyond speed and talks about some of the price and performance benefits of PCIe SSDs.Continue Reading

• Third-party tools help with VMware monitoring for storage

  Third-party tools provide a single interface to help IT shops monitor the performance of storage, servers and network traffic in VMware environments.Continue Reading

• Server virtualization and storage management: Better integration, specialized tools

  Virtualization and storage management still presents challenges, but nowadays it provides tighter integration and more effective management tools.Continue Reading

• Despite its limitations, DAS solutions still find role in data center

  Despite limitations, DAS solutions still have a role in data centers, thanks to PCIe solid-state storage products and cloud computing requirements.Continue Reading

• VDI infrastructure and storage platform choices: SAN vs. NAS, Fibre Channel vs. iSCSI

  Read up on how SAN and NAS compare in terms of their ability to support a VDI infrastructure, and then drill down for details on Fibre Channel SAN vs. iSCSI SAN.Continue Reading

• Persistent VDI vs. non-persistent VDI and their effect on storage resources

  Learn the difference between persistent VDI and non-persistent VDI, how they affect storage and which one carries advantages in terms of capacity and backup requirements.Continue Reading

• Dell storage products roadmap includes server flash, primary dedupe

  The Dell storage products roadmap outlined at Dell Storage Forum 2012 includes server-based flash, storage virtualization and primary data reduction.Continue Reading

• vSphere file systems: VMFS 5 plus VMFS vs. NFS

  Learn what makes VMFS unique among file systems, what VMFS 5 brings to the table and how to configure it. Plus, get info on VMFS vs. NFS.Continue Reading