Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
What is a DASD?
Why aren't you using iSCSI HBAs?
If you have an iSCSI SAN, chances are that you aren't using iSCSI HBAs. But maybe you should be. Continue Reading
Maximum number of drives in a RAID-5 set
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Four examples of NAS architecture
Separate HBAs for tape access
Is my SCSI controller compatible with my tape drive?
Connecting multimode fiber cable to single mode
Why do restores take longer than backups?
What is scratch media in Backup Exec and does it contain valid data?
What is scratch media? Learn what it is, how to create it and use it effectively with Backup Exec from Symantec.Continue Reading
HBA-to-server ratio for high availability
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Recommended distance for a DR site
How to isolate and solve performance bottlenecks
Find out how to determine whether your subsystem or application is the cause of I/O wait states -- and what to do about the problem.Continue Reading
NAS gateway versus SAN-attached server
How to scan your SAN
Trying to recreate SAN diagrams with no documentation to guide you? These scanning tools might help.Continue Reading
Should we use CAT 5 cabling to assign an IP?
How do I connect a Fibre Channel switch to a router?
Connecting a Fibre Channel switch to a router
Point: Why does a SAN access data from the server faster than a hard drive?
How to test your UPS
Uninterruptible Power Supplies are extremely rugged beasts -- which is both good news and bad news for storage administrators who rely on them.Continue Reading
Point: Why is multimode fiber cable used more than single mode fiber cable?
The smart way to lease storage
If you're thinking about leasing storage technology, you'll want to check out this tip before you sign anything.Continue Reading
Point: What's so great about block-level access?
Tools for scanning and mapping the SAN
How to prevent common problems in SATA drives
Problems in SATA drives generally stem from one of two causes. This tip will tell you how to prevent both.Continue Reading
The difference between SATA and FATA
How much information is 350 terabytes?
What is a storage group?
What is a host storage domain?
How to troubleshoot SANs using WWN zoning
Identifying devices by their World Wide Name (WWN) when setting up zones on a SAN makes configuration easier, but it also provides some maintenance and troubleshooting advantages.Continue Reading
Advanced RAID functions
Part one introduced you to hot swapping, online capacity expansion and online RAID level migration. Part two exposes you to N-way mirroring, splitting and hiding and more.Continue Reading
Should you choose a SATA-based array?
The new, "cheap" SATA drives may not be as cost-effective as you think.Continue Reading
The differences between Veritas Volume Manager and EMC SRDF
What are the benefits of increasing storage on my 6 GB hard drive?
What is an intelligent switch?
Enterprise-class RAID functions: What they are and when to use them
This column explains these less familiar enterprise-class RAID features, starting with a set of features that ensure system uptime and flexibility.Continue Reading
Top 10 tips on storage management
Jamie Gruener offers his top 10 pieces of advice for storage managers.Continue Reading
Is it possible to implement a cluster with NAS technology?
Software mirroring vs. hardware mirroring
Point: What topics should user acceptance testing cover?
How to document a SAN
Effective SAN documentation will keep your systems up and running even if your entire staff gets hit by a bus.Continue Reading
Security concerns for maintaining multiple operating systems on the same host
What is a NAS head?
The differences between iFCP and FCIP?
What are the pros and cons of micro-zoning?
Advantages of ATA and SATA disk drives
FCIP vs. iFCP
Mark Farley discusses the difference between iFCP and FCIP.Continue Reading
Three kinds of storage virtualization
What is a high availability VPN?
What is the difference between FCP, FCIP and iFCP?
What is the fastest SAN on the market?
Configuring your first SAN: Creating your LUNs
Configuring your first SAN: Usable versus raw storage
Making it a simple transition from NAS to SAN
Pros, cons of host-based technology for data migration
There are a number of good reasons to use host-based technologies for data migrations, and some bad ones. This tip covers both.Continue Reading
How to assign LUNs in a SAN
How WWNs are associated with LUNs
Is SAN implementation more expensive than NAS?
Six steps to improving disk throughput
In Windows 2000, while the disk system is the logical suspect in performance degradation, it's not the only possible culprit--it may mean you need more memory.Continue Reading
Calculating parallel availability
What to consider when calculating availability
Discussing the pros and cons of SAN vs. NAS
NAS vs. Windows file server
CD-ROM vs. DVD for long term storage
Name servers in a multi-switch SAN fabric
How many storage admins do you need?
When creating your dedicated storage management group, there are better ways to determine staff levels than relying on a simplistic metric based on the number of terabytes per manager.Continue Reading
Creating an iSCSI SAN using only Ethernet switches
Set up persistent binding on an HBA
In this Ask the Expert Q&A, SAN expert Chris Poelker gives you the code to set up persistent binding on an HBA for a Unix host.Continue Reading
The best way to connect a NAS to a SAN
What is write order fidelity?
What is the format of WWN?
RAID-2 isn't being used much anymore
What causes slow startup in Windows 2000
Failure to keep your service packs up-to-date is one reason Win2000 can be slow to startup. Find out in this tip how the problem has been corrected.Continue Reading
Using NAS for database storage
This tip takes a look at online yellow page company YP.Net, and shows how their CTO optimized the company's database for high performance, and why he chose NAS storage over SAN.Continue Reading
Why port zoning is more important
Which switches to consider for iSCSI SANs
Which switch is best for an iSCSI SAN? Chris Poelker helps you determine the options.Continue Reading
The difference between volume and a LUN
The difference between Veritas Volume Replicator and Storage Replicator
An expert's recommendation for a SAN failover method
How FC-AL and FC-SW switches are implemented
SAN vs. NAS file sharing
How Sarbanes-Oxley will affect publicly traded companies
The best practices of storage management
If you're going to try new technologies, you need to implement them with new processes and procedures to maximize their benefits. This tip will show you how.Continue Reading
Defining critical storage management functions
In this tip, expert Brett Cooper lists several leading areas critical to managing the day-to-day storage environment and a highlights a few improvements of current processes.Continue Reading
Guide to implementing iSCSI
If you are thinking about implementing iSCSI take a look at our updated guide to iSCSI implementation. Included here: tips and advice on how and were iSCSI can save you money.Continue Reading
CIFS and protocols
You have a good understanding of the issue. Because of the stateful case of CIFS, a failover will still require an intervention on the accessing client. Basically it results in a retry but you must respond.
Continue ReadingTroubleshooting Fibre Channel host bus adapters in PCs
Installing HBAs to connect a desktop system to a SAN doesn't always go smoothly. This tip will help you get the HBA working in short order.Continue Reading
iSCSI, FC, zoning and speed
RDCs and SDCs: How to replicate data between clustered nodes
Backup and availability experts describe the difference between using a replicated data cluster (RDC) versus a shared data cluster (SDC), and why one is better.Continue Reading
Set up RAID on tape
How do you get better tape performance? Why not try setting up a tape RAID system? This tip explains how to get it done.Continue Reading
New FC-AL technology ushers in "SBOD"
New technology puts what amounts to an FC-AL switch and allows the controller to establish point-to-point connections between a storage device and the controller.Continue Reading
Make sure you inventory your tapes
Some advice on conducting periodic inventories of your tapes.Continue Reading
The SNIA shared storage model
You need to know about this new standard in the market.Continue Reading
Questions a CIO should ask when considering consolidation, Part 1
How will you implement RAID?
Different ways and tradeoffs for each.Continue Reading
SAN migration and implementation
How and where to use snapshot technology
Discover the differences among snapshot, clone and snapclone.Continue Reading
Data management, the next major vendor battleground
Bits & Bytes: Storage expert Randy Kerns explores the importance of lifecycle data management and why vendors need to deliver a timely and effective solution.Continue Reading
How to secure NFS access to NAS devices
Bits & Bytes: Security expert Vijay Ahuja discusses several approaches to prevent unwarranted user access to NAS devices, when made via the Network File System (NFS).Continue Reading
Which SAN cache do you need?
Beware of data loss in cache.Continue Reading
Fibre Attached Storage products