Problem solve

Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• How do I choose the right RAID level for my SMB?

  Greg Schulz explains how to choose the right RAID level for your SMB in this Ask the Expert response. Continue Reading

• Reducing data storage costs for SMBs: Six storage budget tips

  In this tip, learn how SMBs can cut costs for data storage by outsourcing their storage, using data deduplication, negotiating prices, and looking into open-source alternatives. Continue Reading

• Tips for an effective data deduplication implementation

  When implementing data deduplication into a storage environment, users need to know their data, test vendor dedupe claims with their actual data and avoid deduping compressed data. Continue Reading

• How to select a storage automation product

  Features to look for include a configuration management database with a scalable data collection mechanism, operationally focused reporting, a service portal and task automation. Continue Reading

• Data classification best practices for tiered storage

  Classifying data for tiered storage may sound simple, but it's not. Learn best practices for effective tiered storage, including capacity planning and data archiving technology. Continue Reading

• Choosing a storage system for data archiving

  Learn whether a unified, multiprotocol storage system or a consolidated storage system is best for archiving data in your business. Which one allows the index and content to share space, and eases management?Continue Reading

• Server-based operating systems vs. PC-based operating systems

  Greg Schulz explains the differences between server-based operating systems and PC-based operating systems in this ATE response.Continue Reading

• Clustered network attached storage (NAS) for SMBs

  Should you use a clustered NAS for your SMB?Continue Reading

• Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency

  Green storage best practices control power and cooling costs, and increase energy efficiency in your data center. Tiered storage, consolidating storage arrays, solid-state drives (SSDs) and MAID can help.Continue Reading

• Data retention policies and procedures for SMBs

  Data retention isn't just something larger enterprises can afford to worry about; it's also important for SMBs to have data retention policies and procedures in place.Continue Reading

• Security benefits of storage area networks

  Jeff Boles explains some of the security benefits of storage area networks (SANs) in this Ask the Expert question.Continue Reading

• Best practices for using server virtualization in your storage environment

  Among the best practices to consider when using server virtualization, and VMware in particular, are monitoring virtual machine performance and eliminating single points of failure.Continue Reading

• Best practices for effective thin provisioning

  Thin provisioning allows storage capacity that has been allocated to various apps or servers, but not actually consumed, to be shared. This allows you to use less disk capacity.Continue Reading

• Ten signs you're ready for a storage area network (SAN)

  Storage area networks (SANs) used to be reserved for larger enterprises, but that's changing, and SMBs are implementing SANs. Here's 10 signs you're ready for a SAN.Continue Reading

• Controlling unstructured file data storage growth: Five storage reduction tips

  By its nature, unstructured file data storage is uncontrolled and a quite unruly. Here are five tips on how to reduce your file data storage growth.Continue Reading

• Three tips for ensuring a user-friendly email archiving system

  User acceptance is crucial to an email archiving project. Learn how complete integration, offline access and mobile access ensure a user-friendly email archiving system.Continue Reading

• How storage blades work in today's data centers

  This podcast explains how storage blade technologies work with server and storage virtualization, as well as with Cisco Systems' new unified computing system (UCS).Continue Reading

• Reducing storage network complexity with FCoE

  Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) enables companies to retain an existing Fibre Channel (FC) infrastructure, keep existing FC management tools in place, provide the same level of performance (with data center Ethernet) and lower costs.Continue Reading

• Tiered data storage strategies for SMBs

  The goal of tiered storage is to get data on the appropriate storage system. For SMBs, three tiers typically suffice: primary, which is generally a midrange Fibre Channel or NAS option; secondary, such as SATA disk; and tape.Continue Reading

• SaaS shopping list for SMBs

  Storage-as-a-service (SaaS) companies have changed how they operate. Learn what to look for when shopping for an online data backup provider with this product features checklist.Continue Reading

• Clustered storage essentials: What to ask your vendor

  Here are eight esstential questions to ask your clustered stoage vendor. .Continue Reading

• Blade storage for SMBs: The pros and cons

  The blades in blade chassis are server blades, with storage being some combination of direct-attached storage, network-attached storage or a storage area network. Learn about the pros and cons of blade storage for SMBs.Continue Reading

• Five tips to save data storage costs for SMBs

  SMBs are storing new data at alarming rates. Most SMBs have budget reduction initiatives, but have little control over the amount of data produced. In this tip, we'll review five opportunity areas for SMBs to achieve data storage cost savings.Continue Reading

• The value of easy-to-use SAN storage

  Storage-area network (SAN) storage is in a period of major change—it's getting much easier. In tight economic times, it makes sense for storage pros to consider these easy-to-use options despite some of their drawbacks.Continue Reading

• SAN storage consolidation checklist

  Learn about the critical questions you need to ask and answer before considering a storage-area network (SAN) storage consolidation project.Continue Reading

• Using NAS NFS with VMware ESX: Technology pros and cons

  NAS NFS can be an efficient network storage methodology when dealing with VMware ESX and thousands of virtual machines, but NAS performance can be an issue.Continue Reading

• What you need from a third-party storage service provider

  Third-party data storage vendors can help SMBs with limited resources make strategic decisions and navigate data storage. This tip will help you make the important decisions that are involved in selecting third-party support.Continue Reading

• Thin provisioning storage products for SMBs

  Thin provisioning can provide many benefits for data storage infrastructures in SMBs. In this tip, Ann Silverthorn explores what SMBs should look for in thin provisioning storage products.Continue Reading

• A case for 8 GB Fibre Channel

  Since 4 GB Fibre Channel (FC) was introduced, there have been significant changes in data centers, including server virtualization, a focus on power and cooling, and the rapid acceptance of solid-state disk (SSD). These factors, combined with the ...Continue Reading

• Storage area network options for SMBs

  While many SMBs are increasingly looking to deploy a storage area network (SAN), many experts agree that a full-scale deployment could be overkill. This tip takes a look at the various storage area network options that are available for SMBs.Continue Reading

• Choosing a midrange network-attached storage (NAS) system

  Midrange network-attached storage (NAS) appliances can be an affordable solution for SMBs in today's do-more-with-less economic climate. Learn how to choose the NAS system that best fits your storage environment.Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel SAN versus iSCSI SAN: Cost and scalability considerations

  Buying a new block-based storage array can be tough decision for data storage managers at SMBs. In the second part of our series on Fibre Channel and iSCSI storage area networks (SANs), we will discuss the cost and scalability considerations of each...Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel SAN versus iSCSI SAN: Reliability and performance

  Buying a new block-based storage array can be tough decision for data storage managers at SMBs. In this first part of our series on Fibre Channel and iSCSI storage area networks (SANs), we'll compare the reliability and performance of these ...Continue Reading

• How to determine a NAS system's scalability

  This tip covers scalability limitations of a network-attached storage (NAS) system, including maxed managed file limits, IOPS and throughput limits, and capacity limits. It can help you avoid application outages that occur when storage reaches ...Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of storage capacity management tools

  Learn what storage capacity management tools can and can't do by looking at the operational problems they're attempting to solve.Continue Reading

• iSCSI vs. Fibre Channel for SMBs

  Deciding whether to use iSCSI or Fibre Channel to build your storage area network (SAN) can be crucial to effectiveness of the implementation. This tip discusses the pros and cons of iSCSI and Fibre Channel in the SMB market.Continue Reading

• How to evaluate and purchase a SAN

  The Royal Horticultural Society's network manager Martin Taylor guides users through the process of evaluating and purchasing a SAN.Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of solid-state drives for notebook computers

  A solid-state drive (SSD), like the name suggests, consists of flash memory, similar to what's in USB flash drives or Secure Digital media cards. This tip discusses the The pros and cons of solid-state drives in an SMB environment.Continue Reading

• Secure DAS without breaking the bank

  Whether you're using direct-attached storage (DAS) for primary data storage, backups or archiving, there are a ton of security issues affecting storage confidentiality, integrity and availability. Here are four DAS security issues SMBs can't afford ...Continue Reading

• How to make smarter storage purchasing decisions

  When do storage buyers have the most leverage? What's the most important factor when deciding on a data deduplication solution? How do you avoid storage stovepipes? Storage Decisions speakers can help you make smarter storage purchasing decisions.Continue Reading

• What are the key differences between SATA II vs. SATA I?

  New SATA II-based drives will make their way into the enterprise because of three features: port multipliers, port selectors and native command queuing.Continue Reading

• Considerations when selecting a data storage VAR

  Data storage for SMBs has moved beyond basic email and data files to include increasingly larger file formats like podcasts and video streams. In this tip, Martha Young outlines considerations SMBs should make when selecting a data storage VAR.Continue Reading

• High performance computing demands special backup approach

  For storage administrators, the increasing popularity of HPC servers translates into unique backup challenges.Continue Reading

• How to choose a SAN switch for SMBs

  Storage environments in SMBs can range from a few servers and a couple of terabytes, to hundreds of servers and hundreds of terabytes. In this tip, Greg Schulz discusses some of the features to look for in a SAN switch in iSCSI, FCl, FCoE or ...Continue Reading

• Do you really need NAS?

  There are no short, hard-and-fast rules when it comes to determining if a small to midsized business (SMB) needs network-attached storage (NAS). In this tip, Tory Skyers discusses the advantages and disadvantages of networked storage in an SMB ...Continue Reading

• Getting started with data deduplication

  When it comes to data storage, many small to midsized businesses (SMBs) have requirements similar to those of larger firms. This tip answers the questions that SMBs should be considering when getting started with data deduplication.Continue Reading

• FAQ guide: How Fibre Channel over Ethernet can consolidate networks

  Storage analyst Greg Schulz answers the questions he hears most about FCoE, including where it fits in the market, when FCoE products will become available, and how it compares to iSCSI and 10 Gigabit Ethernet.Continue Reading

• Secure your iSCSI storage

  A Fibre Channel (FC) storage-area network (SAN) is physically no more secure than an iSCSI one; it's just far more difficult to get to. In this tip, Mark Arnold discusses best practices for small to midsized businesses (SMBs) to secure their iSCSI ...Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of thin provisioning

  Most storage area networks (SANs) have a section in their marketing material entitled "Thin Provisioning," but what is it, how does it work and why does it matter? In this tip, Mark Arnold discusses how thin provisioning can help with both the ...Continue Reading

• How SMBs can ensure storage security

  With minimal time and a small budget, many small and midsized businesses (SMBs) often struggle to achieve reasonable information security. In this tip, Kevin Beaver discusses the keys areas that SMBs can address to ensure data storage security.Continue Reading

• Does a storage device exist inside a NAS unit or is it connected externally?

  Business continuity expert Pierre Dorion discusses network-attached storage.Continue Reading

• How does content-addressed storage differ from backup?

  The term content-addressed storage (CAS) refers to systems that store data in such a way that an object cannot be duplicated or modified once it has been stored. In this tip, Russ Fellows discusses how CAS differs from backups and how this ...Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting SAN performance issues

  SAN troubleshooting is tough because good design is not always obvious and Fibre Channel standards make interoperability a concern. This tip will review some common problem areas with SANs, describe how to diagnose problems and offer some ...Continue Reading

• Moving from DAS to NAS

  As the volume of data and the number of users in SMBs grow, direct-attached storage (DAS) becomes harder to manage. In this tip, Rick Cook discusses how SMBs can benefit from adding storage to their existing networks in the form of NAS.Continue Reading

• Tiered storage for SMBs

  If an SMB hasn't already deployed an iSCSI SAN or NAS filers, they're probably about to. This tip discusses how SMBs can increase the cost savings of consolidating storage by implementing tiers of storage instead of throwing everything on the same ...Continue Reading

• Data storage security issues for SMBs

  Federal compliance is as complex for the SMB as it is for the large enterprise. This tip discusses how your business can implement a secure business and technology storage environment to ensure it meets the required standards.Continue Reading

• How to boot from a SAN

  Not too long ago, the idea of storing a server's operating system on the SAN was treated with skepticism. Now, with the growing adoption of iSCSI storage, some SMBs moving to networked storage are reconsidering having their servers boot from shared ...Continue Reading

• Data protection for virtual server environments

  The loss of a physical server that supports multiple virtual machines can have a very significant impact on SMBs and all of the applications supported on those servers. Check out this tip to learn how your business can re-architect its data ...Continue Reading

• How to consolidate NAS boxes

  By now, we all know that network-attached storage (NAS) can provide benefits for small-midsized businesses (SMBs). However, managing more than a few NAS devices quickly becomes a burden, swapping the value out of NAS simplicity. This tip discusses ...Continue Reading

• Data footprint reduction for SMBs

  For SMBs wanting to address green storage issues, as well as data management issues, establishing a holistic data footprint reduction strategy is a must. This tip discusses how your business can address these issues while boosting overall data and ...Continue Reading

• Determining the number of drives in a RAID group

  How many drives in a RAID group will it take to give you the performance you need for a database or email or file server, or for that new VMware implementation?Continue Reading

• Determining the right SAN protocol

  Which transports and protocols should you use in your SAN? Here are suggestions on when to use iSCSI, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand.Continue Reading

• Is clustered NAS for SMBs?

  Clustered storage is not just for large enterprises. This tips explores how clustered network-attached storage (NAS) can be leveraged in the small-midsized business (SMB) market.Continue Reading

• What you need to know before implementing NAS clusters

  Now that we've examined the reasons why clustered NAS is getting more popular with storage managers and dispelled the biggest myths about clustered NAS, you're almost ready to deploy a clustered NAS solution. But first you have to know what ...Continue Reading

• How to plan for a disaster before a software upgrade

  Jeff Pelot at the Denver Health Hospital and Medical Center treats upgrades carefully after a simple software change disrupted his DR plan. In addition, read more about how big files can mean big backup problems, and how to keep your data locked ...Continue Reading

• Five ways to control RAID rebuild times

  Hard disk capacities are rapidly increasing, and so are RAID rebuild times. This article offers five tips for keeping RAID rebuilds reasonable.Continue Reading

• Top considerations when buying a NAS array

  Purchasing a NAS platform for your organization requires careful consideration. This article outlines the most important things to consider before making a decision.Continue Reading

• How to create an RFP for NAS

  Creating an RFP will help you boil your NAS vendor choices down to a manageable few. And your NAS RFP should include one technology: thin provisioning.Continue Reading

• Tips for creating LUNs

  LUNs are the cornerstone of a server's relationship with its attending storage platform. This article details what you need to consider when creating LUNs.Continue Reading

• How many bytes for...

  This page provides tables and other information about how many bytes are required (how much computer storage) for various information objects or purposes; it also summarizes some facts that have been gathered about how much information exists in the...Continue Reading

• RAID tutorial: Picking the right RAID level

  While there are multiple variations of RAID available today, only six levels actually matter for SMBs. Marc Staimer discusses how to choose the right RAID level for your business based on the application data type, the criticality of that data and ...Continue Reading

• NAS system planning strategies

  Implementing a NAS environment requires a lot of planning. This tip tells you why location, power and allocation are vital to consider when installing a NAS.Continue Reading

• How to size a SAN

  If your DAS storage infrastructure has reached its limits, or your existing SAN is out of date or just plain end-of-life, your first step will be to know what your storage requirements are.Continue Reading

• Five questions to ask a VAR before buying an iSCSI storage array

  Here's five questions you should ask a value added reseller before purchasing an iSCSI storage array.Continue Reading

• SAN or NAS?

  Determine whether implementing a storage area network or network-attached storage is right for your business.Continue Reading

• Understanding NAS interconnects: Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet

  Understanding interconnects like Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, which are used to integrate NAS devices into networks, can help you make better decisions on NAS deployments.Continue Reading

• Five steps to calculate data storage capacity requirements

  This tip offers five best practices for controlling storage costs with effective storage capacity planning.Continue Reading

• Why NAS protocols are the language of NAS

  NAS protocols are the language of your NAS system, and understanding how they work is the key to operating a storage network. The main NAS protocols are CIFS and NFS, but iSCSI is gaining ground, and FCoE may be just around the corner.Continue Reading

• Data centers and synchronous replication

  SAN/NAS expert Greg Schulz answers a reader's question regarding synchronous replication for data centers.Continue Reading

• NAS devices remain simple and cost effective

  Despite the lack of some features, NAS continues to gain in popularity because users like the concept of just plugging a device into their Ethernet network and having storage available a few minutes later.Continue Reading

• How can companies get internal sponsorship for an email archiving project?

  This is always a difficult question, but the answer goes back to the three reasons why we believe companies should...Continue Reading

• Storage startup Ocarina Networks reduces primary NAS storage data

  Storage startup Ocarina claims a tenfold reduction of file data on primary storage with a split-band appliance and maintains it can work with files that before were not reducible.Continue Reading

• How to move from DAS to a SAN

  Here's how to move your data from direct-attached storage to your brand-new storage area network.Continue Reading

• How to purchase SAN upgrades

  Every storage area network will inevitably grow to keep pace with the changing needs of enterprise storage. Growth implies more storage capacity, but raw capacity is just the beginning. Growth also means meeting the demand for improved SAN ...Continue Reading

• Network File Sharing vs. Common Internet File System

  Storage expert Greg Schulz explains what you need to know when choosing between Network File Sharing and Common Internet File System.Continue Reading

• Can a NAS filer work for your small business?

  NAS filers are a good option for a small business or department that's not worried about expandability and has fairly simple storage management needs.Continue Reading

• Clustered NAS gaining in popularity

  While clustered storage is often associated with high performance computing, the reality is that mainstream commercial environments are adopting clustered storage, particularly clustered NAS servers, at a rapid rate. These businesses are attracted ...Continue Reading

• Server virtualization may have big disaster recovery payoff

  The biggest impact of server virtualization may be in disaster recovery, specifically in improving the recovery time of applications that you wouldn't dedicate a standby server to.Continue Reading

• Leveraging storage replication for VM disaster recovery

  When you're sizing up storage solutions for DR in a virtual environment, you should consider the issues of vendor support; storage architecture; replication options; deduplication; and recovery options.Continue Reading

• SATA vs. SCSI in RAID

  Storage expert Greg Schulz answers a reader's question: "How does SCSI in RAID compare to SATA in RAID?"Continue Reading

• How to purchase an email archiving tool

  This chapter of the Tiered Storage Buying Guide focuses on the purchase considerations for email archiving tools.Continue Reading

• How to purchase an e-discovery tool

  E-discovery tools provide powerful search capabilities that can quickly process and index billions of files based on keywords and other common metadata. The tools can also present search results in forms that are compatible with litigation ...Continue Reading

• Advanced LUN topics

  LUN migration and other data management topics are addressed in this tip.Continue Reading

• LUN management

  Expanding and partitioning LUNs is explained.Continue Reading

• LUN basics

  Greg Schulz outlines what a LUN is and how it is used.Continue Reading

• Implementing LUNs

  Greg Schulz explains how to create and implement LUNs.Continue Reading

• How to replace a failed drive in an array

  Rick Cook explains how to avoid replacing the wrong drive in an array.Continue Reading

• Why RAID rebuilds obstruct data migration

  The best way to migrate data from 400 GB SATA disks to 750 GB SATA disks calls for a consolidated mid-tier storage solution. If your company does not have a significant enough storage management to justify the purchase of such a solution, your data ...Continue Reading

• Creating half a mirror out of 3 drives totaling 300 GB

  Storage management expert Ashley D'Costa answers a reader's question: "Can I create a logical array from my disk bay, which has two disks totaling 300 GB by installing RAID 0?"Continue Reading

• Comparing different backup strategies

  Review the primary options for backup including direct, network and SAN, and determine which solution is best for your backup strategy.Continue Reading