Tips
Tips
Primary storage devices
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4 NAS devices for enterprises in 2024 and buying factors
If you're considering a NAS device for your organization, discover the factors to evaluate and some vendor offerings to add to your NAS shopping list. Continue Reading
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Charge trap technology advantages for 3D NAND flash drives
Flash drive cells based on charge trap technology have several advantages over older floating gate cells. However, take note of potential reliability issues. Continue Reading
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Fibre Channel vs. iSCSI: What are the differences?
Discover how Fibre Channel and iSCSI compare when it comes to meeting SAN performance, ease of use, manageability, total package and TCO requirements. Continue Reading
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A comparison of distributed file systems
There are many different distributed file systems available, so careful analysis of the options, as well as good project management, helps ensure a successful installation. Continue Reading
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Stay organized with 6 file storage best practices
File storage can quickly become disorganized without organizational planning. Use best practices like retention policies and naming conventions to easily manage file storage. Continue Reading
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7 NAS encryption best practices to protect data
Data storage security is as important now as it's ever been. Encryption is one way to make NAS devices more secure against such threats as ransomware. Continue Reading
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How to set up a NAS: A step-by-step configuration guide
Get the most out of your rackmount NAS appliance by configuring admin accounts, permissions and network access; running a diagnostic check; and configuring advanced options. Continue Reading
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NAS vs. cloud storage: Which is better for your business?
On-site NAS and cloud-based NAS are the two main file storage options. Organizations need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each to make the best choice. Continue Reading
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Consider the advantages and disadvantages of NAS
NAS devices provide file sharing that is easy to manage but may be harder to scale than other storage types. Get to know the advantages and disadvantages of NAS. Continue Reading
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7 guidelines to secure network storage
These practices, including firmware and VPN guidance, protect NAS devices. Use these steps as standalone procedures or incorporate them into your overall security process. Continue Reading
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Explore 7 software-defined storage companies
Software-defined storage offerings are all over the map, in uses, features and types of platform. These seven software-defined storage companies include several IT giants. Continue Reading
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Differences in scale-up vs. scale-out storage
Scaling up and scaling out are both approaches to increase storage capacity. To decide which approach to take, consider short- and long-term requirements. Continue Reading
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A primer on disaggregated storage
Disaggregated storage enables organizations to scale compute and storage separately for high-performance, low-latency workloads. Some benefits are cost savings and flexibility. Continue Reading
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Key features of a distributed file system
Distributed file systems enable users to access file data that is spread across multiple storage servers. A DFS should uphold data integrity and be secure and scalable. Continue Reading
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Best options for video data storage include cloud, tape
Video data storage presents some challenges, such as dealing with large file sizes and compliance. Here's what to consider when assessing storage options for video data. Continue Reading
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5 tips for primary storage ransomware protection
Explore the steps storage administrators can take to safeguard against ransomware. Dive deep into tips on access control, vulnerabilities and storage monitoring. Continue Reading
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What is SAN zoning and what are the different types of zoning?
Zoning can be set up according to server, storage and SAN switch. Discover what type of zoning to use, how zone sets extend SAN segmentation and the various zoning schemas. Continue Reading
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AHCI vs. RAID: Which is better for performance?
The Advanced Host Controller Interface and RAID are fundamental concepts for running an efficient data management and storage infrastructure. Learn the AHCI and RAID basics. Continue Reading
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8 best practices for SAN deployment within SMBs
SMBs face a number of challenges when planning and performing a SAN implementation. Get out in front of an often intricate process with these best practices. Continue Reading
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7 signs a small business should shift from NAS to SAN
Take a deep dive into seven reasons, including performance issues and scalability demands, an SMB would want to ditch NAS in favor of entry-level SAN. Continue Reading
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Compare entry-level SAN arrays for the SMB market
Performance, capacity and data protection features are a few of the many factors SMB organizations should consider in their comparisons of entry-level SANs. Continue Reading
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Calculate HPC storage costs based on these 8 factors
IT teams that want an accurate estimate of HPC storage costs must account not only for the technology itself, but for staffing, support and ongoing operational expenses. Continue Reading
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Immutable storage: What it is, why it's used and how it works
When data files must absolutely, positively remain forever unalterable, immutable storage technology is one affordable approach to consider. Continue Reading
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3 ways to ease the green data storage transition
Energy-efficient storage promises several benefits. Finding the right approach requires carefully assessing available technology, where you keep your data and costs. Continue Reading
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7 steps to retiring storage hardware safely and efficiently
Organizations put a lot of thought into the storage equipment they purchase. The decision to retire that same hardware should get just as much consideration. Continue Reading
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How to deal with the challenges of cloud storage vs. SAN
Whether you're managing cloud storage or a local SAN, both have issues. Compare 13 areas where SAN and cloud storage challenges can arise and find out how to deal with them. Continue Reading
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SAN management best practices for optimizing performance
SANs consolidate resources and provide a high-speed network for storage traffic, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook when it comes to performance management. Continue Reading
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Advantages and disadvantages of using a SAN
SAN benefits include speed, scalability and fault tolerance, but the technology isn't without its drawbacks. Cost and complexity are big concerns for smaller organizations. Continue Reading
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5 ways hybrid cloud storage is changing SAN management
Increasing reliance on cloud storage is changing the way storage area networks are managed and the challenges that SAN admins face in responding to business requirements. Continue Reading
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Troubleshoot SAN issues to improve performance
Common SAN problems include compatibility issues, hardware failures and sluggish storage response times, but a few proven strategies can easily resolve these issues. Continue Reading
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5 signs it's time for a NAS or SAN upgrade
It's easy to tell when it's time to modernize your storage infrastructure if you know the warning signs. Find out what they are and how Liberty Mutual Insurance handled its upgrade. Continue Reading
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5 areas to assess when rethinking storage at the edge
Does your organization have the right edge storage resources? Here's what you need to focus on to ensure your organization keeps pace with changes at the edge. Continue Reading
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Make remote SAN management work in the age of coronavirus
SANs usually aren't configured to allow remote management. Find out what storage admins can do during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure their organization's SAN can be managed remotely. Continue Reading
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SAN vs. HCI: 5 questions to ask
SAN or hyper-converged infrastructure? Which one will become your organization's on-premises technology choice? Discover which approach may ease complexity and control costs. Continue Reading
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Choose the right storage management interface for you
While older storage interfaces were created to meet international standards at the time, storage has evolved, and updated interfaces may be required to manage your infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Using on-premises object storage beyond secondary storage
On-premises object-based storage is replacing traditional storage in areas such as streaming, big data and IoT. Get the latest on how this technology is being used. Continue Reading
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Top 5 storage area network applications for the enterprise
Find out why a SAN makes sense for enterprise applications such as databases, server virtualization, business applications, VDI, and development and testing. Continue Reading
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5 tips to drive edge computing storage success
Ready to boost your edge computing environment's storage? Find out some best practices to follow, including how to integrate with multi-cloud environments and NVMe-oF. Continue Reading
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Computational storage for IoT and other potential use cases
IoT is the main application for computational storage. Another potential use case is inside scale-out server architecture, but those applications are still under development. Continue Reading
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3 key unstructured data storage challenges and how to resolve them
Volume, variety and value make storing unstructured data difficult. We look at how some vendors are helping enterprises get control of their burgeoning data stores. Continue Reading
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4 QLC workloads and why they're a good fit for QLC NAND flash
Find out about the read-intensive applications that work best with QLC NAND. Analytics, data archiving, streaming media and database workloads are all good options. Continue Reading
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3 key problems computational storage devices can solve
This emerging technology brings stored data closer to compute processes, solving latency and performance issues. Discover the three potential advantages of computational storage. Continue Reading
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HPE Memory-Driven Flash targets AI and real-time analytics
HPE's memory-driven approach addresses DRAM and NAND limitations by incorporating storage class memory technology into the storage infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Kubernetes CSI volume plugin and the products that support it
Several volume drivers support the Kubernetes Container Storage Interface volume plugin, making it easier to connect containerized workloads with storage systems. Continue Reading
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Why storage tiering is necessary now more than ever
Tiered storage is making a comeback by incorporating AI machine learning to take advantage of the cost and performance benefits of new SSD and storage class memory technologies. Continue Reading
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Key QLC NAND challenges in the enterprise and how to tackle them
Limited durability and degrading performance are issues with QLC NAND. These challenges limit where the technology can be used, making it best for read-intensive workloads. Continue Reading
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2 storage tiering strategies for modern media
Storage tiering makes a comeback as businesses aim to get the most out of their storage systems. Discover the rules for optimizing both intrasystem and intersystem tiering. Continue Reading
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See how file system structure can drag down NVMe performance
Find out what matters when it comes to file system design and how to prevent file systems from becoming bottlenecks to achieving optimal performance in NVMe-based storage systems. Continue Reading
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When traditional data center technology trumps hyper-converged
Committing to a conventional data center rather than a hyper-converged approach is sometimes the smarter move. We take a look at some reasons to steer clear of HCI. Continue Reading
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5 tips for making flash-based SSDs work with unstructured data
Using flash storage effectively for unstructured data requires upfront analysis of cost, capacity and performance, as well as continued tracking of a rapidly changing flash market. Continue Reading
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Why upgrading to a Gen 6 Fibre Channel network is a good idea
Upgrading to a next-gen Fibre Channel network provides the added performance needed to meet the demands of evolving technologies and workloads, along with other benefits. Continue Reading
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Storage networking technologies explained
Make sure you know the differences among network fabrics, such as Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand, before making decisions about your storage network infrastructure. Continue Reading
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PATA and SATA: The evolution of disk standards
Disk standards have evolved over time, and while PATA and IDE may have reliability on their side, growing support and advancements for SATA may make it the preferred option. Continue Reading
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Repurpose legacy storage systems for reliability and savings
Planning to move to a new data storage platform? Before kicking your older legacy storage hardware to the curb, consider the benefits of repurposing your existing technologies. Continue Reading
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Storage Spaces Direct requirements you need to know about
Microsoft's architecture uses commodity hardware to create highly available, software-defined storage. But success depends on following the vendor's rules and recommendations. Continue Reading
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MAMR hard drives could shake up the storage industry
Microwave-assisted magnetic recording technology may be the next breakthrough HDD technology, promising lower cost and higher reliability than heat-assisted magnetic recording drives. Continue Reading
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Gen 6 Fibre Channel helps support flash, but lacks adoption
Sixth generation Fibre Channel has the potential to solve fabric-level bottlenecks, but companies tend to choose Ethernet because it has evolved more rapidly. Continue Reading
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Storage Spaces Direct builds on Windows Storage Spaces
With the new Direct feature, Windows Storage Spaces can use local storage for failover clusters. It also supports JBOD storage. Continue Reading
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Why the standalone EFSS market isn't going away just yet
Enterprise file sync-and-share allows for simpler file access and sharing on the consumer and business level. Success stories like Box may indicate that EFSS is sticking around. Continue Reading
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Three key strategies to prevent RAID failure
In this tip, analyst Jon Toigo shares several ways storage admins can proactively prevent the failure of RAID arrays. Continue Reading
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Implementing ITIL: Getting started with ITIL v3 service management
Are you implementing ITIL v3 service management? Discover five phases of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library process and the benefits of ITIL. Continue Reading
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iSCSI storage area networks explained
In part two of our series, we examine the features of an iSCSI SAN to help you decide if it's the best SAN technology for your SMB. Continue Reading
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Director switch comparison: Brocade DCX Backbone versus Cisco Systems MDS 9500
Are you looking for director switch for your SAN? We compare the Brocade DCX Backbone and Cisco Systems MDS 9500 offerings in terms of latency, throughput and FCoE support. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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RAID levels defined
This tip offers a listing of the RAID levels in use today and details the characteristics and applications of each. Continue Reading
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Block and file access unite with multiprotocol storage
This tip looks at the pros and cons, as well as when and where to deploy multiprotocol storage, which is also referred to as "unified" storage. Continue Reading