Tips
Tips
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Top 10 enterprise data storage terms from SearchStorage.com
Our list of the top 10 data storage terms allows IT pros to dig deeper into popular storage industry terminology. Continue Reading
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Implementing a network-based storage virtualization appliance
In the fourth installment of our series on storage virtualization, we examine network-based storage virtualization appliances. Continue Reading
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How SSD software can improve SSD cache performance
SSD software vendors claim an improvement in performance over using SSD cache alone. This tip will help you choose the right SSD software. Continue Reading
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Array-based storage virtualization software: How it works and what it's used for
Learn about storage virtualization software in the storage array, including information on how Hitachi Data Systems and NetApp implement the technology. Continue Reading
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Scale-out network-attached storage: Options in today’s market
Scale-out NAS systems are gaining interest due to rapid growth of file data and “big data” analytics. Here’s a look at the scale-out NAS vendors. Continue Reading
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What you should know before choosing a desktop or laptop solid state drive
Desktop and laptop solid state drives are now widely available at affordable prices. Learn what you should consider before adding an SSD to your PC. Continue Reading
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How to implement storage virtualization technology at the server level
Learn about storage virtualization technology at the server-, or host, level, including info on products from Virsto, VMware, DataCore, LeftHand and FalconStor. Continue Reading
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VMware’s vSCSI filter: What it does and how it works
Find out how VMware’s vSCSI filter tool operates upon iSCSI data to handle data loss prevention as well as to offload replication tasks from the host and save money on replication. Continue Reading
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Block-level storage virtualization: Reasons to implement it
Learn about the reasons to implement block-level storage virtualization, in Part 1 of a four-part series. Continue Reading
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Primary storage deduplication options expanding
Primary storage dedupe seems to be on the rise as startups and major vendors extend the technology to arrays, appliances and solid-state storage. Continue Reading
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vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness improve view into arrays in VMware environments
The new vStorage APIs for Storage Awareness (VASA) improve visibility into storage arrays that support VMware environments. In this tip, find out how VASA can help admins better manage storage. Continue Reading
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I/O performance in need of a fix
Despite technological advances, unacceptable I/O performance could hold the entire industry back. Here are some solutions that have materialized. Continue Reading
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Virtual storage appliance market: Categories, capabilities
A virtual storage appliance (VSA) enables shared storage without dedicated storage hardware. Learn about the four loose categories of VSA as well as the capabilities of each category. Continue Reading
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Cloud storage review: Cloud storage requirements to know
In this cloud storage review, learn what differentiates storage in the cloud from cloud storage and the technology requirements associated with cloud storage. Continue Reading
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SSD architecture: Three deployment options
Learn about the three main ways to deploy an SSD architecture, and the pros and cons associated with each approach. Continue Reading
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Weighing the pros and cons of a hybrid cloud model
The hybrid cloud model holds a number of benefits and risks. Read about which ones may be the most valuable, as well as the most concerning, to your company. Continue Reading
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Server virtualization storage performance metrics: Which ones matter?
Get advice on which storage performance metrics you should pay attention to when monitoring and assessing your server virtualization storage environment. Continue Reading
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Cloud initiatives: Prioritizing what goes in the cloud
Firms with new cloud initiatives can become overwhelmed when it comes to moving information to the cloud. Read our tips about why it's a good idea to start with non-strategic apps. Continue Reading
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How to set up an iSCSI connection in Windows Server 2008
Frequent SearchSMBStorage.com contributor and Microsoft MVP Brien Posey offers a crash course in how to set up an iSCSI connection in Windows Server 2008. Continue Reading
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VDI best practices: Making VDI cost-effective for SMBs
Learn how to make VDI cost effective for your company and get VDI best practices in this tip. Continue Reading
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Storage performance management: 10 storage system performance tips
Need some help with your storage performance management? These 10 effective, but often overlooked, tips will help you get the most out of your storage arrays and networks. Continue Reading
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Creating a private cloud: Architecture and building blocks
Creating a private cloud can lead to considerable benefits. In this tip, learn the important steps to take when building a private cloud architecture. Continue Reading
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vSphere Storage I/O Control: What it does and how to configure it
vSphere’s Storage I/O Control enables segmentation of I/O demands by data store, to enable finer-grained I/O prioritization. Find out how Storage I/O Controls works. Continue Reading
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vStorage APIs for Multipathing: How the APIs work
While using vStorage APIs for Multipathing improves storage efficiency, improper configuration and compatibility problems can affect their operation. Find out how the APIs work. Continue Reading
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Tips for implementing an automated storage tiering strategy
Learn about the different vendors that offer inter-array tiering in their products, and determine if it is the right automated storage tiering strategy for your environment. Continue Reading
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Automated storage tiering options for your environment
Automated storage tiering (AST) is an integrated feature in many appliances, but there are several different options to choose from. Continue Reading
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Should you bypass the hypervisor for storage I/O?
Passing storage I/O through a hypervisor can seem inefficient, so does it make sense to bypass the hypervisor and allow virtual machines to mount data storage directly? Continue Reading
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Cloud service-level agreement shields data from outages
With cloud outages still frequent and unpredictable, a cloud service-level agreement provides added protection for organizations looking to safeguard their data. Continue Reading
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VMware’s vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI): How they work and which arrays support them
The vStorage APIs for Array Integration (VAAI) offload storage tasks from the virtual server host to the storage array. Find out which vendors support them and how to disable them. Continue Reading
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Storage vMotion: Application and performance
In this tip, learn how Storage vMotion operates, its uses, its system requirements and the steps to take to perform a Storage vMotion. Continue Reading
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Hyper-V P2V conversion process and storage considerations
Learn how to perform a Hyper-V P2V conversion, and find out how to best handle iSCSI- and Fibre Channel-based storage for Hyper-V guest machines Continue Reading
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Storage thin provisioning benefits and challenges
Storage thin provisioning requires transparency into your storage environment and an understanding of how the technology works. We detail the benefits and challenges. Continue Reading
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Using SSD technology to support memory overcommitment in vSphere
Using SSD in a vSphere environment helps with memory overcommitment. Find out how memory overcommitment works and why SSD is better at supporting it than mechanical disk. Continue Reading
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SAN booting alternatives for data storage managers
SAN booting and server virtualization are fueling the trend toward diskless servers. Learn about the move from internal to external storage, as well as other booting alternatives. Continue Reading
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FCoE SAN multi-hop technology primer
FCoE SAN is growing in popularity, but the lack of multi-hop switching support remains a problem. Find out what vendors and users are doing to improve FCoE performance. Continue Reading
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How to avoid VDI boot storm problems using SSD
Learn about the two ways to use solid-state drives (SSDs) to avoid a VDI boot storm problem, including putting certain files on SSD and using SSD as a caching layer. Continue Reading
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The impact of SSD technology on the network and CPU
SSD technology can have a noticeable effect on the network and CPU utilization. Learn how increased traffic loads can change the bottlenecks in your environment. Continue Reading
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SSD caching vs. primary storage for data placement
SSD caching and primary storage are the two main ways to implement solid-state storage technology with respect to data placement. We explain both strategies. Continue Reading
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Cloud storage options: Public vs. private vs. hybrid cloud storage
Cloud storage options include public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud storage. We weigh their scalability, security, performance, reliability and cost. Continue Reading
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Using NAS storage devices in a virtualized server environment
Are NAS storage devices a fit for a virtual server environment? We list factors in choosing these devices, and explain their impact on your storage systems. Continue Reading
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Storage area network basics you need to know before you buy a SAN
Before you buy a SAN for your SMB, be sure to review these storage area network basics first. Continue Reading
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Hybrid clouds: Three routes to implementation
Are you implementing hybrid clouds in your firm? Find out whether cloud storage software, cloud storage gateways or application integration is the best bet. Continue Reading
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Thin provisioning storage benefits
This tip provides an overview of thin provisioning storage, some of its benefits, and potential downsides. Continue Reading
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SAN performance best practices: More ways to avoid bottlenecks
There are several ways you can fine-tune and improve your SAN performance. Follow our five tips to avoid data storage bottlenecks and improve SAN efficiency Continue Reading
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ATA over Ethernet protocol overview for data storage managers
The ATA over Ethernet (AoE) protocol, backed by Coraid, is used by some data storage managers for low-cost, high-volume storage. Learn 10 AoE protocol facts Continue Reading
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Five ways to improve your storage networks
These five tips will help you fine-tune your storage networks. Learn what you can do to improve your storage network performance, efficiency and resiliency. Continue Reading
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Top five tips for managing storage in a virtual server environment
Server virtualization and virtual desktops can make managing data in a virtual server environment hard. These five tips can help you manage virtual servers. Continue Reading
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RAID technology advances with wide striping and erasure coding
Discover why technology like wide striping, storage virtualization and erasure coding is changing our assumptions about RAID technology and data protection. Continue Reading
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Data storage best practices: Top five storage management answers
We've collected our top five Ask the Expert answers of 2010 to help you learn about data storage best practices for data storage management. Continue Reading
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Getting started with an iSCSI storage system: An iSCSI primer
A lot of SMBs are realizing that iSCSI is a good fit for them. Find out what you need to get started with your first iSCSI storage system. Continue Reading
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Is PCIe SSD right for you? Deploying PCI Express SSD devices
Learn about the PCI Express (PCIe) solid-state drive (SSD) market, how and where to deploy PCIe SSD in your environment, and challenges with the technology. Continue Reading
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Unified storage plays important role in data storage environments
Find out how unified storage works, benefits of the technology, possible challenges with a unified storage architecture and the future of unified networking Continue Reading
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Six tips for buying a used storage system
Are you thinking of buying second-hand data storage equipment to save money? Read these six tips before you buy a used storage system. Continue Reading
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Records retention management: Arm yourself against regulatory scrutiny
Learn how to build a records retention management system that protects you against regulatory scrutiny, satisfies e-discovery requests and manages capacity. Continue Reading
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How to increase your iSCSI SAN's performance
Read this tip to learn about how to increase your iSCSI SAN's performance and learn other iSCSI SAN troubleshooting tips. Continue Reading
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Design your SAN for high availability
How, and at what cost. 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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Understanding storage performance metrics
Learn how to accurately measure storage performance metrics in your data storage system, and discover why your results may differ from vendor benchmark numbers. Continue Reading
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Incorporating an iSCSI storage system into your Ethernet network
iSCSI storage systems have many benefits for SMBs. Here's what you need to know before incorporating iSCSI into your existing Ethernet network. Continue Reading
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Choosing a SAN technology: Fibre Channel vs. iSCSI
In part three of our series, we examine several misconceptions about FC vs. ISCSI SANs and how to choose the right SAN technology for your SMB. 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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Understanding data deduplication for primary storage
When applying data deduplication to primary storage should you use inline deduplication or post-processing deduplication? What data selection criteria should you use when deciding to apply deduplication technology to your primary storage? Continue Reading
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The anatomy of a SAN: Fibre Channel SAN explained
In part one of our series, we examine the features of a Fibre Channel SAN to help you decide if it's the best SAN technology for your SMB. Continue Reading
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Erasure codes: The foundation of RAID 6 arrays
RAID 6 arrays offer users better data protection because they utilize erasure codes that make them more reliable than current conventional parity solutions. Continue Reading
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Clustered NAS: How to choose the right clustered NAS system
Finding the right clustered NAS (or scale-out NAS) system means knowing your storage needs. Learn the questions to ask when evaluating your requirements and the latest offerings. Continue Reading
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Dynamic storage tiering options
Find out why you should deploy dynamic storage tiering, and learn about the various DST product categories and how to choose the right one for your environment. Continue Reading
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Data reduction techniques for primary data storage systems
Learn about the most popular data reduction techniques for your primary data storage systems. Continue Reading
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Self-healing systems and RAID technology
Find out how Atrato, DataDirect Networks, Panasas and Xiotech use RAID technology in self-healing systems and also deal with hard disk drive (HDD) failures. Continue Reading
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Affordable shared storage options for VMware vSphere
In order to use many of the advanced features in VMware vSphere, you need a shared storage device. This tip offers a list of the most common shared storage options from different vendors. Continue Reading
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SRM tools: Choosing the right storage resource management tool for storage provisioning
SRM tools offer capacity reporting, including change management and chargeback, but can be pricey and complicated. Here's what you should know before you invest in SRM tools. Continue Reading
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Unified storage benefits, implementation and challenges
Unified storage, or multiprotocol systems, enable block and file data to be stored in a single system. Learn how to implement, deploy and manage a unified storage system. Continue Reading
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The components that make up a well-balanced data storage system
Learn about the various components in your data storage system including server architecture, HBAs, SAN components and external disks and disk controllers. Continue Reading
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Data storage capacity planning: How to estimate your storage requirements
SMBs should ask themselves these five questions to help them get started with their data storage capacity planning. Continue Reading
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iSCSI in VMware environments: Best practices
Learn why you should treat iSCSI as a storage network, consider using only software initiators in iSCSi and why VMware vSphere 4 is a perfect fit for iSCSI. Continue Reading
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Getting started with cloud archiving: Tips for smaller businesses
Data archiving should be implemented into all data storage environments, and cloud archiving may be the best cost-effective ways for SMBs to go about doing this. Continue Reading
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Solid-state drives vs. hard disk drives: How to justify the cost of an SSD
Learn about the best use cases for solid-state drives (SSDs) and why applications that directly impact revenue are a perfect fit for the technology. Continue Reading
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Data storage management strategies: Managing logical unit numbers (LUNs)
This tip explores the background of LUNs in an SMB data storage environment, the different LUN features vendors have to offer and how to determine what type of LUN is best for you. Continue Reading
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Tiered storage: A look at internal and external tiered storage models
Tiered storage tools can help organizations meet information lifecycle management (ILM) goals. Learn about the internal and external tiered storage tools available from 3PAR, EMC, HDS and IBM. Continue Reading
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How to use flash-based SSDs in your environment
We tell you how the combination of flash memory and SSDs can help your organization achieve higher performance levels, cut storage costs and improve green storage initiatives. Continue Reading
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Choosing a NAS filer for small and medium-sized businesses
Learn what a NAS filer is, if it's suitable for your SMB and how to choose the right one for your data storage environment. 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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Cloud storage pricing revealed: Hidden costs include data migration and access fees
Learn more about the hidden costs of cloud storage, including data migration costs, storage and access fees, portable device handling fees and more. Continue Reading
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Creating a data center migration plan
Your five-step data center migration plan should include an IT assessment, relocation analysis and design, a data migration plan, risk identification and a relocation strategy. Continue Reading
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Data protection and data security for corporate laptops in SMBs
As more people travel with corporate data in their laptops, how can you be sure that data in your SMB environment is secure? Follow these tips to ensure data security in laptops. Continue Reading
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Building a private storage cloud: Essential components
A NAS cluster, commodity servers and an object/metadata management layer are just some of the essential components needed to build your own private storage cloud. Continue Reading
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Avoid data migration project failure: Five best practices
Learn why data migration projects can fail, and how five best practices, such as deduplicating data and documenting the process, can help you avoid cost overruns or delays. Continue Reading
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Performance metrics: Evaluating your data storage efficiency
Learn how performance metrics can evaluate the efficiency of your enterprise data storage resources in terms of capacity utilization, performance and data protection. Continue Reading
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Data migration strategies and best practices
Data migration can be a complicated process. Learn how to make your data migrations seamless. Continue Reading
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Factors to consider when implementing Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
Learn the differences between implementing Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and iSCSI, the costs of upgrading to FCoE and more. Continue Reading
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Data storage for virtual environments: Pros and cons of DAS, NAS, and SAN
Learn about the pros and cons of DAS, NAS, and SAN storage technologies for your virtual environment. Continue Reading
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Addressing storage performance bottlenecks in enterprise data storage
Learn how to address the various types of enterprise data storage performance bottlenecks, including server bottlenecks, storage system bottlenecks and I/O path bottlenecks. Continue Reading
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Data archiving: Three key elements
Whether you're using a consolidated or unified approach, learn why archiving software, storage hardware and management software should be part of any data archiving system. Continue Reading
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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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
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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
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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