Tutorials

Tutorials

• How to monitor NetApp quotas for disks with PowerShell

  NetApp's PowerShell module provides a fast and easy way to automate and monitor NetApp quotas for disks. Learn how with this step-by-step tutorial.  Continue Reading

• Managing NetApp CIFS shares with PowerShell

  NetApp provides a feature-rich PowerShell module to manage CIFS shares. Find out how it works, as well as how to set up a new share and establish permissions.  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

• Implementation choices for solid-state storage devices

  Learn how implementation choices for solid-state storage devices have exploded in the past year. Download the essential guide for handy reference.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud solutions for nearline storage

  Learn how hybrid cloud solutions are becoming a viable option for nearline storage. Download the essential guide for handy desktop reference.  Continue Reading

• Scale-up vs. scale-out network-attached storage

  An overview of use cases and products to help organizations make the decision between scale-up and scale-out network-attached storage.  Continue Reading

• Scale-out storage options boost capacity, I/O performance

  Learn about scale-out storage options: why IT shops are implementing scale-out NAS and how scale-out NAS helps with primary storage.  Continue Reading

• Small businesses storage and midrange storage system buying guide

  Learn how to buy the best midrange storage system for your small business in this buying guide.  Continue Reading

• Users say choosing the best SMB NAS system has gotten a little easier

  Choosing an SMB NAS system has gotten a lot easier, thanks to a plethora of vendors offering full-featured products priced right for SMBs.  Continue Reading

• Cloud storage tutorials

  This four-part series on cloud storage covers the various forms of cloud storage, how early adopters are deploying the technology, and the next phase of innovation and adoption.  Continue Reading

• Hybrid cloud storage appliances for primary data: Addressing cache, scalability

  Find out how hybrid cloud storage appliances address the biggest obstacles users may have to implementing the cloud for primary storage.  Continue Reading

• Data migration best practices for SMBs

  Learn about the data migration tools, techniques, and services available to small- and medium-sized organizations.  Continue Reading

• Virtual server management: Top tips on managing storage in virtual server environments

  We’ve collected our top tips and articles on virtual server storage management. Find out how to best manage your data storage for a virtual server environment.  Continue Reading

• Storage performance monitoring for virtual servers takes app approach

  Storage performance monitoring is moving from siloed tools toward overall system-health solutions. But some proven tools are needed in complex virtual environments.  Continue Reading

• Storage monitoring tools cut hospital's storage performance problems

  Find out why a health care provider turned to storage monitoring tools from Virtual Instruments to help them alleviate application crashes and SFP failures.  Continue Reading

• NAS best practices: Tips on small business NAS devices

  We’ve gathered our top tips and articles to highlight some NAS best practices SMBs should keep in mind before decided to implement a NAS system.  Continue Reading

• IO virtualization: Strategies and approaches to virtual IO technology

  To help you gain a better understanding of virtual IO and consolidating your networks, we've compiled our top tips and articles on IO virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Virtual storage tutorials

  SearchVirtualStorage.com's tutorials provide the in-depth learning information storage administrators need on the topics of data storage issues related to server virtualization and desktop virtualization; SAN and file storage virtualization; and ...  Continue Reading

• Email archiving systems for small businesses

  To help you gain more knowledge on email archiving, we've collected our top tips and articles on email archiving systems for SMBs.  Continue Reading

• Cloud file storage pros and cons

  Discover advantages and disadvantages of cloud file storage, what vendors are in the market, and what environments work well with file storage in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• New wave of automated tiering software eases migration, adds control

  Learn about sub-LUN tiering, the latest in automated tiering software, and how the major storage vendors are promoting the technology with their SSD options  Continue Reading

• Data storage tutorials

  SearchStorage.com's tutorials offer storage professionals comprehensive training on topics such as SANs (storage area networks), NAS (network attached storage), backup, data storage devices, data management, and RAID (redundant array of inexpensive ...  Continue Reading

• Choosing the best virtual server storage: A tutorial

  Choosing primary storage for virtual servers involves balancing performance, capacity, features, and costs. Learn the key factors to pick the best virtual-server storage system.  Continue Reading

• Solid-state storage technology: Transforming storage with NAND flash

  Solid-state storage technology is poised to revolutionize data storage with new implementations of NAND flash; discover the benefits of solid-state storage.  Continue Reading

• Cloud data storage: New technologies make cloud storage more appealing

  Discover the benefits and drawbacks of cloud data storage, get details on players in the private storage cloud space and learn more about cloud storage services.  Continue Reading

• FCoE tutorial: Fibre Channel over Ethernet management challenges

  Our FCoE tutorial explores how three Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) adopters confronted management challenges connected with the technology's deployment; five tips on FCoE.  Continue Reading

• Network-attached storage (NAS) tutorial: Do you need a NAS gateway?

  NAS gateways are more complicated and expensive than NAS filers. Learn if the investment in a NAS gateway in the right choice for your company.  Continue Reading

• Managing data storage in small businesses: A data storage strategy tutorial

  In this tutorial on managing data storage in small businesses, learn about how to choose the best data storage strategy, what your networked storage options are, and the pros and cons of working with a VAR.  Continue Reading

• Data migration process best practices

  A data migration process can be challenging and complicated. Check out these best practices before you begin a data migration process in your SMB.  Continue Reading

• Storage networking tutorial: Upgrading to 8 Gbps Fibre Channel, 10 GbE and FCoE

  This storage networking tutorial lists the factors involved in moving to 8 Gbps Fibre Channel storage, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel over Ethernet, broken down by servers, switches, storage, cables and connectors.  Continue Reading

• NFS Version 4.1 update: pNFS spec approved

  NFS Version 4.1 (NFSv4.1) has been updated with the pNFS spec, and that means faster file service for data storage managers is on the horizon. Check out this three-part tutorial to find out now pNFS promises to improve file optimization.  Continue Reading

• iSCSI SAN storage will remain popular with SMBs: An iSCSI tutorial

  This tutorial looks at the factors driving adoption of iSCSI SANs today and what to consider before deploying iSCSI.  Continue Reading

• Data storage management tools for a virtual server environment

  In virtualized server environments, the need to provide greater visibility and ease allocation of storage for virtual servers has spurred data storage management tools from vendors that sell hypervisors, storage arrays and SRM products.  Continue Reading

• Storage networking: Technology advancements decrease complexity and improve performance

  This guide tells you how technology advancements in SAN infrastructure,10 GbE, and Fibre Channel (FC) switches and iSCSI switches can help your company decrease complexity, lower costs and improve performance.  Continue Reading

• Storage virtualization essentials: Cut costs and increase storage efficiency

  Storage virtualization can cut equipment costs and increase storage efficiency. We examine the pros and cons of storage virtualization architectures, storage virtualization products and how storage virtualization fits into disaster recovery plans.  Continue Reading

• Networked storage for small businesses: A guide to SMB storage networking

  In this essential guide, learn about the best options and the latest trends in storage networking for SMBs. Download it for free.  Continue Reading

• 8 Gbps FC: Price driving adoption of the storage technology

  IT organizations can gain benefits from 8 Gbps Fibre Channel SAN storage technology and the price differential with 4 Gbps gear is shrinking, but its adoption is slower than with 4 Gbps, and, rather than upgrade, some shops may decide to veer off ...  Continue Reading

• Xsigo's I/O virtualization approach: Software virtualization via I/O Director

  Learn about Xsigo's approach to I/O virtualization for reducing network infrastructure complexity, including the pros and cons of the company's VP780 I/O Director system.  Continue Reading

• I/O virtualization: Approaches and implementations

  Learn which companies have offerings in the I/O virtualization space, how they approach network infrastructure problems, and the pros and cons of each product.  Continue Reading

• Alternative approach to I/O virtualization: PCIe bus extenders

  Find out about an approach to I/O virtualization using PCIe bus extenders to a card cage device that houses off-the-shelf I/O cards and adapters.  Continue Reading

• I/O virtualization products, standards reduce network infrastructure headaches

  I/O virtualization products, and standards like the PCI-SIG SR-IOV and MR-IOV, reduce network and storage physical infrastructure needs while easing administrative tasks.  Continue Reading

• I/O virtualization and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE): How do they differ?

  Learn how I/O virtualization and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) differ, and get advice for which product to choose if you take the I/O virtualization path.  Continue Reading

• RAID data storage tutorial: RAID strategies for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)

  In this tutorial on RAID data storage for SMBs, learn about RAID data protection is changing, how to choose the correct RAID level, and optimizing RAID storage for your business.  Continue Reading

• Green storage essentials: Addressing power, cooling and space issues

  This green storage guide provides storage pros with power-saving tips and storage efficiency metrics that address power, cooling and space issues in their storage infrastructure.  Continue Reading

• Multiprotocol and unified data storage tutorial for SMBs

  In this tutorial, learn how to choose the best multiprotocol storage system, and about the block and file storage protocol options available in the latest offerings.  Continue Reading

• iSCSI essentials: A practical guide to iSCSI storage

  Our E-Guide will help data storage pros cut through the hype surrounding iSCSI storage by examining the infrastructure and security factors associated with iSCSI and weighing the benefits of iSCSI against Fibre Channel.  Continue Reading

• Data migration tools take SMBs to the next tier: Data migration and tiered storage tutorial

  SMBs can use inexpensive and easily available migration tools and virtualization platforms to tier storage data, save money, and increase performance.  Continue Reading

• Thin provisioning storage brings utilization and capacity benefits, but with a caveat

  Thin provisioning storage can deliver capacity and utilization benefits to enterprise data storage environments, but it's been hobbled by concerns over capacity allocation overload and sluggish support from major vendors.  Continue Reading

• Storage virtualization benefits: Increasing flexibility and utilization with virtualization

  Our E-Guide will help storage professionals understand storage virtualization benefits and get started with their own storage virtualization project by providing purchasing tips, file virtualization best practices and more.  Continue Reading

• Email archiving strategies: A tutorial on email archiving for smaller businesses and SMBs

  In this tutorial on email archiving strategies for smaller businesses and SMBs, learn about in-house vs. outsourced email archiving, backup vs. archiving, email archiving strategies for smaller businesses and what to look for in an email archiving ...  Continue Reading

• SMB data storage technology tutorials: Storage advice for smaller businesses

  Check out our SMB tutorials on storage topics such as disk-based backup, data management, disaster recovery planning, storage strategy, and more.  Continue Reading

• The expanding tiered storage model

  The tiered storage model is growing, with solid-state drives (SSDs) at the top and cloud backup at the bottom. Find out how these two storage tiers can fit into your storage infrastructure, and learn about changes within the other tiers of storage.  Continue Reading

• Maximizing your enterprise data storage capacity: Improve efficiency and utilization

  Learn how to maximize your enterprise data storage capacity by improving efficiency and increasing utilization of storage systems using a tiered storage approach; storage resource management (SRM), data classification and data migration tools; and ...  Continue Reading

• Tutorials on data storage from SearchStorage.com

  Check out these data storage tutorials on network-attached storage (NAS), solid-state drive (SSD) technology, tiered storage, Fibre Channel, storage-area networks (SANs) and more.  Continue Reading

• Growing data storage infrastructure may require new provisioning tools

  Organizations are reconsidering how they provision data storage and which tools might help to improve their processes due to escalating demands for data storage and virtualization.  Continue Reading

• Data storage provisioning best practices

  Best practices for data storage provisioning start with the need for the many stakeholders to communicate and coordinate so the process will be effective. The team approach will also help with the establishment of policies and rules, as well as tool...  Continue Reading

• Data classification fueled by e-discovery, storage tiering

  Today's data classification products allow storage professionals more automation and the ability to take action on the information they tag and index.  Continue Reading

• E-discovery and building a document retention policy

  Data storage managers need to address document retention policies and email archiving to build a comprehensive e-discovery plan. A litigation hold process should also be included.  Continue Reading

• Tiered storage tutorial

  Find out what tiered storage is, the key technologies behind it, and how tiered storage can lower operational costs while improving application performance.  Continue Reading

• Network-attached storage appliances for SMBs tutorial

  Learn how to select the best network-attached storage (NAS) appliance in this tutorial on NAS purchasing considerations for SMBs.  Continue Reading

• Virtual desktop infrastructure tutorial: Part 2

  In Part 2 of our virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) tutorial, we'll discuss which new products promise to make VDI simpler.  Continue Reading

• Virtual desktop infrastructure tutorial: Part 1

  Data storage is a major consideration for organizations implementing a virtual desktop infrastructure, from capacity planning to performance to costs.  Continue Reading

• SMB storage strategy tutorial

  Developing an effective storage strategy for the data center can be crucial for SMBs. Check out this guide for tips on developing an effective data center strategy, including information on outsourcing storage, cost-effective data security measures ...  Continue Reading

• Special Report: Direct-attached storage

  Direct-attached storage (DAS) is thriving in the enterprise more than ever, and Exchange 2007 is the application leading the DAS revival.  Continue Reading

• Storage Tutorials

  Storage learning guides take you step by step through the storage buying process and list the best practices you need to be aware of before starting any technology upgrade or implementation.  Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel SAN switches tutorial

  Learn all about Fibre Channel SAN switches with these articles on selecting the right switches and the best practices for managing FC switching environments.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for Fibre Channel switching environments

  To find the best switch for your Fibre Channel SAN, you'll need to determine the application throughput and I/O for sizing that SAN.  Continue Reading

• Selecting a Fibre Channel switch: FC switches for your SAN

  One of the key decision points for any organization building a SAN is which Fibre Channel switch to use to connect their servers and storage devices.  Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel tutorial: Fibre Channel SANs vs. iSCSI

  Learn how to choose between Fibre Channel and iSCSI, buy an entry-level SAN, move from DAS to a SAN, troubleshoot SAN performance issues, and more.  Continue Reading

• Midrange NAS arrays product specifications

  Listed here are product specifications for over 25 midrange NAS array products. Find out which storage vendors are offering midrange NAS arrays and what those midrange arrays offer, such as capacity, number of drives, connectivity and transfer rate.  Continue Reading

• NAS best practices: Avoid file management nightmares by planning

  The good news is that you can get a NAS box up and running in 20 minutes. The bad news is that deploying your second, third and fourth NAS system creates a file management nightmare.  Continue Reading

• NAS arrays shouldering more mission-critical enterprise apps

  NAS arrays are moving beyond traditional file serving to running production databases, mission-critical enterprise applications and VMware installations.  Continue Reading

• Realizing benefits of storage consolidation sometimes easier said than done

  When done right, storage consolidation will reduces machine count and increases storage utilization. Just be sure to invest in vendor support, since problems stemming from consolidating a storage infrastructure will have a deep impact.  Continue Reading

• Finding the right CAS system for your organization

  Content-addressed storage (CAS) is a specialized type of archive that provides the inexpensive and high-capacity storage needed to retain data that, although accessed infrequently, still has long-term relevance to the enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Choosing a storage array

  This article offers advice on choosing a storage array, as well as recent SMB storage array news, to help you decide on the right array for your needs.  Continue Reading

• How to select the right storage array

  There are several ways to classify storage arrays. This article details what you need to know about disk arrays before you make a purchase.  Continue Reading

• SAN technology quiz

  By taking this exam, you can evaluate your knowledge of storage area network (SAN) technologies.  Continue Reading

• Index and search software: Product snapshots and specifications

  The product snapshots in this chapter highlight key specifications for a cross section of index and search software products.  Continue Reading

• Guide to index and search software purchase considerations

  Index and search products have emerged as essential enterprise tools. Indexing creates catalogs of file content based on the metadata applied to content as it is stored. Search combs through indexes, comparing criteria against metadata and presents ...  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

• Email archiving product specifications

  Product specifications for email and file/document management tools can help storage administrators evaluating email archiving products quickly and compare them.  Continue Reading

• Purchasing email archiving products for compliance and litigation

  The growing value of email in compliance and litigation is emphasizing the importance of email retention and efficient email access. No longer is the objective of email archiving just to move aging messages for long-term storage, but to also find ...  Continue Reading

• Evaluating and purchasing CAS archives

  Content-addressed storage (CAS) is a specialized type of archive that provides the inexpensive and high-capacity storage needed to retain data that, although accessed infrequently, still has long-term relevance to the enterprise. More importantly, ...  Continue Reading

• Selecting archiving products

  Some data archives are little more than "dumb" disk arrays, but the more sophisticated archives provide data deduplication for single-instance storage, robust power conservation features and immutability for data that may be needed as evidence in ...  Continue Reading

• Storage virtualization consolidation product specifications

  In today's storage consolidation projects, virtualization allows administrators to pool storage from servers and systems to create a single ubiquitous storage resource. Storage virtualization raises storage utilization, saving money by forestalling ...  Continue Reading

• How storage virtualization affects a consolidation initiative

  Few storage consolidation initiatives are complete without virtualization -- usually server virtualization, but often storage virtualization. Not only does virtualization make storage easier to track and manage, it also makes better use of ...  Continue Reading

• Tiered storage buying guide

  The practice of tiered storage has emerged as a way to mitigate this expense by keeping mission-critical data on the fastest disk platforms, while relegating less valuable data to slower and less expensive storage, such as SATA disk or even tape.  Continue Reading

• Storage consolidation: Weighing the pros and cons

  Storage consolidation holds out the promise of more efficient storage management. But pitfalls include slower network performance and a difficult data migration process.  Continue Reading

• Storage consolidation: Storage virtualization overview

  Storage virtualization is an important element of storage consolidation efforts. Learn how storage virtualization allows higher levels of storage utilization. However, storage virtualization adds a layer of management complexity to the storage ...  Continue Reading

• Storage consolidation: Disks and disk subsystems overview

  Any storage consolidation effort must involve a serious consideration of disk subsystems and the specific disk types that those systems will contain  Continue Reading

• Guide to data migration tools for storage consolidation

  One of the hardest parts about storage consolidation is data migration -- knowing what data to move, and when and where to move it. What are the criteria for purchasing a data migration tool?  Continue Reading

• Simplifying data migration product purchases

  Data migration is a key part of any storage consolidation initiative. Learn what product specifications you need to look for when purchasing a data migration tool.  Continue Reading

• Product snapshots: Disk array consolidation products

  Knowing the purchasing criteria for enterprise-class disk arrays, as well as product specs for the leading arrays, can help storage managers make savvy buying decisions.  Continue Reading

• Checklist: Purchasing disk arrays for storage consolidation

  Knowing the purchasing criteria for enterprise-class disk arrays, as well as product specs for the leading arrays, can help storage managers make savvy buying decisions.  Continue Reading

• Purchasing NAS products for storage consolidation

  NAS is so easy to install and manage that NAS sprawl is a common problem. This is why NAS is often a prime candidate for consolidation initiatives. Learn how to purchase NAS appliances with an eye toward NAS storage consolidation.  Continue Reading

• NAS product guide

  NAS is so easy to install and manage that NAS sprawl is a common problem. This is why NAS is often a prime candidate for consolidation initiatives. Learn how to purchase NAS appliances with an eye toward NAS storage consolidation.  Continue Reading

• Connecting ISCSI SANs over a distance

  The need to implement business continuity and disaster recovery plans is forcing data centers to connect Fibre Channel SANs across the wide area network (WAN). This article looks at the basic schemes used to connect SANs over a distance.  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

• Data classification product specifications

  The product snapshots in this chapter of the Tiered Storage Buying guide highlight key specifications for a cross-section of data classification products.  Continue Reading