Ways to Boost Data Storage Utilization Rates

Today, enterprise IT managers have a number of different technology options that can help improve data utilization, like Fiber Channel, IP storage-area networks, thin provisioning and virtualization. According to this report on Computer World, data utilization rates at most large companies remain at 40-percent or lower, resulting in a significant waste of electricity and floor space.

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"Over the past five years or so, thin provisioning, or provisioning only as much storage as an application server needs, has been among the most popular ways to boost IT storage utilization.

"Slumberland Inc. has seen a significant improvement in data utilization since adopting the technology in 2004, said Seth Mitchell, an infrastructure team manager at the furniture retailer.

"Since Slumberland installed arrays from Compellent Technologies Inc. with thin provisioning tools, the company's disk capacity utilization rate has reached 66%, Mitchell said. Without thin provisioning, the rate would hover around 30%, he estimated."

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