IBM Enters the Network-Attached Storage Market
[February 11, 2010] Big Blue is the latest data storage vendor to offer extreme scale-out network attached storage.
March 16, 2010
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The Storage Basics Series
Specifically designed for the storage newcomer, the Storage Basics series introduces readers to relevant storage topics with easy-to-understand articles. The series is also useful for those interested in quickly learning about specific storage topics.
Storage Networking: The Basics
[October 26, 2009] Much has changed since storage networks first appeared — and the biggest changes may be yet to come.
Storage Basics: How WAN Optimization Works
[August 21, 2009] WAN optimization promises huge gains in network performance, but how does it accomplish that?
Storage Basics: Clustered File Systems
[August 18, 2009] Clustered file systems can give you an easy route to highly available storage. We outline some of the options.
Making Money with Data Storage
[July 14, 2009] You've got all that data sitting around collecting dust. Why not find a way to do something useful with it?
Ten Ways to Save on Data Storage Costs
[May 8, 2009] There's no end to ideas for saving on data storage costs, but here's a few to get started.
Despite Economy, Storage Bargains Hard to Find
[March 12, 2009] Data storage pricing is so far holding up despite the tough economy, but deals are out there to be had, especially in services and other value-added elements. And hardball negotiating tactics appear to be on the rise.
Sorting Out Your Storage Options
[July 21, 2008] With all the storage technologies out there, how do you choose which one's right for you?
Storage Basics: Is IP Storage Viable?
[March 28, 2008] iSCSI is a media darling, but it might not belong on your demanding enterprise storage network. Weigh its benefits against Fibre Channel before proceeding, and remember that short-term cost factors have long-term consequences.
A Small Business Guide to Network Attached Storage
[March 27, 2008] Businesses of all shapes and sizes are strapped for storage. Our guide covers the gamut from highly affordable to high-powered network-attached storage options.
Storage Networking Basics: Understanding Storage Routing
[March 21, 2008] Routing for your storage network is a non-standardized thicket that's nothing like what you're used to on your IP networks, but it pays to understand how it works.
Storage Networking Basics: Planning Your Fabric
[January 18, 2008] You can throw up a SAN in no time, but ensuring scalability takes careful planning.
Storage Networking Basics: Reaping the Benefits of a SAN
[December 7, 2007] SANs can do some pretty fancy things that would otherwise be impossible.
Storage Networking Basics: Configuring SAN-Attached Servers
[November 15, 2007] Networked storage isn't a plug-and-play proposition. Here's how to configure your configure your storage for optimal reliability.
Storage Basics: Understanding Fibre Channel Zones
[November 9, 2007] Getting zoning right is key to building a manageable storage network. Here's what you need to know to structure yours.
Storage Networking Basics: Understanding Fibre Channel Domains
[November 2, 2007] Anyone can plug in a SAN. Understanding Fibre Channel domains, address assignment and VSANs will help you make that SAN resilient to change.
Storage Networking Basics: Understanding the Fibre Channel Protocol
[October 12, 2007] Troubleshooting a SAN requires some knowledge of how the underlying protocols work. Here's the Fibre Channel protocol in-depth.
Storage Networking Basics: Understanding Fibre Channel
[October 5, 2007] Fibre Channel has long been the main storage area networking protocol, and for good reason.
Storage Networking Basics: Configuring Disk Arrays
[September 28, 2007] It involves some tedium, but configuring disk arrays is the most critical part of building a SAN. Here's what you need to know.
Storage Basics: Understanding SANs
[September 21, 2007] We begin this new series with a look at what you need to know about key storage protocols.
Is There Magic in SATA and SAS?
[August 15, 2006] SATA and SAS are hot, but are they the silver bullet vendors — and, yes, the press — are presenting them as?
Working with Vendors
[August 2, 2006] Storage users share their tips for getting the most from vendor relationships.
What Makes a 'Storage Server a Storage Server?
[April 11, 2006] Ask most people what a storage server is, and you'll likely get blank stares or rambling varied answers. This Storage Basics article clarifies what makes a storage server, a storage server and provides examples of storage servers on the market.
Small Businesses Present Big Storage Challenge
[March 23, 2006] Small and mid-sized businesses have much different storage needs than their enterprise counterparts, forcing vendors to overhaul their offerings to tap this fast-growing market.
Storage Security: Neglect It at Your Peril
[March 17, 2006] With increasing regulatory demands and complex technology, storage security has become a discipline in its own right. Still, many companies don't include it in their security plans.
Storage Strategies Made Simple
[March 11, 2006] Don't know much about storage? With 50 percent of organizations expected to add either a dedicated storage specialist or storage management team by year end, now is a good time to get familiar with the basics.
Storage Grids Generate Buzz
[March 1, 2006] Storage grids appear to be a happening thing, but just what are they?
Storage Budgeting Tips
[November 23, 2005] When budgeting for storage, focus on getting your requirements met.
Choosing the Right NAS
[September 22, 2005] There is much to consider when buying network-attached storage (NAS). Henry Newman looks at the steps you need to take to get a system that's right for you.
Testing Backup and Restore: Why It Matters
[August 25, 2005] Lessons learned from a lost weekend.
Storage Security Basics
[July 8, 2005] In the first part of a series on storage security, we examine the fundamental concepts for securing storage area networks.
Which NAS OS?
[February 15, 2005] Three NAS operating systems are vying for market share. Which is best?
Storage Basics: NAS Options Broaden
[January 12, 2005] Network-attached storage is an area that is simultaneously evolving and exploding.
Making Fibre Channel SMB-Friendly
[August 4, 2004] After years of making Fibre Channel technology more and more complicated for enterprise storage administrators who wanted to be able to tweak everything, the storage industry finds itself going in the opposite direction as it begins to push Fibre Channel for small and medium businesses (SMBs).
Storage Basics: Reining In Storage Costs
[July 15, 2004] Companies looking to keep storage costs down might want to consider refurbished SAN equipment or utility storage.
Storage Basics: The Tale of the Tape
[June 10, 2004] Data backup is a universal issue that all enterprises face. Backing up to tape is the standard solution, but there is much to choose from among the available standards and options. Ben Freeman looks at the range of tape options available.
Storage Basics: Securing iSCSI Using IPSec, Part 2
[May 19, 2004] In the second part of our examination of IPSec, Mike Harwood discusses how to secure communications using IPSec in a Windows 2003 Server environment.
Storage Basics: Choosing a RAID Controller
[May 7, 2004] Shopping for a RAID controller? In our latest Storage Basics article, we map out this complex maze, outlining some of the differences in SATA vs. SCSI and iSCSI vs. Fibre Channel.
Storage Basics: SMI-S
[April 8, 2004] With the promise of a single, interoperable interface for managing storage devices and networks, the Storage Management Initiative Specification seems destined to simplify storage management. In our latest Storage Basics feature, Mike Harwood delves into the specification and looks at how SMI-S can benefit both end users and vendors alike.
Storage Basics: Securing iSCSI using IPSec
[January 27, 2004] IP-based SANs are attractive alternatives to their more expensive and complex Fibre Channel counterparts, but securing IP communications remains a significant concern. In our latest Storage Basics article, Mike Harwood examines how the IP Security Protocol (IPSec) can ensure the security of your iSCSI storage network's data.
Storage Basics: Information Lifecycle Management
[January 14, 2004] ILM is being touted as a solution for managing the ever-changing value of data and maximizing the accessibility of that data at the lowest total cost, but what exactly does an ILM strategy entail, and what does it mean for storage in today's organizations?
Storage Basics: Deciphering SESAs (Strange, Esoteric Storage Acronyms), Part 2
[December 16, 2003] The storage industry is rife with so many acronyms it's almost impossible to keep on top of them all. Our new Storage Basics series adds one of its own while uncovering the mystery behind many others. Part 2 of the SESAs series looks at IB (InfiniBand), FSPF, VI, and DAFS.
Storage Basics: Deciphering SESAs (Strange, Esoteric Storage Acronyms)
[November 20, 2003] The storage industry is rife with so many acronyms it's almost impossible to keep on top of them all. Our Storage Basics series adds one of its own while uncovering the mystery behind many others. Part 1 of the SESAs series looks at FCIP, iFCP, SoIP, NDMP, and SMI-S.
Storage Basics: Backup Strategies, Part 2
[November 10, 2003] Against a backdrop of ever-growing data storage needs and a continually shrinking window for performing backups, Mike Harwood explores some of the strategies that can be employed in backing up large amounts of data, with a specific look at how LAN-free and server-free backup alternatives can be used to circumvent the backup window issue.
Storage Basics: Backup Strategies
[September 24, 2003] Against a backdrop of ever-growing data storage needs and a continually shrinking window for performing backups, Mike Harwood explores some of the strategies that can be employed in backing up large amounts of data.
Storage Basics - Fibre Channel Cables and Connectors, Part 2
[July 30, 2003] With cable forming such a critical part of the network infrastructure, it's important to understand what types of cables are used for connecting Fibre Channel devices to a SAN. In the second part of a two-article series, Mike Harwood takes an in-depth look at fiber optics and discusses why fiber cabling has become the media of choice for SANs.
Storage Basics - Fibre Channel Cables and Connectors, Part 1
[June 16, 2003] With cables constituting such a critical part of the network infrastructure, it's important to understand the types of cabling used for connecting Fibre Channel devices to a SAN. In the first part of a two-article series highlighting Fibre Channel cables and connectors, Mike Harwood takes a look at copper-based cables and connectors and discusses why copper has given way to fiber as the media of choice when building SANs.
Storage Basics: Storage Hubs and Switches
[May 22, 2003] Not all Fibre Channel hubs are created equal, and using the right one for a particular storage area network is an important consideration. In his latest Storage Basics article, Mike Harwood covers the various types of hubs available and examines how they stack up against switches in practical application.
Storage Basics: Fibre Channel, Part Two
[February 18, 2003] In the first part of our two-part look at Fibre Channel, we covered some of the reasons that Fibre Channel has become popular as well as the standards and market challenges facing Fibre Channel. In this second part we look at implementation considerations such as topologies, switches, and port types.
Storage Basics: SCSI Part II
[January 22, 2003] In the second article of our new Storage Basics series, Mike Harwood unravels some of the mysteries and complexities of the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), focusing on implementation considerations such as signaling, termination and connector types.
Storage Basics: Fibre Channel
[June 28, 2002] The next installment of our Storage Basics series is the first in a two-part look at Fibre Channel, one of the most enduring and prolific storage networking technologies in use today.
Storage Basics: iSCSI
[May 30, 2002] iSCSI is an end-to-end storage block protocol that opens up a whole new world of options for storage implementation. As a connectivity medium, iSCSI makes it possible to transfer storage data over any IP based network, including the Internet.
Storage Basics: SCSI Part I
[March 27, 2002] In this article, the next in our series 'Storage Basics', we are going to look at the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI). In part one, we'll look at SCSI as a technology, discuss some of the more popular SCSI standards and examine SCSI device numbering. In part two, we'll look at implementation considerations and how SCSI actually works.
Storage Basics: Network Attached Storage
[March 13, 2002] In part III of our series articles on storage basics, we introduce the basic purpose and function of network attached storage and examine its role in modern network environments
Storage Basics: Storage Area Networks
[February 26, 2002] In part II of our series articles on storage basics, we introduce the basic purpose and function of a storage area network and examine its role in modern network environments
Storage Basics: Network Storage Basics Primer
[March 28, 2001] Need to navigate your way around the technical aspects of network data storage? With this primer of terms, you'll know your way around the field with a minimum of fuss.
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