Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• What are the benefits of using the Boot to VHD feature?

  Boot to VHD may be seen as a novelty feature, but it also has practical uses in the workplace. Brien Posey explains in this expert answer. Continue Reading

• How is big data changing data archiving strategies?

  Analyst Jon Toigo explains why performing analytics on big data sets means that data is no longer considered cold, reducing the importance of archives. Continue Reading

• Archiving methods: Smart meta tags, archive in place and FLAPE

  Jon Toigo outlines several archiving techniques, the technologies that make them run smoothly, and explains why data classification is crucial. Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of using an object storage system with file access?

  With increasingly demanding workloads, NAS systems can have a hard time keeping up. Can using NAS with an object storage option relieve some of these problems? Continue Reading

• SAN storage systems purchases driven by capacity, performance

  Anticipated year-over-year capacity growth of 24% and the need to boost the performance of existing applications is driving new SAN storage systems. Continue Reading

• The need for application-aware storage

  Server virtualization leads to unpredictable workloads. Application-aware storage could be the answer.Continue Reading

• What is the relationship between cache technology, CPU and RAM?

  As flash memory caching is on its way in because of its cost and non-volatile nature, RAM may be on its way out the door, says analyst Jon Toigo.Continue Reading

• Is the cost of cloud storage really cheaper than traditional storage?

  Cloud storage can be less expensive from a cost-per-gigabyte perspective, but it's important not to lose sight of other benefits as a value proposition.Continue Reading

• What should I consider when using SSD cloud?

  Using solid-state in the cloud can boost performance, but first be sure you look past cost per gigabyte and are aware of any constraints from providers.Continue Reading

• What is the difference between a storage snapshot and a clone?

  Cloning and snapshotting can both be good approaches to disaster recovery. Learn what environments are best suited to each.Continue Reading

• Redundant cloud storage ensures high availability

  Redundant cloud storage gateways and redundant WAN links help companies avoid protection gaps that could result in outages or data loss.Continue Reading

• Are there any downsides to using VMware thin provisioning?

  Storage should be monitored carefully when using VMware's thin provisioning feature to avoid slower performance and potentially maxing out capacity.Continue Reading

• NVDIMM vs. memory channel flash storage

  Marc Staimer of Dragon Slayer Consulting compares NVDIMM and memory channel flash, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each.Continue Reading

• Memory channel flash storage vs. PCIe flash storage

  Marc Staimer compares memory channel flash storage with PCIe connected flash and offers insight on the advantages and disadvantages of each.Continue Reading

• What is object storage technology (and why should you care)?

  Object technology offers scalability, economical operation and better data management; but it's very different from file and block storage systems.Continue Reading

• What you need to know about flash caching

  Using solid-state storage as cache can boost server and application performance dramatically, but the kind of flash cache you choose is critical.Continue Reading

• Deconstructing the storage algorithm

  Jon Toigo examines the four steps of the storage algorithm, and concludes that the current storage equation just doesn't add up.Continue Reading

• Flash storage: Guide to all-flash storage arrays

  TechTarget's all-flash storage array guide navigates the hotly contested market with a comparison chart and snapshot profiles of 15 products.Continue Reading

• Violin 6000 arrays feature proprietary flash modules, memory fabric

  Violin 6000 Series all-flash storage arrays use proprietary flash modules, memory fabric architecture and RAID to improve performance and latency.Continue Reading

• Working with OpenStack storage: Tips on Cinder, Swift and the cloud

  This guide explores the block, object and cloud storage offerings from OpenStack, one of the most sought-after open source storage platforms.Continue Reading

• Examining the future of the RAID volume

  Expert Jon Toigo provides a set of tips to answer key questions regarding RAID's place in today's storage world, and whether it will be replaced.Continue Reading

• Hypervisor comparison: VMware vs. Microsoft vs. Red Hat

  VMware has had the dominant enterprise-class hypervisor, but there are others worth reviewing. This tip details how Microsoft and Red Hat compete.Continue Reading

• How does a scale-out NAS environment affect storage management?

  Phil Goodwin explains how scale-out NAS systems simplify storage management through a single point of control and by combating performance problems.Continue Reading

• Are SSDs necessary to perform analytics on big data efficiently?

  Storage expert Phil Goodwin explains how SSDs can speed up analytics, but solid-state technology is only needed in certain types of environments.Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of file- and block-based flash caching

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses pros and cons of file and block flash caching and how they can be implemented in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• A tiered storage model is different from caching

  In this podcast, Evaluator Group strategist Randy Kerns looks in-depth at today's tiered storage model, including how it differs from flash caching.Continue Reading

• February 2014: Products of the Year

  Storage magazine's February issue reveals the 2013 data storage products of the year, describes 10 common DR mistakes, and explains how to configure storage for big data files.Continue Reading

• More faith in cloud backup services compared to last year

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• Choosing storage for streaming large files in big data sets

  Learn how to select storage that can both scale and perform to effectively stream large files in big data environments.Continue Reading

• Comparing performance and cost of DRAM vs. NAND

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares the performance and cost of DRAM to NAND flash in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• How NAND flash degrades and what vendors do to increase SSD endurance

  Storage Switzerland senior analyst Eric Slack digs into the technical aspects of SSD cell degradation and how vendors are increasing SSD endurance.Continue Reading

• External storage might make sense for Hadoop

  Using Hadoop to drive big data analytics doesn't necessarily mean building clusters of distributed storage; a good old array might be a better choice.Continue Reading

• Building a better archival storage strategy

  This guide walks through important tips and considerations regarding storage archive design strategies and technologies.Continue Reading

• How DRAM or NVRAM cache can reduce flash SSD write amplification

  DRAM/NVRAM caching provides SSD systems with better performance while reducing flash SSD write amplification.Continue Reading

• Comparing write-through, write-back and write-around caching

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland compares three common types of caching -- write-through, write-back and write-around -- in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Data storage systems: 2013 Storage Products of the Year finalists

  These 52 data storage systems products are finalists for the Storage magazine/SearchStorage.com 2013 Products of the Year awards.Continue Reading

• Using the RESTful API as an onramp to object storage

  RESTful APIs are essential in moving data on and off of object storage systems. Expert Marc Staimer describes the three options currently available.Continue Reading

• Figuring out when 16 Gbps Fibre Channel storage networking makes sense

  Moving to 16 Gbps FC makes sense for IT shops with new and heavily virtualized servers, solid-state storage and test firm president advises.Continue Reading

• Data archiving technology to keep on the radar

  Archival storage options are expanding, getting more resilient and less costly. Find out which technologies are making an impression.Continue Reading

• Five questions to ask when choosing a data archiving technology

  Many factors need to be considered when determining what the right archiving platform is for you. Jon Toigo highlights the most important in this tip.Continue Reading

• Big data storage and analytics

  There are two basic types of big data analytics—synchronous and asynchronous—but both have big data storage appetites and specialized needs.Continue Reading

• Comparing DIMM-connected flash vs. PCIe flash benefits

  Leah Schoeb of Evaluator Group discusses DIMM-connected flash as compared with PCIe flash benefits in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Complete guide to Hadoop technology and storage

  Learn how Apache Hadoop works, some of its benefits and drawbacks, and what it means for big data and cloud storage.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding tradeoffs include additional storage, disk update needs

  Erasure coding tradeoffs include requirement for additional data storage, need to update extra disks for redundancy purposes, UC professor cautions.Continue Reading

• Erasure coding brings trade-off of resilience vs. performance

  IT's decision on using erasure coding in storage rests on data importance, durability more than amount of data, says storage consultant Marc Staimer.Continue Reading

• Micron adds RPMC support to NOR flash devices for improved security

  Micron announced its Replay-Protection Monotonic Counter (RPMC) feature is now available for its serial NOR flash memory devices.Continue Reading

• What to consider when storing data in the cloud

  Storage administrators who want to keep data in the cloud need to consider collaboration regulations, cost factors and performance requirements.Continue Reading

• Big data storage architecture: Categories, strengths and use cases

  We explore distributed nodes, scale-out NAS, all-SSD arrays and object storage as choices for a storage architecture for big data.Continue Reading

• Use Windows Server 2012 R2's Storage QoS feature to boost performance

  Learn how the new Storage QoS feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 can boost storage performance and make the best use of capacity.Continue Reading

• Can object storage systems be used with file-based apps?

  Learn how to use applications such as Microsoft Exchange or SQL Server with object storage systems on the back end.Continue Reading

• MRAM technology likely choice as post-flash solid-state storage

  NAND flash-based storage is becoming a common alternative, but NAND flash could soon be replaced by newer forms of non-volatile memory like MRAM technology.Continue Reading

• April 2013: Rethinking storage architectures

  Storage magazine's latest issue describes alternatives to traditional storage systems. Also in this issue: cloud backup and keeping tabs on disk usage.Continue Reading

• NexGen Storage Inc. n5-150 Storage System

  IT admins using the NexGen Storage n5-150 Storage System can guarantee performance to each app and isolate workloads from one another on the SAN.Continue Reading

• Can shared storage be used with Hadoop architecture?

  Storage expert John Webster discusses three ways to use shared storage together with Hadoop architecture in this Ask the Expert answer.Continue Reading

• Ten questions to help compare cloud storage services

  Cloud storage expert Arun Taneja suggests 10 questions to help you successfully compare cloud storage services.Continue Reading

• Should you believe vendors’ jaw-dropping solid-state performance specs?

  The benefits of solid-state storage are clear -- cool running, space-saving and blistering performance. But just how “blistering” is that performance? Data storage vendors toss previously unheard of numbers around, like millions of IOPS, to show the...Continue Reading

• Understanding unified storage architecture

  Randy Kerns explains that there's more than one way to build a unified storage architecture in this Storage Decisions 2012 TechTalk.Continue Reading

• Third-party tools help with VMware monitoring for storage

  Third-party tools provide a single interface to help IT shops monitor the performance of storage, servers and network traffic in VMware environments.Continue Reading

• Persistent VDI vs. non-persistent VDI and their effect on storage resources

  Learn the difference between persistent VDI and non-persistent VDI, how they affect storage and which one carries advantages in terms of capacity and backup requirements.Continue Reading

• Various cloud gateway options and use cases

  Arun Taneja explains why a cloud gateway is essential for cloud storage, and drills into the various types of cloud gateways on the market today.Continue Reading

• Choose an integrated stack for efficiency, easy storage implementation

  An integrated stack bundles servers, storage and networking in a preconfigured product and is easy to install and manage.Continue Reading

• Brocade Communications Systems Inc. 1860 Fabric Adapter

  The Brocade 1860 Fabric Adapter can partition individual physical adapters into as many as 16 virtual HBAs or virtual NICs with flexible bandwidth allocation.Continue Reading

• Brocade Communications Systems Inc. 6510 SAN Switch

  The Brocade 6510 SAN Switch has industry-first 16 Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) support, flexible port configuration and full-duplex 768 Gbps aggregate port throughput.Continue Reading

• Best data storage products 2011

  The 2011 Products of the Year recognizes the best storage products in backup and DR software/services, backup hardware, networking and more.Continue Reading

• Hospital system addresses IBM SVC performance, stability problems with alternative configuration

  Spectrum Health breaks up IBM SVC eight-node cluster, taking uncommon tiered approach to improve stability and performance of storage virtualization system.Continue Reading

• Data storage startups: 10 emerging vendors worth watching

  The best of today’s storage startups stand out in the areas of solid-state storage, cloud storage, virtualization and SAN/NAS.Continue Reading

• What you need to know about SMB SANs

  Marc Staimer discusses what to look for in an SMB SANs this Q&A and recent developments in SMB SAN technology.Continue Reading

• Storage virtualization products: An important niche

  Storage virtualization products help IT shops in need of non-disruptive data migration, tech refreshes and life support for aging storage assets.Continue Reading

• Data storage trends 2011: Predictions of hot data storage technologies

  Explore this expert FAQ as three analysts weight in and tell us what they think are the hottest data storage technologies and data storage trends for 2011.Continue Reading

• How RAID storage systems protect your application data

  RAID storage systems improve application performance and data availability. Learn about RAID levels and choosing the right RAID technology.Continue Reading

• Implementing an electronic records retention system

  Learn the components of an electronic records retention system and best practices for implementing an electronic data discovery policy. Don't risk e-discovery request errors.Continue Reading

• 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

• Fibre Channel switch options for SMBs

  Recently, the Fibre Channel industry has become more attractive and affordable for SMBs. This article explores FC switch considerations and products for SMBs.Continue Reading

• For an SMB, what are the advantages and disadvantages of an in-house email archiving system vs. a ho

  There are a lot of pros and cons for both at all business sizes. But SMBs tend to be more price and administration sensitive. In other words, if you are a company that has an annual IT budget from $10,000 to $100,000, you simply can not go out and ...Continue Reading

• Host bus adapter (HBA) architecture explained

  HBAs are integral pieces of a SAN environment -- they connect the server to the SAN -- but few storage administrators know how to configure them.Continue Reading

• How to choose the correct RAID level

  This tip offers nine things to consider when deciding which RAID level is right for your organization's needs.Continue Reading

• Brocade migration tool does the trick for EMC user

  The University of New Mexico Hospital first tried EMC's SANCopy to migrate data off of an old Xiotech array, but ended up having to use Brocade's Data Migration Manager instead.Continue Reading