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• Fibre Channel switch (FC switch)

  A Fibre Channel (FC) switch is a networking device that's compatible with the FC protocol and designed for use in a dedicated storage area network (SAN). Continue Reading

• Compare block vs. file vs. object storage differences, uses

  Object storage has surged in popularity, but file and block still have clearly defined uses. Access, metadata and performance are among admins' key considerations. Continue Reading

• zebibyte (ZiB)

  A zebibyte (ZiB) is a unit used to measure computing and storage capacity. Continue Reading

• virtual storage area network (VSAN)

  A virtual storage area network (VSAN) is a logical partition in a physical storage area network (SAN). Continue Reading

• yobibyte (YiB)

  A yobibyte (YiB) is a unit of measure used to describe data capacity as part of the binary system of measuring computing and storage capacity. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • What is wear leveling?
  • What is NetApp?
  • What is continuous data protection (CDP)?
  • What is a partition in computers?

  • What is an embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC)?
  • What is an NVDIMM (non-volatile dual in-line memory module)?
  • What is NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe over FC)? Definition and Guide
  • What is U.2 SSD (formerly SFF-8639)?

  View All Definitions

• archive

  An archive is a collection of data moved to a repository for long-term retention, to be kept separate for compliance reasons or moved off primary storage media.Continue Reading

• Compare file storage options in the cloud

  In the hot market of file storage in the public cloud, many options are available across some of the largest vendors, with performance a major consideration.Continue Reading

• cold storage

  Cold storage is a computer system or mode of operation designed for the retention of inactive data.Continue Reading

• RAID controller

  A RAID controller is a hardware device or software program used to manage hard disk drives or solid-state drives in a computer or storage array so they work as a logical unit.Continue Reading

• blockchain storage

  Blockchain storage is a way of saving data in a decentralized network, which utilizes the unused hard disk space of users across the world to store files.Continue Reading

• RAID 4 (redundant array of independent disks)

  RAID 4 (redundant array of independent disks) is a RAID configuration that uses a dedicated parity disk and block-level striping across multiple disks.Continue Reading

• What are 3 top Google Cloud Storage limitations?

  While Google Cloud Storage has several limitations, these three are among the most prevalent -- but users have straightforward ways to get around them.Continue Reading

• capacity management

  Capacity management is the broad term describing a variety of IT monitoring, administration and planning actions that ensure that a computing infrastructure has adequate resources to handle current data processing requirements, as well as the ...Continue Reading

• RAID 6

  RAID 6, also known as double-parity RAID, is one of several RAID schemes that work by placing data on multiple disks and enabling I/O operations to overlap in a balanced way, improving performance.Continue Reading

• How to create an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account

  This tutorial details two different ways admins can set up an Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 account, which will be a necessity when Gen1 isn't an option anymore.Continue Reading

• semiconductor fab

  A semiconductor fab -- short for fabrication -- is a manufacturing plant in which raw silicon wafers are turned into integrated circuits (ICs).Continue Reading

• quad-level cell NAND (QLC NAND)

  Quad-level cell NAND (QLC NAND) is a form of NAND flash memory that can store up to 4 bits of data per memory cell.Continue Reading

• A primer for edge infrastructure deployments

  There are several questions to ask and approaches to consider regarding edge storage and infrastructure. An example of use may help your organization decide on implementation.Continue Reading

• hot plugging

  Hot plugging is the addition of a component to a running computer system without significant interruption to the operation of the system.Continue Reading

• floating gate transistor (FGT)

  A floating gate transistor (FGT) is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology capable of holding an electrical charge in a memory device that is used to store data.Continue Reading

• pebibyte (PiB)

  A pebibyte (PiB) is a unit of measure that describes data capacity.Continue Reading

• flash memory card

  A flash memory card -- sometimes called a storage card -- is a small storage device that uses non-volatile semiconductor memory to store data on portable or remote computing devices.Continue Reading

• NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF)

  NVMe over Fabrics, also known as NVMe-oF and non-volatile memory express over fabrics, is a protocol specification designed to connect hosts to storage across a network fabric using the NVMe network protocol.Continue Reading

• tebibyte (TiB)

  A tebibyte (TiB) is a unit of measure used to describe computing capacity.Continue Reading

• all-flash array (AFA)

  An all-flash array (AFA), also known as a solid-state storage disk system or a solid-state array, is an external storage array that supports only flash media for persistent storage.Continue Reading

• flash storage

  Flash storage is any type of drive, repository or system that uses flash memory to write and store data for an extended period.Continue Reading

• EEPROM vs. flash memory: What's the difference?

  Even though there might be a 10 million-to-one price-per-gigabyte difference between EEPROM and NAND flash, each memory type makes sense in its own role.Continue Reading

• PCIe SSD (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express solid-state drive)

  A PCIe SSD (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express solid-state drive) is a high-speed expansion card that attaches a computer to its peripherals.Continue Reading

• NVMe (non-volatile memory express)

  NVMe (non-volatile memory express) is a transfer protocol created to accelerate the transfer speed of data in solid-state storage devices.Continue Reading

• A primer on SSD response time, other performance benchmarks

  Consider several SSD performance benchmarks, including SSD response time, as key units of measurement. Also, note the difference between benchmarks and load generators.Continue Reading

• M.2 SSD

  An M.2 SSD is a small form factor solid-state drive (SSD) that internally mounted storage expansion cards use.Continue Reading

• flash memory

  Flash memory, also known as flash storage, is a type of nonvolatile memory that erases data in units called blocks and rewrites data at the byte level.Continue Reading

• hybrid flash array

  A hybrid flash array is a solid-state storage system that contains a mix of flash memory drives and hard disk drives.Continue Reading

• Flash memory vs. RAM: What's the difference?

  Even though vendors refer to flash memory and conventional RAM -- the main memory of a PC or server -- as solid-state memory, these two memory types are significantly different.Continue Reading

• Charge trap technology advantages for 3D NAND flash drives

  Flash drive cells based on charge trap technology have several advantages over older floating gate cells. However, take note of potential reliability issues.Continue Reading

• How to purchase SSDs during a NAND flash price drop

  Although NAND prices are collapsing, that doesn't mean they will pop back up at some future date. It's rarely a good idea to purchase SSDs well before they are needed.Continue Reading

• write endurance

  Write endurance is the number of program/erase (P/E) cycles that can be applied to a block of flash memory before the storage media becomes unreliable.Continue Reading

• SSD form factor

  An SSD form factor is the size, configuration or physical arrangement of solid state storage media. The form factor determines the media's physical compatibility and interchangeability with other computer components or devices.Continue Reading

• NOR flash memory

  NOR flash memory is one of two types of non-volatile storage technologies.Continue Reading

• mebibyte (MiB)

  A mebibyte (MiB) is a unit of measurement used in computer data storage.Continue Reading

• gibibyte (GiB)

  A gibibyte (GiB) is a unit of measure of capacity in computing.Continue Reading

• 3D NAND flash

  3D NAND is a type of non-volatile flash memory in which the memory cells are stacked vertically in multiple layers.Continue Reading

• SerDes (serializer/deserializer)

  A SerDes or serializer/deserializer is an integrated circuit (IC or chip) transceiver that converts parallel data to serial data and vice-versa.Continue Reading

• NAND flash memory

  NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology that does not require power to retain data.Continue Reading

• A primer on quantum computing storage and memory

  Quantum computing storage and memory are quite different from traditional storage. The implications for storage capacity, for example, are extraordinary.Continue Reading

• storage at the edge

  Storage at the edge is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital information at the periphery of the network, as close to the originating source as possible.Continue Reading

• megabytes per second (MBps)

  Megabytes per second (MBps) is a unit of measurement for data transfer speed to and from a computer storage device.Continue Reading

• green cloud

  Green cloud refers to the potential environmental benefits that green IT services delivered over the internet can offer to individual companies and society as a whole.Continue Reading

• protected mode

  Protected mode, also called protected virtual address mode, is the primary mode of operation for an Intel-based x86 microprocessor.Continue Reading

• Compare Azure Blob Storage vs. Data Lake

  Capacity, security features and pricing are just a few of the many factors to consider when organizations compare Azure Blob Storage and Data Lake.Continue Reading

• RAID 5

  RAID 5 is a redundant array of independent disks configuration that uses disk striping with parity.Continue Reading

• RAID 0 (disk striping)

  RAID 0 (disk striping) is the process of dividing a body of data into blocks and spreading the data blocks across multiple storage devices, such as hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs), in a redundant array of independent disks group.Continue Reading

• software portability

  Software portability is a characteristic attributed to a computer program if it can run with minimal rework on operating systems (OSes) other than the one for which it was created.Continue Reading

• NFS vs. CIFS vs. SMB: What are the differences?

  There are stark differences among file sharing protocols NFS, CIFS and SMB. Compare access, application deployment, configuration and security, among other key features.Continue Reading

• Compare DRAM vs. DRAM-less SSDs for cost, performance

  Are DRAM-less SSDs the way of the future? While they're a great fit for hyperscale data centers, other organizations may also find benefits, such as cost.Continue Reading

• storage virtualization

  Storage virtualization is the pooling of physical storage from multiple storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device -- or pool of available storage capacity.Continue Reading

• byte

  In most computer systems, a byte is a unit of data that is eight binary digits long.Continue Reading

• compact disc (CD)

  A compact disc is a portable storage medium that can record, store and play back audio, video and other data in digital form.Continue Reading

• brontobyte

  A brontobyte is an unofficial measure of memory or data storage that is equal to 10 to the 27th power of bytes.Continue Reading

• copy data management (CDM)

  Copy data management (CDM) is an approach to reducing storage consumption that involves eliminating the unnecessary duplication of production data.Continue Reading

• public cloud storage

  Public cloud storage, also called online storage, is a service model that provides data storage on a pay-per-use basis.Continue Reading

• How can users securely access Google Cloud Storage?

  With security top of mind across IT, consider best practices for safe Google Cloud Storage access. Admins should be careful about assigning roles and permissions.Continue Reading

• 6 best practices for metadata storage and management

  Metadata is crucial to getting the most out of data, so organizations should store it properly. Best practices include protection and understanding the IT architecture.Continue Reading

• kilobyte (KB or Kbyte)

  A kilobyte (KB or Kbyte) is a unit of measurement for computer memory or data storage.Continue Reading

• hybrid cloud storage

  Hybrid cloud storage is an approach to managing cloud storage that uses both local and off-site resources.Continue Reading

• Understand SSD overheating and what to do about it

  It's easy for an SSD to overheat, but there are several methods to cool it down. Keep cool, and avoid damage to the SSD's data retention and integrity.Continue Reading

• cloud archive

  A cloud archive is storage as a service for long-term data retention.Continue Reading

• failover

  Failover is a backup operational mode in which the functions of a system component are assumed by a secondary component when the primary becomes unavailable.Continue Reading

• cloud storage provider

  A cloud storage provider, sometimes referred to as a managed service provider, is a company that offers organizations and individuals the ability to place and retain data in an off-site storage system.Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel

  Fibre Channel is a high-speed networking technology primarily used for transmitting data among data centers, computer servers, switches and storage at data rates of up to 128 Gbps.Continue Reading

• nearline storage

  Nearline storage is the on-site storage of data on removable media.Continue Reading

• petabyte

  A petabyte is a measure of memory or data storage capacity that is equal to 2 to the 50th power of bytes.Continue Reading

• data compression

  Data compression is a reduction in the number of bits needed to represent data.Continue Reading

• data migration

  Data migration is the process of transferring data between data storage systems, data formats or computer systems.Continue Reading

• Kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, exa, zetta and all that

  Kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, exa and zetta are among the binary prefixes used to denote the quantity of something, such as a byte or bit in computing and telecommunications.Continue Reading

• distributed file system (DFS)

  A distributed file system (DFS) is a file system that enables clients to access file storage from multiple hosts through a computer network as if the user was accessing local storage.Continue Reading

• zettabyte

  A zettabyte is a unit of measurement used by technology professionals and the general public to describe a computer or other device's storage capacity.Continue Reading

• A primer on CXL technology uses

  The Compute Express Link, an open source memory interconnect, is gaining traction. Take a deep dive into why it's important and how it improves performance.Continue Reading

• Stay organized with 6 file storage best practices

  File storage can quickly become disorganized without organizational planning. Use best practices like retention policies and naming conventions to easily manage file storage.Continue Reading

• pay-as-you-go cloud computing (PAYG cloud computing)

  Pay-as-you-go cloud computing (PAYG cloud computing) is a payment method for cloud computing that charges based on usage.Continue Reading

• cloud NAS (cloud network attached storage)

  Cloud NAS (network attached storage) is remote storage that is accessed over the internet as if it is local.Continue Reading

• direct-attached storage (DAS)

  Direct-attached storage (DAS) is a type of storage that is attached directly to a computer without going through a network.Continue Reading

• How do storage scalability and elasticity differ?

  Storage elasticity is less well known than scalability, but it helps admins with efficiency and cost. Both elasticity and scalability are key to modern storage systems.Continue Reading

• What to know about SMART SSD use

  This overview of SMART attributes in SSDs explains how organizations can put them to good use. SMART SSDs provide peace of mind about device life span.Continue Reading

• A primer on disaggregated storage

  Disaggregated storage enables organizations to scale compute and storage separately for high-performance, low-latency workloads. Some benefits are cost savings and flexibility.Continue Reading

• Key differences in software RAID vs. hardware RAID

  Hardware RAID generally costs more than software RAID but may offer better performance. Consider factors like cost, performance needs and OSes to find the best fit.Continue Reading

• data lifecycle management (DLM)

  Data lifecycle management (DLM) is a policy-based approach to managing the flow of an information system's data throughout its lifecycle: from creation and initial storage to when it becomes obsolete and is deleted.Continue Reading

• converged network adapter (CNA)

  A converged network adapter (CNA) is a single network interface device that provides the functionality of both a Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter (HBA) and a TCP/IP Ethernet network interface card (NIC).Continue Reading

• litigation hold (legal hold, preservation order or hold order)

  A litigation hold -- also known as legal hold, preservation order or hold order -- is an internal process that an organization undergoes to preserve all data that might relate to a legal action involving the organization.Continue Reading

• program/erase cycle (P/E cycle)

  A solid-state storage program/erase cycle (P/E cycle) is a sequence of events in which data is written to a solid-state NAND flash memory cell, such as the type found in a flash or thumb drive, and is subsequently erased and rewritten.Continue Reading

• garbage collection (GC)

  Garbage collection (GC) is a memory recovery feature built into programming languages such as C# and Java.Continue Reading

• Explore top data lake providers for substantial storage use

  Don't be deterred by the murky waters of data lake technology. Fishing for the right provider to accelerate your analytics is probably easier than you think.Continue Reading

• Common Information Model (CIM)

  The Common Information Model (CIM) is a computer industry standard that defines device and application characteristics so system administrators and management programs can control devices and applications from different manufacturers.Continue Reading

• queue depth

  Queue depth, in storage, is the number of pending input/output (I/O) requests that a storage resource can handle at any one time.Continue Reading

• RAM-based solid-state drive (SSD)

  A RAM-based solid-state drive (SSD) is a storage device made from silicon microchips that has no moving parts and stores data electronically instead of magnetically.Continue Reading

• World Wide Name (WWN)

  A World Wide Name (WWN) is a unique identifier that is hard-coded into each Fibre Channel (FC) device by the device's manufacturer.Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel (FC) port types

  A Fibre Channel port is a hardware pathway into and out of a node that performs data communications over an FC link.Continue Reading

• solid-state drive (SSD) capacity

  Solid-state drive (SSD) capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be stored on a solid-state drive.Continue Reading

• N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV)

  N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) is a Fibre Channel (FC) standard that makes it possible to create multiple virtual ports on a single physical node port (N_Port), with each virtual port appearing as a unique entity to the FC network.Continue Reading

• overprovisioning (SSD overprovisioning)

  Overprovisioning, in a storage context, is the inclusion of extra storage capacity in a solid-state drive.Continue Reading