Primary storage devices
Primary storage devices refer to storage hardware for data in active use, in contrast to storage used for backup purposes. They include SAN and NAS primary storage devices, non-volatile flash storage and other types of storage media. Find resources about primary storage and storage hardware, including RAID arrays and storage arrays, on this topic page.
Top Stories
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Tip
17 Dec 2024
4 NAS devices for enterprises in 2025 and buying factors
If you're considering a NAS device for your organization, discover the factors to evaluate and some vendor offerings to add to your NAS shopping list. Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Dec 2024
Could the AI era open a new frontier for object storage?
Object storage has seen a steady progression over the years. Explore this evolution and several products that seek to capitalize on its performance, specifically for AI. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2023
HPE brings multi-protocol Alletra storage to GreenLake
HPE's newest addition to its Alletra portfolio supports block, file and object protocols. It reflects a shift toward simplification and commoditization in storage hardware. Continue Reading
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Definition
13 Apr 2023
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
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News
11 Apr 2023
Quantum containerizes file, object storage
In a shift for Quantum Corp., the vendor is now competing in the file and object storage market with its all-flash, software-defined, scale-out Myriad offering. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
Toshiba's $15B buyout won't affect storage businesses
The acquisition, pending shareholder approval, would take Toshiba private, a move experts say could help stabilize the company, which has been searching for a path forward. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Mar 2023
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
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Definition
27 Feb 2023
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
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Definition
09 Feb 2023
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) is a type of compact disc that can only be read, not written to. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2023
Western Digital releases dual-actuator HDDs
WD has quietly released a dual-actuator HDD, bringing dense drives with higher transfer rates, but customers can't reap the full benefits just yet. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2023
NetApp adds storage buying options, arrays
NetApp introduces a myriad of buying options and hybrid cloud capabilities for VMware workloads on Google Cloud. Soon-to-come: new QLC all-flash arrays. Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
Hard drives fall on hard times
Hard drive manufacturers have had a couple of bad quarters due to the lingering effects of the pandemic and supply chain issues, but see a turning point on the horizon. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2023
Storage vendors look to make case for sustainability
Energy costs are rising, and sustainability is all the rage. But storage vendors may struggle convincing customers to combat climate change during an economic downturn. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Jan 2023
Fibre Channel vs. iSCSI: What are the differences?
Discover how Fibre Channel and iSCSI compare when it comes to meeting SAN performance, ease of use, manageability, total package and TCO requirements. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
HPE expands Alletra with focused storage servers
HPE released new storage servers for container and software-defined storage with the Alletra 4000. The new servers bring high compute with new Intel CPUs in a denser package. Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Jan 2023
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
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Feature
09 Jan 2023
Data growth to help storage vendors weather slowing economy
The economy may be slowing down, but reliance on data isn't -- a reality that might help enterprise storage vendors wade through economic turbulence in 2023. Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2022
RackTop Systems, Seagate deepen partnership for secure NAS
RackTop Systems and Seagate are offering more in turnkey storage appliances and private cloud integration, combining security software into primary storage devices. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Dec 2022
Automation company swaps Isilon for software-defined storage
The Swedish automation company Hexagon needed super scale and performance for its files. The new SDS upgrade speeds up customer response times. Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2022
Scality's Ring9 adds NVMe storage tier, new APIs
Scality Ring introduces its ninth major update, bringing an all-NVMe tier for better performance and new APIs for tighter integration to tools and third-party applications. Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2022
Seagate quietly expands multi-actuator HDD product line
Seagate has added to its multi-actuator line of Exos 2X HDDs, now offering up to 18 TB in capacity in its attempt to start paving the way for future use cases. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Nov 2022
A comparison of distributed file systems
There are many different distributed file systems available, so careful analysis of the options, as well as good project management, helps ensure a successful installation. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Oct 2022
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
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Tip
24 Oct 2022
7 NAS encryption best practices to protect data
Data storage security is as important now as it's ever been. Encryption is one way to make NAS devices more secure against such threats as ransomware. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2022
IBM introduces Diamondback tape library for cloud providers
IBM's Diamondback tape library delivers 27 PB of capacity in a single rack space. The technology is geared to cloud and service providers as cheap, efficient storage. Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2022
IBM integrates Red Hat storage for hybrid cloud
IBM storage has integrated Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation and Ceph into its new hybrid cloud data storage offering. Analysts said the move is good for both vendors. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Sep 2022
What is network-attached storage (NAS)? A complete guide
Network-attached storage (NAS) is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2022
HPE expands Alletra with lower prices and more options
HPE added the hybrid Alletra 5000 to its block storage portfolio and GreenLake, giving customers more capacity and more consumption options while lowering costs. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2022
Lenovo launches entry-level block storage arrays
Lenovo has released to the entry-level market new all-flash and hybrid arrays, which provide companies with a boost in previous performance, and has unified hardware management. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Sep 2022
How to set up a NAS: A step-by-step configuration guide
Get the most out of your rackmount NAS appliance by configuring admin accounts, permissions and network access; running a diagnostic check; and configuring advanced options. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Sep 2022
NAS vs. cloud storage: Which is better for your business?
On-site NAS and cloud-based NAS are the two main file storage options. Organizations need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each to make the best choice. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Sep 2022
Consider the advantages and disadvantages of NAS
NAS devices provide file sharing that is easy to manage but may be harder to scale than other storage types. Get to know the advantages and disadvantages of NAS. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Sep 2022
NAS vs. object storage: What's best for unstructured data storage?
There are advantages and disadvantages to using NAS or object storage for unstructured data. Find out what to consider when it comes to scalability, performance and workload type. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Aug 2022
7 guidelines to secure network storage
These practices, including firmware and VPN guidance, protect NAS devices. Use these steps as standalone procedures or incorporate them into your overall security process. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2022
Explore 7 software-defined storage companies
Software-defined storage offerings are all over the map, in uses, features and types of platform. These seven software-defined storage companies include several IT giants. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2022
Infinidat guarantees 1-minute restore of primary storage
Infinidat has several guarantees around availability and performance, as well as the ability to recover and restore an immutable snapshot on primary storage in less than a minute. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Aug 2022
Differences in scale-up vs. scale-out storage
Scaling up and scaling out are both approaches to increase storage capacity. To decide which approach to take, consider short- and long-term requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jul 2022
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
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News
25 Jul 2022
Biotech company saves on data management through software
Biotech maker PacBio gleaned big savings and organized a mountain of data when it added data management tools for its local hardware and data silos. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2022
StorCentric files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Rapid acquisitions followed by supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic led StorCentric to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an effort to restructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jun 2022
Key features of a distributed file system
Distributed file systems enable users to access file data that is spread across multiple storage servers. A DFS should uphold data integrity and be secure and scalable. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2022
Weka adds multi-cloud support for AI, ML apps
With Weka 4.0, the parallel file system provider will support four major public cloud vendors while consolidating high performance workloads and adding a data reduction feature. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Jun 2022
space
Space is a term that can refer to various phenomena in science, mathematics and computing and generally encompasses the concept of an area or region. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Jun 2022
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
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News
14 Jun 2022
StorOne connects HDDs with NVMe-oF
StorOne extended NVMe-oF to SAS HDDs, bringing some of the NVMe benefits to the older technology before NVMe hard drives hit the market while reducing costs of NVMe-oF. Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Jun 2022
Pure Storage's focus shines at Pure Accelerate 2022
At Pure Accelerate 2022, Pure Storage displayed its continued investment in R&D, coupled with new product releases. The vendor should continue to make a splash in flash. Continue Reading
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Definition
03 Jun 2022
volatile memory
Volatile memory is a type of memory that maintains its data only while the device is powered. Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2022
Nexsan introduces compact rackmount NAS for edge storage
Nexsan has introduced a new NAS for SMB edge storage use cases. One analyst believes the move is good but will present its own challenges to the vendor. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2022
Western Digital ups the ante with 26 TB HDDs, new SSDs
Western Digital expanded its cloud storage devices with two new HDDs, a CMR drive with 22 TB and an SMR drive with 26 TB, and a new SSD form factor. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Apr 2022
School district sheds Dell EqualLogic for DDN
Simsbury Public Schools brought in two DDN arrays that helped the district speed up its VDI environment and reduce its IT footprint at a better cost. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Infinidat boosts its all-flash storage with InfiniBox SSA II
Infinidat released a new all-flash array with an updated operating system and added InfiniSafe data protection to all its arrays. Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Apr 2022
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
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
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
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
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
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Definition
22 Apr 2022
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
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Definition
14 Apr 2022
overprovisioning (SSD overprovisioning)
Overprovisioning, in a storage context, is the inclusion of extra storage capacity in a solid-state drive. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Apr 2022
Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) is a method used to access computer peripheral devices that employs a serial -- one bit at a time -- means of digital data transfer over thin cables. Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Mar 2022
oversubscription
Oversubscription in a storage area network (SAN) is the practice of committing more network bandwidth to devices connected to that network than what is physically available. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Mar 2022
SSD vs. SSHD vs. HDD: Which one is best?
Hybrid drives promise fast, cost-effective performance for primary and secondary storage. Here's what you need to know about the benefits and drawbacks compared to SSDs and HDDs. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2022
Vast Data unveils new storage platform built on Nvidia DPUs
Vast Data's Ceres combines the vendor's Universal Storage system with data processing units, which provide denser, more efficient storage targeted at AI workloads. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Mar 2022
Composable infrastructure providers tackle modern workloads
Composable infrastructure vendors include titans in IT like Dell and HPE, but also startups such as Fungible and Liqid. Explore product features and the tech's pros and cons. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Mar 2022
clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system
A clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system is a scale-out storage platform made up of multiple NAS nodes networked together into a single cluster. Continue Reading
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Definition
04 Mar 2022
LUN masking
LUN masking is an authorization mechanism used in storage area networks (SANs) to make LUNs available to some hosts but unavailable to other hosts. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Mar 2022
virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number)
A virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number) is a representation of a storage area that is not tied to any physical storage allocation. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2022
Performance, capacity tick up with Dell PowerVault ME5
Dell Technologies modernized its entry-level storage with the new Dell PowerVault ME5, bringing more performance, capacity and ease of use for its SMB customers. Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2022
Hitachi Vantara simplifies hybrid cloud storage
Hitachi Vantara is now providing customers a path to the hybrid cloud with software-defined storage and colocation. It also unveiled a new midrange storage offering. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2022
The best enterprise storage arrays of 2021
Tintri, Infinidat and Dell EMC enterprise arrays win top honors in the Products of the Year disk and disk subsystems category for their use of flash and automation. Continue Reading
- E-Zine 14 Feb 2022
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News
14 Feb 2022
Ruggedized storage takes autonomous vehicle research to edge
Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems selected Quantum Corp.'s R-Series SSDs to collect sensor data at the edge. Continue Reading
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Definition
09 Feb 2022
HD-DVD (high-definition DVD)
HD-DVD (high-definition DVD) is a defunct high-capacity optical storage medium that was once seen as the successor to the DVD. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Feb 2022
RAIN (redundant/reliable array of inexpensive/independent nodes)
A reliable array of independent nodes (RAIN) is a heterogeneous cluster of compute and storage nodes connected in a fault-tolerant network topology that incorporates multiple interfaces and redundant hardware. Continue Reading
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Definition
28 Jan 2022
storage filer
A storage filer is a type of file server designed and programmed for high-volume data storage, backup and archiving. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jan 2022
Hard disk drives to remain dominant storage media in 2022
Hard disk drives are increasing in density and maintaining a lower price point than alternatives, but flash is gaining ground. Here, experts sound off on the fate of HDDs in 2022. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Jan 2022
direct access
In computer storage, direct access is the process of reading and writing data on a storage device by going directly to where the data is physically located on the device rather than having to move sequentially from one physical location to the next to find the correct data. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2022
Dell Apex introduces new multi-cloud management tools
Dell is adding more capabilities to its Dell Apex cloud as-as-service portfolio, which are billed as tools to simplify and manage a multi-cloud infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Definition
22 Dec 2021
InfiniBand
InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Dec 2021
Best options for video data storage include cloud, tape
Video data storage presents some challenges, such as dealing with large file sizes and compliance. Here's what to consider when assessing storage options for video data. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Dec 2021
5 tips for primary storage ransomware protection
Explore the steps storage administrators can take to safeguard against ransomware. Dive deep into tips on access control, vulnerabilities and storage monitoring. Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2021
Nexsan Unity 7.0 boosts security, performance
StorCentric's unified storage product line, Nexsan Unity, hits version 7.0 and brings more protocol support, security features and performance for existing hardware. Continue Reading
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Definition
06 Dec 2021
hard disk drive (HDD)
A computer hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2021
Seagate's 20 TB hard drives ship
Seagate has pumped its max-capacity hard drive up to 20 TB, with a version for the enterprise, Exos X20, and another for SMBs, IronWolf Pro 20 TB. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2021
Seagate debuts NVMe HDD technology at OCP
Seagate demonstrated NVMe HDD technology, showing off its stability and its potential benefits. Customers can see a reduction in complexity and a step toward composability. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2021
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is an electronic interface standard that defines the connection between a bus on a computer's motherboard and the computer's disk storage devices. Continue Reading
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Definition
02 Nov 2021
host bus adapter (HBA)
A host bus adapter (HBA) is a circuit board or integrated circuit adapter that connects a host system, such as a server, to a storage or network device. Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2021
Upgrades to Vast Data OS emphasize simplicity, security
Vast Data released VastOS 4, which includes security features such as indestructible data snapshots and visualization tools aimed at making storage simpler to use and manage. Continue Reading
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Definition
19 Oct 2021
storage volume
A storage volume is an identifiable unit of data storage. It can be a removable hard disk, but it does not have to be a unit that can be physically removed from a computer or storage system. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Oct 2021
optical disk
An optical disk is an electronic data storage medium that can be written to and read from using a low-powered laser beam. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Oct 2021
What is SAN zoning and what are the different types of zoning?
Zoning can be set up according to server, storage and SAN switch. Discover what type of zoning to use, how zone sets extend SAN segmentation and the various zoning schemas. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Oct 2021
TB vs. GB: Is a terabyte bigger than a gigabyte?
A terabyte comprises more than 1 trillion bytes. Discover how the storage measurement scale was created and where a terabyte stands among other units of measurement today. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
30 Sep 2021
Computational storage: Go beyond computation offloading
Computational storage proponents include academia and the Storage Networking Industry Association. While there's behind-the-scenes work still to do, the tech could bring benefits. Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Sep 2021
optical storage
Optical storage is any storage type in which data is written and read with a laser. Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Sep 2021
JBOD (just a bunch of disks)
JBOD, which stands for 'just a bunch of disks,' is a type of multilevel configuration for disks. Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2021
Western Digital OptiNAND stretches HDD capacity, performance
Western Digital unveiled a new storage drive architecture for hard drives that improves capacity, performance and reliability via an embedded flash drive to store metadata. Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Aug 2021
RAID (redundant array of independent disks)
RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs) to protect data in the case of a drive failure. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Jul 2021
Next-generation PCIe key to composable infrastructure progress
High-performance computing and AI environments are just two strong uses for composable architecture. Explore benefits and drawbacks of PCIe in composable systems. Continue Reading
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Definition
08 Jul 2021
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA)
Serial ATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or SATA) is a command and transport protocol that defines how data is transferred between a computer's motherboard and mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), optical drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2021
New Seagate Exos storage uses self-healing drive technology
Seagate's Exos Corvault petabyte-scale storage array introduces self-healing HDD capabilities to ease maintenance and adds erasure coding to protect data at lower overhead. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 May 2021
Build a cloud-ready, global distributed file system
Organizations that want to extend traditional network file shares across data centers, branch offices and public cloud infrastructure have many options. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2021
A primer on DNA data storage and its potential uses
DNA storage isn't just a futuristic concept -- many companies are actively involved in its development and promotion. There's a major use case in data archiving. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2021
Quantum updates StorNext architecture and appliance lineup
Quantum distilled its StorNext file system down to a single 2U appliance. The new H4000 promises easier deployment without losing StorNext's speed or data management capabilities. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2021
Dell EMC speeds up PowerStore array, debuts lower-cost model
Dell Technologies launches new lower-cost PowerStore entry model and PowerStore software updates to enhance performance, automation, NVMe over Fibre Channel and Optane support. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Apr 2021
Quobyte CEO says customers need a scale-out mindset
In order to tackle AI, machine learning and other demanding workloads, enterprises need to break out of their appliance-centric approach to storage, according to Quobyte's CEO. Continue Reading
