Storage administration

Terms related to data storage management, including definitions about enterprise storage and words and phrases about storage infrastructure, storage capacity and hierarchical storage management (HSM).

NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory) - NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory) refers to computer memory that can hold data even when power to the memory chips has been turned off.
object storage - Object storage, also called object-based storage, is an approach to addressing and manipulating data storage as discrete units, called objects.
OpenStack Swift - OpenStack Swift, also known as OpenStack Object Storage, is an open source object storage system that is licensed under the Apache 2.
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.
paging - Paging is a function of memory management where a computer will store and retrieve data from a device’s secondary storage to the primary storage.
parallel file system - A parallel file system is a software component designed to store data across multiple networked servers.
persistent storage - Persistent storage is any data storage device that retains data after power to that device is shut off.
private cloud storage (internal cloud storage) - Private cloud storage, also called internal cloud storage, is a service delivery model for storage within a large enterprise.
problem list - A problem list is a document that states the most important health problems facing a patient such as nontransitive illnesses or diseases, injuries suffered by the patient, and anything else that has affected the patient or is currently ongoing with the patient.
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.
public cloud storage - Public cloud storage, also called online storage, is a service model that provides data storage on a pay-per-use basis.
Pure Storage - Pure Storage is a provider of enterprise data flash storage products designed to substitute for electromechanical disk arrays.
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.
RAID 10 (RAID 1+0) - RAID 10, also known as RAID 1+0, is a RAID configuration that combines disk mirroring and disk striping to protect data.
RAID 3 (redundant array of independent disks 3) - RAID 3 (redundant array of independent disks 3) is a RAID configuration that uses a parity disk to store the information generated by a RAID controller and uses striping to store the data.
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.
RAID 50 (RAID 5+0) - RAID 50, also known as RAID 5+0, combines distributed parity (RAID 5) with striping (RAID 0).
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.
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.
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.
raw device mapping - Raw device mapping (RDM) enables disk access in a virtual machine (VM) in the VMware server virtualization environment and allows a storage logical unit number (LUN) to be connected directly to a VM from the storage area network (SAN).
redundancy - Redundancy is a system design in which a component is duplicated so if it fails there will be a backup.
SAN switch (storage area network switch) - A SAN switch (storage area network switch) is a device that connects servers and shared pools of storage devices and is dedicated to moving storage traffic.
SATA Express (SATAe) - SATA Express (SATAe or Serial ATA Express) is a bus interface to connect storage devices to a computer motherboard, supporting SATA and PCI Express protocols simultaneously.
Seebeck effect - The Seebeck effect is a phenomenon in which a temperature difference between two dissimilar electrical conductors or semiconductors produces a voltage difference between the two substances.
shingled magnetic recording (SMR) - Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) is a technique for writing data to a hard disk drive (HDD) whereby the data tracks partially overlap to increase the areal density and overall storage capacity per disk.
slack space (file slack space) - Slack space, or file slack space, is the leftover storage space on a computer's hard disk drive when a file does not need all the space it has been allocated by the operating system.
SMB 3.0 (Server Message Block 3.0) - SMB 3 (Server Message Block 3.
software redundant array of independent disk (software RAID) - Software RAID, also known as virtual RAID, is a form of RAID (software redundant array of independent disk) performed on an internal server.
software-defined storage (SDS) - Software-defined storage (SDS) is a software program that manages data storage resources and functionality and has no dependencies on the underlying physical storage hardware.
SSD (solid-state drive) - An SSD, or solid-state drive, is a type of storage device used in computers.
SSD caching - SSD caching, also known as 'flash caching' or 'flash memory caching,' is the temporary storage of frequently-accessed data on NAND flash memory chips in a solid-state drive (SSD) to improve the drive's input/output (I/O) performance and allow data requests to be met with improved speed.
SSD TRIM - SSD TRIM is a command for the Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface that enables an operating system (OS) to inform a NAND flash solid-state drive (SSD) which data blocks it can erase because they are no longer in use.
stack overflow - A stack overflow is a type of buffer overflow error that occurs when a computer program tries to use more memory space in the call stack than has been allocated to that stack.
storage as a service (STaaS) - Storage as a service (STaaS) is a managed service in which the provider supplies the customer with access to a data storage platform.
storage capacity planning - Storage capacity planning is the practice of assessing current data storage needs and forecasting future storage requirements.
Storage vMotion - Storage vMotion is a component of VMware vSphere that allows the live migration of a running virtual machine's (VM) file system from one storage system to another, with no downtime for the VM or service disruption for end users.
streaming data architecture - A streaming data architecture is an information technology framework that puts the focus on processing data in motion and treats extract-transform-load (ETL) batch processing as just one more event in a continuous stream of events.
tape library - In data storage, a tape library is a collection of magnetic tape cartridges and tape drives.
TLC flash (triple-level cell flash) - TLC flash (triple-level cell flash) is a type of NAND flash memory that stores three bits of data per cell.
Top searches of 2008 - What were people searching the WhatIs.
unified storage - Unified storage -- sometimes called network unified storage or multiprotocol storage -- is a storage system that enables users to run and manage files and applications from a single device.
utility storage - Utility storage is a service model in which a provider makes storage capacity available to an individual, organization or business unit on a pay-per-use basis.
value-based healthcare - Value-based healthcare, also known as value-based care, is a payment model that rewards healthcare providers for providing quality care to patients.
virtual address - A virtual address is a binary number in virtual memory that lets a process use a location in primary storage (main memory) or, in some cases, secondary storage.
virtual hard disk (VHD) - A virtual hard disk (VHD) is a disk image file format for storing the entire contents of a computer's hard drive.
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.
virtual server farm - A virtual server farm is a networking environment that employs multiple application and infrastructure servers running on two or more physical servers using a server virtualization program such as VMware or Microsoft Virtual Server.
Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) - Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) is an access method for IBM's mainframe operating system, MVS, now called z/OS.
volume manager - A volume manager is software within an operating system (OS) that controls capacity allocation for storage arrays.
What is a private cloud? - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
What is cloud backup and how does it work? - Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance.
What is cloud computing? Types, examples and benefits - Cloud computing is a general term for the delivery of hosted computing services and IT resources over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
What is data protection and why is it important? - Data protection is the process of safeguarding data and restoring important information in the event the data is corrupted, compromised or lost due to cyberattacks, shutdowns, intentional harm or human error.
Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) - Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) enables several computers to host a service, and if one has a fault, the remaining computers automatically take over the hosting of the service.
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.
write-back - Write-back is a technique used to cache data between the local processor or central processing unit and the final storage location, which is typically either main memory -- RAM -- or disk.
write-through - Write-through is a storage method in which data is written into the cache and the corresponding main memory location at the same time.
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.
Zerto - Zerto is a storage software vendor that specializes in enterprise-class business continuity and disaster recovery in virtual and cloud environments.
ZFS - ZFS is a local file system and logical volume manager created by Sun Microsystems to control the placement, storage and retrieval of data in enterprise computing systems.