Assessing Your Storage Needs

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Network storage solutions are rapidly becoming available as the number and size of enterprise networks increases. Every organization has different priorities for selecting media and methods for data storage. Some are constrained by costs, and others place performance before all other considerations.

As you assess your storage needs, you need to compare the possible loss of data, productivity, and business to the cost of a storage system that provides high performance and reliability. Consider the following needs before you develop your storage management strategy:

  • Technologies that are the most cost-effective for your organization.

  • Adequate storage capacity that can easily grow with your network.

  • The need for rapid, 24-hour access to critical data.

  • A secure environment for data storage.

When looking for the most cost-effective solution, you need to balance the costs of purchasing and maintaining hardware and software with the consequences of a disastrous loss of data. Costs include:

  • Initial investment in hardware, such as tape and disk drives, power supplies, and controllers.

  • Associated media such as magnetic tapes and compact discs.

  • Software, such as storage management tools and a backup tool.

  • Ongoing hardware and software maintenance costs.

  • Staffing.

  • Training in how to use new technologies.

  • Off-site storage facilities.

Compare these costs against:

  • Replacement costs for file servers mail servers, or print servers.

  • Replacement costs for servers running applications, such as Microsoft® SQL Server™ or Microsoft® Systems Management Server (SMS).

  • Replacement costs for gateway servers running Routing and Remote Access Service, Microsoft® SNA Server, Microsoft® Proxy Server, or Novell NetWare.

  • Workstation replacement costs for personnel in various departments.

  • Replacement costs for individual computer components, such as a hard disk or a network card.

Another important factor to consider when you select a storage system is speed of data recovery. If you lose the data on a server, how fast can you reinstate that data? How long can you afford to have a server (or an entire network) down before it begins to have a serious impact on your business?

Storage technology changes rapidly, so it is best to research the relative merits of each type before you make a purchasing decision. The storage system you use needs to have more than enough capacity to back up your most critical data. It should also provide error detection and correction during backup and restore operations.