Storage benchmarking is what I like to call a “dark art”.

Let’s be honest, the reason File Virtualization is hot is because every compute environment is running into the unavoidable realities of exploding data growth in all directions - spreading like a virus across the network and in the data center.

In the realm of storage appliances (NAS or application specific appliances) the technology evolution usually equates to things like more capacity (bigger drives), faster throughput, more IOPS, better availability, and easier management/provisioning, etc… but is that it?

We’ve recently had some questions coming through the Ask the Storage Advisors link about networked storage in the home.

Let’s face it… finding the “right” data is hard, but there is an answer.

If some of the new indexing applications live up to the hype …. ILM may actually have a chance…

The problem is all in the math. Most of us that have been in the storage industry know that the way the hard drive vendors “market” the drive capacities is fundamentally inaccurate.

These backup services are quite convenient. It does require an Internet connection, which just about everyone has now.

…in my opinion this is a prime example of people being lazy or stupid!

The toughest question for any storage administrator to answer is, “What kind of performance do you NEED?”