On-Site
Surveys
Specialist Storage Consultants will work
in partnership with you to design a tailored solution
that offers the best balance between scalability, manageability,
total cost of ownership, and performance. Your organisational
requirements form the basis of the design specification.
The
site survey will incorporate the full analysis of your
existing data storage infrastructure, and combines it
with a full investigation of your future storage requirements
that includes both your business practices and methodologies
and your IT needs.
A
full analysis of data storage needs incorporates many
aspects of your organisation:
Performance
The speed of access required by users.
Different data types and storage locations may require
different performance.
Capacity
Both localised and overall network storage
capacities must be included in the equation. Storage can
be fragmented or centralised, managed by a pool of users
or single authorised personnel. This capacity must be
carefully deduced and the appropriate solution placed
where it is required.
Data
Types
Many organisations produce different data
types that require different storage strategies. Ensuring
the correct data is stored on the appropriate technology
and in the correct location is critical. Streaming media
requires vastly different storage strategies to rarely
accessed word processed documentation.
Technology
Ensuring you select the appropriate technology
for your differing data storage requirements is a fundamental
building block of your storage strategy.
Location
Storage systems can be centralised or
fragmented, or a combination of both to provide the best
solution. Server attached storage systems (SAS) still
provide a simple means of providing large scale data storage.
Network attached storage (NAS) provides simple capacity
for users direct to your network. Virtulisation can provide
a single network management & administration interface
to a wealth of fragmented and disparate storage solutions.
Backup
Strategies
No storage strategy is complete without
symbiotic backup strategy that can both provide the capacity
rtequired and can complete within your backup window.
Archiving
& Migration
Any data migration or archiving required
must be considered as part of your overall data storage
strategy and incorporated as part of the core programme.
