As the amount and value of data hosted by organizations steadily increases, so does the importance of deploying the correct data storage implementation strategy. Centralized data storage offers perhaps the best solution for storing, protecting and retaining valuable organizational data. Data solutions these days address elements like server virtualization, managed scalability, and seamless networking, offering features like advanced management for organizations with limited staff.
Keeping up the exponential increase in data storage can be a difficult challenge for your organization working with NetApp; especially if your staff hasn't had NetApp training. Since the required storage for any given application isn't exactly a science, organizations must estimate the amount of data they might need store their valuable data over time. Furthermore, they must select a server with drive bays enough to adapt to future data growth.
Usually, when all the drive bays are full, agencies directly incorporate external disks through a small computer system interface (SCSI). This, however, proves to be an expensive solution if only a portion of the capacity is used, as direct storage shelf cannot be used on more than one server at a time.
Sever Virtualization for Data Implementation
One of the most compelling technological trends these days is server virtualization, which provides you with the ability to utilize the excess processing capacity your systems possess. With high-performing multi-core CPUs of today, there is always some excess processing power that isn't being utilized. You can tap into this wealth of processing power by hosting a number of virtual servers on your physical server network. Once you have created virtual servers on physical ones, you can move it around from one physical server to the next to manage the load, balance it out, create hardware failover and mobility from site to site.
NetApp System Manager is perfect for your common data storage implementation process. It is easy to use yet feature-rich management tool for the management and configuration of data storage elements. Ideal for initial configuration and setup of data centers, one at a time. As your data storage environment grows, the NetApp training and certification of your IT staff will equip them with the skills they need to support that growth.
Simplifying Storage Implementation Processes
Your first step towards the simplification of your data storage implementation process is documenting how the storage process is currently being managed in detail. It is strongly suggested that you utilize the process flow with a Microsoft tracking tool like Visio, so your team can make sense of what is going on and what their role is going to be in this undertaking. The breakdown is as follows:
Product Requirements
List all the software versions and specific hardware requirements you need to accomplish your organizational goals. Explain in great detail why you need each of the items listed and the role they play, followed by which task is for whom in your team.
Equipment to be Used
Next step is listing the specific storage resource that needs to be utilized, which may include storage interconnects (SAN, iSCSI, direct attached, or other), hosts, primary and secondary storage devices. This also covers the networking infrastructure and the DR facilities, and anything else your data infrastructure designer thinks is important.
You will also need to articulate the storage management products both online and offline. Which include but aren't limited to (Volume Managers, File Systems, Clustering Applications, Replication solutions as well as backup related apps.
Implementation Process & Policies
Once the previous steps are complete you need a game plan. You need to create processes and put them in place for management and implementation of the storage lifecycle. This step is critical as it will inform your team on the specifics of the transitions and provide them with steps on how to best carry them out.
Roles & Responsibilities
List out your IT staff position and skills and match the processes with the most suited roles. Assign tasks from buying the software and hardware you need to back up your current data.
Once you've ensured that the entire process is adequately documented for your team to understand and carry out the upgrades and improvements, you can proceed. The importance of documentation cannot be stressed enough, for instance, a large firm took a look at their archival process and realized that the rotation schedule wasn't optimal for the environment they were operating in. Once they adjusted their schedule they realized they could now complete backup tasks in reduced time, as well as saving 35% of their media budget they spent on tape. With proper documentation, the company was able to save time on the implementation process, which resulted in improved data security for the whole firm.
The Growth of Data
The increasing need for data and storage space isn't limited to larger firms. Companies of all size and type are facing challenges of acquiring data, storing it and retaining large amounts of it. In the face of these challenges, solutions that were once overly complex and expensive for smaller companies are now being made simple to purchase, deploy and manage. More advanced features that were once only limited to multinationals are now being offered in the lower-price range, making the lives of small to medium-sized firms a lot easier for the growth of data storage and retention.
Overcoming Storage Implementation Challenges
NetApp and related technology are evolving and taking lead in providing crucial solutions for the IT industry's big challenges. It is now more important than ever that organizations place a firm emphasis on acquiring staff that has had NetApp training, or provide the necessary training for their employees themselves. When providing a path for employee growth, enterprises across the world can dissolve these barriers to scalable and effective data storage.
NetApp currently offers a hybrid cloud service at the moment as its primary platform, making training in NetApp the primary success driver for a firm that wishes to make their data scalable, better segmented and secure for as many environments the organization requires. In addition, it provides your employees with the working knowledge of efficient data storage implementation and management.