Modern Trends in Data Storage Hardware: Doing More, with Less

By Donna Pizarro, Top Gun

Technology has created a world that is constantly evolving to improve productivity by doing more with less.  The amount of data stored in everyday life is increasing and technology is continually improving its ability to manage the data by hardware innovations, software and licensing solutions built within current storage arrays. Storage has evolved from basic hard drives to complex managed systems transmitting data across the world. Demand for higher-performing, data protected, large capacity systems with smaller physical and environmental footprints is the primary trend driving storage today.

Many companies utilize self-managed, “on-premise” storage hardware consisting of Enterprise or NAS technology to manage their data. AI is a key component used within the last few years and is seen in many N-1 and N-2 storage solutions. Use of AI is continually being adapted and improved in newer products. It is used both within the firmware and the hardware architecture in many storage solutions and can efficiently manage large amounts of storage cost effectively.

AI is used in NVMe flash technology today to manage hardware failover within the flash module itself.  We are seeing larger flash modules developed to create more data stored in less space, which is processed more expediently than the earlier large SAS and SSD drives. AI is also used within the firmware analytics to manage the data with less administration time, minimizing errors and improving production.

As the amount of data managed in business today increases, so does the concern for data security. Many companies are faced with the challenge of encrypting their data at-rest and in-flight due to threats from cyberattacks, malicious ransomware and phishing. Encryption has been offered within storage products for several years but is being used more often now, than before. Encryption at-rest is available at the drive level using self-encrypting drives, encryption licenses and an encryption key server. Encryption in-flight is incorporated as a license in many SAN fabrics and storage arrays, allowing travel of encrypted data from the array, through the fabric to the host.

Managing your storage hardware environment with a lower budget is a trend that never goes away. To reduce costs, IT management may look to a more current trend to outsource their data center or storage to a cloud-based service. OEMs are now offering cloud-based backup and recovery or “Storage as a Service” as an option, versus on-premise storage management. The conundrum faced with outsourcing is the lack of control and assurances that your data is protected and optimally managed versus the cost savings gained from the service.

Top Gun can help buck the trend of increased storage hardware costs and increase the secure feeling gained with on-premise storage by offering independent, mission critical maintenance services on Enterprise and NAS storage hardware. The company provides hardware maintenance and other services for legacy systems, typically providing higher service levels at a reduced price, permitting its Fortune 1000 clients to run their storage hardware longer, or as long as clients may choose. Storage OEMs supported, include: Brocade, Dell EMC, NetApp, Hitachi (HDS), IBM and HPE platforms.

Blog Author Details

Donna Pizarro

Senior VP, Storage & Transition Services

Top Gun

Donna’s LinkedIn Profile