by Rob Commins

As datacenter managers continue squeezing more and more from their server platforms through virtualization, they quickly encounter the complexities of managing a shared storage environment. Traditional disk arrays were never architected for the chaotic I/O patterns created by virtualized server platforms. To simplify their storage environment, many turn to a Network Attached Storage (NAS) architecture. While easier to manage than a block-based storage area network (SAN), most NAS systems induce performance bottlenecks that hinder their ability to scale. Before the days of server virtualization in the open data center, NAS storage systems were often relegated to second-tier applications and general-purpose file/print services; performance was rarely a top-priority buying criteria.

by Molly Rector

Addressing astronomical data growth and increasing accessibility demands

Over the last 10 years, “Data Growth Continues its Breakneck Pace”¹ could be the name of a regular column in any storage publication. Massive data growth has become the norm, which means that data center strategies have to address constantly increasing storage requirements. Many technologies have emerged to meet this need, and most attention has been showered on disk technologies such as virtualization, deduplication, and replication.

One of the more recent advancements involves a proven veteran of the data center: tape. Industry analyst Jon Toigo writes that “one of the most exciting developments in storage last year [was] Tape NAS [network attached storage].”² Advances in tape have moved it from primarily backup to the first and second lines of data defense. The key advancement: making tape look like disk.