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Home > Perspective > Protect & Manage Data > Forsythe Expert Q & A Align & Operate IT Manage Risk Protect & Manage Data Forsythe Authored Articles Forsythe Expert Q & A Forsythe News Articles Client Stories Optimize the Data Center Enhance IT Infrastructure Source & Manage Technology Protect & Manage Data Storage How Are RAID Level Choices Made? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 10.19.2007 RAID levels not only apply the appropriate level of protection for data, they also have a tremendous effect on the performance of most applications. There are some effective practices guidelines, but each application in each organization must be analyzed to ensure adherence to business impact and performance metrics developed by the business and technical groups. How Can I Use Thin Provisioning Safely? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 10.19.2007 Thin provisioning is a great new technology that promises to increase storage utilization and lower both capital and operational costs. However, there are some dangers inherent to thin provisioning that storage and server administrators should be aware of. How Can I Get Backup Data Under Control? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 08.22.2007 As most storage administrators are painfully aware, business units and application owners typically dictate retention periods for their data. We are all also very much aware of the headaches and additional expense that accompany long-term retention of backup data -- the capacity and logistical costs associated with this process can be staggering. What to Consider When Creating Storage to Support Exchange? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 08.22.2007 Microsoft Exchange (2003 especially) is a very unique application from an enterprise storage perspective. Exchange can be I/O intensive, but it is definitely a response-time sensitive application. How Can I Best Measure Performance in My Storage Environment? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 06.07.2007 IOPS (input/output operations per second) is an industry-standard way of measuring disk performance. Every storage administrator should have a documented process in place to monitor and track IOPS metrics. Should I Set Benchmarks for My Storage Environment? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions Byteand Switch.com 06.07.2007 Infrastructure benchmarks are an important metric to develop, understand, and maintain in an enterprise environment. Benchmarking for storage can be complex, since the data path for large enterprise applications is typically comprised of multiple systems, each with its own contributions to performance, bandwidth, and latency. Having a repeatable process to create storage environment benchmarks enables you to maintain a successful tiered-storage environment. How Do I Boost Response Time? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 04.17.2007 Simply adding storage capacity is rarely a successful solution for disk response time issues. Most often, response time problems are caused by volume configuration issues and lack of bandwidth. However, in some cases, adding additional disks can improve response time due to the additional spindle count. What Is the Best Way to Implement File Virtualization? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 04.17.2007 Virtualization has been quite the buzzword in the storage industry recently. There are several virtualization mechanisms available to the storage consumer today. These options span not only operational platforms but also storage platforms and storage types. Are you prepared to implement? There are several concerns that should be addressed. Which Data Protection Is Best? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 03.16.2007 There are certainly a plethora of data protection options available, running the gamut from tape backup to intra-array cloning and snapshotting. The cost and complexity of these technologies varies widely. Archiving: When & How? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 03.16.2007 The question facing the storage manager today is not “Should I archive data?” but “How do I archive data?” There are a range of options, but as with every strategic infrastructure decision, the true solution is a combination of policy, process, and infrastructure. What’s the Buzz I’m Hearing About RAID 6? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 02.07.2007 Raid 6 is a relatively new data protection architecture becoming more readily available from mainstream storage vendors. Raid 6 is another implementation of the long-standing method of configuring disks in redundant “arrays”. Are Certifications Valuable for Storage Administrators? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 02.07.2007 Certifications have been a controversial subject for IT professionals. Are they badges of honor won through hard work and expert knowledge? Or are they meaningless pieces of paper used to bolster resumes in the eyes of recruiters? Is the Time Right for Virtualization? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 01.03.2007 From servers to networking to storage, development and introduction of virtual environments is spreading like wildfire. Storage virtualization can be tempting, but be sure to execute a detailed cost-benefit analysis to fully understand how much your current environment and data management policies can leverage storage virtualization. What’s the Key to Excellent Encryption? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 12.05.2006 http://www.ByteAndSwitch.com/document.asp?doc_id=112016 Does De-Duplication Have Drawbacks? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 12.05.2006 Tim Arland, principal consultant for Forsythe Solutions discusses data de-duplication technology. What’s the Best Way to Set Up Tiered Storage? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 11.10.2006 Tim Arland, principal consultant for Forsythe Solutions defines the requirements that drive storage infrastructure development. What’s the Best Way to Set Up True ILM? Tim Arland, Principal Consultant, Storage Solutions ByteandSwitch.com 11.10.2006 Tim Arland, principal consultant for Forsythe Solutions defines the components of a successful ILM implementation.