Many organizations approach data storage from a tactical rather than a strategic perspective, and that’s a mistake.
Your organization doesn’t derive value from storing more data; it derives value from the information that comes from that data. When you view data storage through the lens of the business information it will generate, it changes the way you see your storage requirements. Suddenly, how much and how cheap aren’t the only decision drivers, as you consider how the scalability, security and accessibility of your storage architecture impact the extraction and flow of information through your business.It’s not a big leap to move from a tactical storage mindset to a strategic one.
In fact, it’s often the difference of a day. We call this the “day after” effect. Once an organization has purchased enough storage to solve its current capacity issues (plus a reasonable cushion for the near future), they begin to think strategically. What happens if we start to bring thousands of data-generating devices online? Will our storage architecture crash if more people start accessing our data for real-time decision-making all at once? These kinds of day-after discussions are the conversations that should be happening before you buy any new storage system.What Does an “Informed” Data Storage Architecture look like?
A modern storage architecture looks beyond capacity and cost to consider broader business issues such as organizational resiliency and automation. In the next few years, many organizations will undertake data-based initiatives that will have a profound impact on how data should be stored, shared and organized, including deep learning and real-time data streams from Internet-connected devices. These initiatives will place unique demands on the storage architecture and require levels of performance and protection that differ dramatically from the storage characteristics of the past.Machine learning is one example of how information in the next generation will impact storage. Most organizations, understanding that machine learning requires a large amount of data, will build dedicated data lakes to serve a small number of data scientists.
Limited Storage Options can Box You In
Data storage isn’t a single challenge; it involves multiple layers of information, each with their own requirements for performance, security, availability and access. You wouldn’t, for example, use the same platform to store mission-critical data for your ERP system as you would for archival or backup systems. Multiple storage systems, however, can lead to “islands” of information that limit data visibility and increase operational complexity. To counter this, HPE has built a robust portfolio of storage products that can serve all your information storage requirements—from high-performance Flash-based appliances to hyperconverged systems and cloud-ready solutions—while providing a seamless, single pane of management. For external storage solutions, HPE offers three unique and complementary options:- HPE 3PAR, the industry standard for enterprise data centers that require unparalleled scale and resilience;
- HPE Nimble, HPE’s newest storage platform, designed to deliver cloud-like efficiency and predictive insights into storage capacity and usage;
- The HPE XP7 appliance for large disk-based storage needs that demand the highest levels of availability and reliability.
- HPE SimpliVity, an advanced hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) platform that offers unique features such as powerful data compression/deduplication capabilities;
- A large suite of platforms that are tested and approved for use in VMware vSAN architectures.
- The HPE StoreOnce family of backup solutions for SMBs and enterprises;
- Scale-out storage solutions for file systems and archival needs from Qumulo and Scality, HPE NAS SOFTWARE partners. (RUNS ON HPE PLATFORMS.)
