Holy Grail of Network Storage Management, The
Published on 13. November 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-0-13-028416-7 (ISBN)
Description
The Holy Grail of Networked Storage Management addresses the problems inherent in current storage architectures - including direct-attached, network-attached (NAS), and storage area networks (SAN) - in sharp contrast to marketing hype promulgated by vendor marketing departments. Toigo explores practical measures for surmounting the limitations of current technology and offers advice to readers who confront the two towers of storage pain: provisioning storage to applications, and protecting data from loss or corruption. The Holy Grail of Networked Storage Management provides readers with the ability to critique current product offerings and to select and deploy those technologies that will deliver real business value in their infrastructure. This book lays the groundwork for a consumer movement in data storage. The author suggests some methods for gaining advantage in product purchasing and seeks to empower consumers through the creation of critical knowledge and skills to make effective storage choices that address current and strategic goals. The book focuses on the business value of technology and offers techniques and best practices for deriving the most value from storage acquisitions using the least amount of precious resources. Do more with less is the mantra of business managers in a challenged economy and implementing the guidance offered in this book may help to realize this goal in the reader's own data storage infrastructure.
More details
Person
Jon William Toigo is CEO and managing partner of Toigo Partners International LLC, a global demand-side IT research and analysis firm that focuses on the business value of storage technology. He is also the founder of The Data Management Institute LLC, a professional organization for data managers that offers training, certification and consumer advocacy. A 20-year IT veteran, Toigo has worked within corporate information systems departments and served as a senior consultant with two international systems integrators. He has written 14 books, more than 1,000 articles, and five widely read columns in the technology trade press.
Content
List of illustrations.
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
1. Introduction.
Conspiracy Theory. The Storage Industry: Fear of Standards and Commoditization. Another Industry Concern: The Rise of a Dominant Player. The Road to Unification? Yesterday's Resellers, Tomorrow's Competitors. About This Book. Endnotes.
2. The Data Explosion and Matters of the Disk.
The Data Explosion Myth. Deconstructing the Data Explosion Myth. Fact and Fiction in Networked Storage. From Evolution to Revolution: The Myth of the Fibre Channel SAN. Endnotes.
3. 21st Century Oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp and Fibre Channel SAN.
SANs and Capacity Allocation Efficiency. The "V" Word. Capacity Utilization Efficiency: Another Grail. What About Management? Conclusion. Endnotes.
4. Sanity Check on IP SANs.
IP SANs and Metcalfe's Law. What, When, and Where ISCSI. Why IP SANs? Conclusion.
5. The Quest for Networked Storage: Many Roads to Rome.
The Zen Riddle of Storage Networking. Block and File. NAS/SAN Hybrids. Conclusion. Endnotes.
6. Making Storage Platforms Smarter.
The Sources of Storage Infrastructure Value. Barriers to Growth in Disk and Consequences for Platform Decision Making. Media Materials Are Key. Capacity Versus Performance and Other Economic Realities. Economic Realities. Back to Architecture. Disk and Array Selection Criteria. Storage Intelligence Begins With Informed and Pragmatic Device Decisions. Endnotes.
7. Virtualization:Still a Dirty Word?
A Brief Overview of Virtualization in IT. SANs and Virtualization. Host Software-Based Virtualization. "In-Band" Virtualization. Out-of-Band Virtualization. Array Controller-Based Virtualization. Are Switches the New Virtualization Platform? Back to Reality. Endnotes.
8. Squeezing Real Value from Storage.
What is Capacity Utilization Efficiency? Hierarchical Storage Management. A Brief Overview of Storage Resource Management Architecture. Product-Centric Management. Infrastructure-Centric or Storage Resource Management (SRM). Application-Centric Management. Data-Centric Storage Management. Not Speculation. In the Absence of a Data-Centric Storage Management Solution. Endnotes.
9. Final Word: Tape is Dead...Maybe.
Data Protection. The Backup Versus Mirror Debate. Tape is Not a Panacea. Mirroring is Not a Silver Bullet. Enhanced Backup Options Exist. Attacking Backup Time. DDT: Not the Pesticide, The Other DDT. Saving Restore Time. The Bottom Line About Bolt-Ons. Endnotes.
10. The Cone of Silence.
A Security Capability for Storage. The Three A's of Security. Which is More Secure: IP or Fibre Channel? Burgeoning Technologies. Storage Encryption. Adapting Other Security Concepts to Storage. Conclusion. Endnotes.
11. Conclusion: Joining the Quest for the Holy Grail.
The Solution is Out There. Professionalism, Pragmatism, and Cosumerism. What is to be Done? Endnotes.
Glossary.
Index.
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
1. Introduction.
Conspiracy Theory. The Storage Industry: Fear of Standards and Commoditization. Another Industry Concern: The Rise of a Dominant Player. The Road to Unification? Yesterday's Resellers, Tomorrow's Competitors. About This Book. Endnotes.
2. The Data Explosion and Matters of the Disk.
The Data Explosion Myth. Deconstructing the Data Explosion Myth. Fact and Fiction in Networked Storage. From Evolution to Revolution: The Myth of the Fibre Channel SAN. Endnotes.
3. 21st Century Oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp and Fibre Channel SAN.
SANs and Capacity Allocation Efficiency. The "V" Word. Capacity Utilization Efficiency: Another Grail. What About Management? Conclusion. Endnotes.
4. Sanity Check on IP SANs.
IP SANs and Metcalfe's Law. What, When, and Where ISCSI. Why IP SANs? Conclusion.
5. The Quest for Networked Storage: Many Roads to Rome.
The Zen Riddle of Storage Networking. Block and File. NAS/SAN Hybrids. Conclusion. Endnotes.
6. Making Storage Platforms Smarter.
The Sources of Storage Infrastructure Value. Barriers to Growth in Disk and Consequences for Platform Decision Making. Media Materials Are Key. Capacity Versus Performance and Other Economic Realities. Economic Realities. Back to Architecture. Disk and Array Selection Criteria. Storage Intelligence Begins With Informed and Pragmatic Device Decisions. Endnotes.
7. Virtualization:Still a Dirty Word?
A Brief Overview of Virtualization in IT. SANs and Virtualization. Host Software-Based Virtualization. "In-Band" Virtualization. Out-of-Band Virtualization. Array Controller-Based Virtualization. Are Switches the New Virtualization Platform? Back to Reality. Endnotes.
8. Squeezing Real Value from Storage.
What is Capacity Utilization Efficiency? Hierarchical Storage Management. A Brief Overview of Storage Resource Management Architecture. Product-Centric Management. Infrastructure-Centric or Storage Resource Management (SRM). Application-Centric Management. Data-Centric Storage Management. Not Speculation. In the Absence of a Data-Centric Storage Management Solution. Endnotes.
9. Final Word: Tape is Dead...Maybe.
Data Protection. The Backup Versus Mirror Debate. Tape is Not a Panacea. Mirroring is Not a Silver Bullet. Enhanced Backup Options Exist. Attacking Backup Time. DDT: Not the Pesticide, The Other DDT. Saving Restore Time. The Bottom Line About Bolt-Ons. Endnotes.
10. The Cone of Silence.
A Security Capability for Storage. The Three A's of Security. Which is More Secure: IP or Fibre Channel? Burgeoning Technologies. Storage Encryption. Adapting Other Security Concepts to Storage. Conclusion. Endnotes.
11. Conclusion: Joining the Quest for the Holy Grail.
The Solution is Out There. Professionalism, Pragmatism, and Cosumerism. What is to be Done? Endnotes.
Glossary.
Index.