Excerpts

Chapter synopsis

Within this publication, the chapter synopsis provides an effective way of identifying specific issues, enabling you to go directly to your area of interest:

Chapter 1: Where does my storage capacity go?
Discusses both the obvious and hidden areas that contribute toward rapidly disappearing disk space. Not all of the issues identified are business related, and as such this chapter highlights a selection of social trends and malpractice, together with the legal implications imposed upon your organization.

Chapter 2: What client technologies are available?
Features a selection of technology platforms and business tools, such as SAN, DDP, HSM and knowledge management. This chapter also draws attention to the fact that many client technologies are application specific. It is therefore probable that your organization will benefit from a combination of technology platforms to meet business needs.

Chapter 3: Managing systems that manage your data
Highlights the fact that as the volume of data that is both collected and generated by your organization reaches unprecedented levels, it is essential that the systems that manage your data be improved at the same rate. This chapter also looks at the importance of knowledge management and other business intelligence tools/reporting functions, together with their role within a data management strategy.

Chapter 4: Backup and tape issues
Examines your current strategies within this area, which in many cases may be out-of-date or otherwise overwhelmed. As such, this chapter looks at breaking away from ‘overnight backups’, by laying the foundation for more flexible and practical ways by which backups can be achieved in today’s environment.

Chapter 5: Assessing the value of your data
In today’s organizations, the value of data usually has a higher capital worth than the hardware on which it resides. Through looking at the many ways by which your data can be (and often is) compromised, this chapter considers a number of steps that you can undertake in order to protect your clients’ data as well as your own.

Chapter 6: Data security
Is a wider topic than perhaps initially appreciated, encompassing newer trends such as social engineering. Whilst there is a lot of focus on Internet security concerns, we cannot allow ourselves to neglect other security issues, such as those associated with our network, mobile devices, or removable media. This chapter considers the importance of implementing a cross section of security strategies that support and complement one another.

Chapter 7: Data preservation
In recent years, we have seen the importance of data preservation heighten as a result of the rapid and continual introduction of new technologies, the effect of legacy media decomposition, and the extinction of many hardware platforms. This chapter discusses the need to develop a clear data preservation strategy, together with the key ingredients that it is likely to encompass.

Chapter 8: IT storage projects
Outlines a practical approach to successful storage and other IT projects. Through gaining support of the board, it is more likely that a given project will be sanctioned and indeed ‘championed’ by a member of the executive management team. This chapter also explains the importance of supporting the wider business objectives, the use of ‘business friendly’ terminology and the need to demonstrate a clear return on investment.

Chapter 9: What does the future hold?
Considers a number of steps that your organization could take right now in order to prepare for the ever-growing storage capacity requirements that will undoubtedly be needed in the future. The chapter also highlights a selection of emerging technologies that may benefit your organization, together with some of the exciting core technology innovations of the future.