The Holy Grail of Data Storage Management

Part One provides a context for thinking about storage management and introduces some of the central themes explored in greater detail in subsequent parts of the book. Also provided in this section are several "generic" distributed storage models. These models are intended for use by the reader as a starting point in conceptualizing, planning, integrating and managing storage capabilities in a distributed environment.

Part Two provides a detailed discussion of storage technologies themselves. From a "micro-level" focus on hard disk technology, the discussion shifts to a "macro-level" view disk storage subsystems. Array technologies based on open and proprietary RAID implementations are considered in detail, as are network attached storage devices and emerging SAN architectures. In addition to magnetic disk and disk-based arrays, enterprise storage also includes tape and optical storage technologies. Technologies for Near-Online Storage -- including tape and optical storage subsystems -- continue to have valuable roles to play in enterprise storage platforms. Their traditional missions in disaster recovery and system backup will be evaluated, together with evolving roles in production applications.

Part Three of the book is entitled Storage Management Techniques. The section begins with an overview of a "project" whose objective is the implementation of an effective storage management capability. While highly simplified, the project model set forth introduces the generic objectives and tasks that need to be considered as IT professionals endeavor to take control of storage and its management within the corporate enterprise. Core to defining effective storage solutions is the cultivation of a "storage infrastructure perspective." Looking at storage requirements from such a perspective helps to define the application-specific data layout and data movement requirements that a storage solution must support. This concept is illustrated using examples that range from very large databases (VLDBs), which undergird most of today's mission-critical client/server applications, to large-scale data streaming applications, such as digital video and audio editing, which are the harbingers of the next wave of "killer multimedia applications."

The Conclusion of this book examines the major, competing initiatives in the storage industry to realize a goal of a "storage nirvana" in which all storage is easily managed, scaled, and shared to meet application and end user requirements. Each of these contending approaches, and the many others that will likely follow, reflect a vendor-sponsor's preferences and product orientation. At present, vendors show little inclination to reach an accommodation that will deliver an "open" approach, appropriate to all companies.

Despite the failure of vendors to deliver a common storage infrastructure, this book concludes that the pace of advancement of storage technology continues to stay ahead of the "storage pain curve" for IT organizations. As the market has demanded more storage, faster storage and greater storage capacity, vendors have been ready with products to meet the need. While this may be regarded as a good thing, it has also supported the cultivation of a laissez-faire attitude among IT professionals based largely on an unstated belief that the situation will continue indefinitely.

This view, however, is a fallacy. As the unplanned deployment of storage capabilities continues, IT organizations are creating an environment that is prone both to dramatic increases in total cost of ownership and to disastrous interruptions of mission-critical business applications.

Inevitably, companies will be forced to begin a quest for the "Holy Grail" of rational storage resource planning. It is better that proactive steps be taken today, than expensive reactive ones tomorrow.

Table of contents

1. Data Storage Trends Beyond the Millennium: The Road to Chaos.
2. Why Storage Management?
3. Storage in the Modern Distributed Enterprise.
4. The Perpetuation of a Disk-Based Storage Strategy.
5. Raid.
6. The Advent of SANs.
7. Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Appliances.
8. Secondary Storage: New Roles for Tape.
9. Wither Optical Technologies?
10. Implementing Enterprise Storage Management.
11. The Storage Infrastructure Perspective.
12. Back To The Future.
13. The Holy Grail.
Glossary.
Index.