April Fools Day was this week and I wonder how many people took a look a their data protection thanks to the efforts of World Backup Day that happened on the 31st? I also wonder how many admins are played jokes on their bosses by claiming to have lost data, or failed to protect critical information? Probably not many. Seriously … Continue reading Resolution 7: Tiering Data and Apps →

Today at VMware Partner Exchange, EMC announced their new EVO:RAIL solution called VSPEX Blue. Great segue into an article about what the market looks like for convergence which happens to also be "Resolution 2." As usual, we need a few key definitions first. Converged platforms combine multiple aspects of the traditional infrastructure stack into a single … Continue reading Resolution 2: Convergence →

So maybe not 33, but there are so many different ways to approach flash in a data center environment. The correct approach depends on multiple factors, and understanding the differences between the varying architectures is critical. It is also important to remember the soft criteria. Your solution should simplify administration, reduce risk of data loss, improve … Continue reading 33 Flavors of Flash →

Last year about this time, I outlined 14 resolutions to get your data protection strategy back on track. I called it a revolution because us IT folk typically have to fight to get what we want and bring change to an organization that fights change. That makes us revolutionaries. It's time to check back in … Continue reading 15 Resolutions for the 2015 Revolution →

Building out a VDI infrastructure requires great care and planning. Do you have enough performance from your storage infrastructure? Do you have a well defined performance objective for your users? Are you going to use a converged platform for your infrastructure or do you plan to leverage a reference architecture? Do you even know where to … Continue reading Converged or "Build Your Own" VDI →

...unless you are talking about data management. That's right. Data Management features like thin provisioning, snapshot and cloning, replication, deduplication, and compression are what make managing the data in your environment easier. This middle layer of management helps drive data reduction, but also drives things like data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity. They also contribute … Continue reading Middle Management Sucks →

These days choice is something everyone of us has become accustomed to. Go to just about any convenience or grocery store in the country and look for the peanuts. There they are, right? Peanuts are only in season for a couple of months each year, but because consumers demand year-round access, enough are harvested to extend … Continue reading Choice Matters Most →

Spud Webb could reach great heights with a basketball in hand and Danny Woodhead could weave up and down the field. Both proving that sometimes smaller IS better. Deduplicating your production storage is also better, and when done correctly, faster. But how can this be you may ask? If I have to spend more time … Continue reading Smaller is Faster →

When I talk to our customers about the advantages of a Hybrid storage array, I frequently come across many questions that can be categorized as either buying criteria or use criteria. A couple quick definitions are in order to begin. Use criteria are the most important of the two because this is what you are … Continue reading Buying Criteria vs. Use Criteria →

Your virtualization admin has been mandated to consolidate. Database admins are being mandated to improve performance. The DBA wants faster cores, while the virtualization admin wants more cores. All the while, neither of these admins understand each others environments, have a standardized way to test performance, or recognize how changes on one side affect the … Continue reading Don't be 'Pitfall Harry' when Virtualizing SQL →