...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 →