Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
open-ended storage quota when connected to a network able to provide
continuous streams of new content at a rate of tens of millions of bytes of
data every second, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Saving every joke-of-the-day, advertisement, and e-mail from family must
also have limits, or an organization will face storage and backup require-
ments that far outpace even Kryder's predictions.
Scouting the Land
The architect must identify existing storage mechanisms and practices
before attempting to create cohesive storage management policies. This
practice should be as obvious as the need to survey a physical location
before beginning construction of a building, but some information tech-
nology planners may attempt to apply one-size-fits-all industry practices
or personal favorite storage solution without understanding the impact
on resource availability and capacity. The storage survey should include
both internal and remote access requirements, with special attention to
challenges presented by external partnerships, regulatory mandates, and
service-level agreements for disaster recovery time objectives.
The majority of this chapter addresses the various storage technologies
and configurations found in the modern enterprise network. An enter-
prise architect must have at least some familiarity with each, in order
to plan for current support requirements as well as future upgrade and
expansion. An initial storage survey will also aid in identifying isolated
authentication and resource silos that may expose issues of perceived own-
ership and control so they can be addressed and resolved. Channels of
communication and collaboration established during this phase of enter-
prise planning will also aid in the distribution and review of emerging
policies for storage and other operational procedures.
Areas of Interest
Storage management policies cover a wide range of technologies. The
architect should have an understanding of each type of technology and its
resource requirements. Lacking this understanding, seemingly unrelated
processes can negatively impact others and reduce efficiency overall in the
storage, transmission, and consumption of data.
