Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
extinguishers to automated fire suppression systems. The enterprise can also install surge
protection devices which can be used to protect IT systems from power surges on both elec-
trical power and computer networks. The enterprise can also install air conditioners which
will provide cooling in the off-site storage to the required temperature. Servers produce
heat which should be controlled in order to safeguard the equipment.
Where backup systems use tapes or disks, it is important that an off-site library control pro-
cess is put in place. The library will consist of procedures for receiving backups, storing
backups, and issuing backups when they are required. When backups are received in the
form of physical disks or tapes from the main office, they should be recorded by the depos-
iting and receiving officers and signed off. This could be a physical or electronic process.
The same applies to storage of backups. The off-site administrator should have a system in
place for clearly labelling the backups so that they can be easily located when requisitioned
for use. The issuing process also should be documented and signed off by both issuing and
collecting officers. This process will ensure that all backups are tracked both inside and
outside the off-site storage facility.
Where backups are being made on movable disks or tapes, it would be expected that the en-
terprise would schedule backups at particular times or days to allow the operators to replace
backup storage units. There are different types of disks or tapes in terms of storage space
and loading mechanism. It should be noted that movable disks and tapes are no longer pop-
ular and are being replaced by online storage which is fixed in storage racks.
Whether the enterprise is using fixed storage or movable storage, it is a requirement that
storage media is replaced with new ones after a period of use. The enterprise should come
up with a policy as to when storage media should be replaced. There are many reasons why
an enterprise would want to replace storage media, which includes increasing storage. Due
to the ever-increasing volume of electronic transactions, an enterprise would find itself of-
ten running out of storage space if a proper storage strategy is not put in place. The other
reason why an enterprise would require more storage space is the increase in the type of
data being stored from simple text files to large graphical files. Enterprises twenty years
ago would boast of having storage sizes of thousands of bytes. Today many large enter-
prises store billions to trillions of megabytes.
The other reason why an enterprise would replace storage is wear and tear of the disk mech-
anism and the magnetic material which is used to store data on disks. Technology may also
be a factor as companies might opt to use new storage systems which are much more effi-
cient and can hold large volumes of data.
Virtual storage is one other consideration, which is the pooling of physical storage from
multiple network storage devices into what would appear as a single large-storage device.
Storage virtualization software can be used to convert a server into a storage system. The
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