From choosing storage area network (SAN) technologies for a client to delivering disaster recovery and regulatory compliance services, here you'll find our five most popular data storage services tips to help value-added resellers and systems integrators get their jobs done and make storage sales.
1. Fibre Channel SAN vs. iSCSI SAN
It isn't possible to say exactly which type of SAN will meet each customer's requirements, as needs will differ subtly from customer to customer, but a few general guidelines will make the decision easier. This tip explains how to match SAN requirements to storage networking technology limitations, so you can develop the best storage solution for your customer.
2. Moving Microsoft Exchange databases to address storage issues
The single biggest reason why moving Exchange stores are problematic is not just the size of the store; It's the fact that moving the database to another device usually means taking all Exchange users offline for the duration of the move. The database has to be unmounted, moved and then remounted -- and during that time, it's wholly inaccessible. This tip provides three basic scenarios for moving an Exchange database, with the amount of impact they have on the customer and user base.
3. Storage inventory management
Most storage shops run at less than 50% utilized, while organizations maintaining 80% utilized or better are often recognized for superior management skills. Incredible amounts of effort go in to calculating utilization and allocation metrics, but they really don't produce a clear picture of effectiveness because the percent-utilized metrics do not take into account growth rate. This tip presents new and better ways of measuring and managing storage inventory for your customers.
4. Delivering DR solutions
Putting together a plan for a class of business is not that difficult. There are many specific circumstances to be covered, but a base solution to augment with special situation handling can be developed. With this base solution, you can provide what smaller businesses lack today -- the ability to continue doing business after, what to them is a disaster, occurs.
5. Data protection and archiving challenges in face of new FRCP rules
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) changes that went into effect December 2006 outline how electronic documents can be used to support litigation proceedings, as well as how electronic documents should be handled to support litigation search and discovery. The new FRCP rules state that electronic stored information is a formal category for discoverable information and as such needs to be accessible including searchable for litigation purposes. Understand the challenges you and your clients will face with the new FRCP rules.
