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• What to know about SMART SSD use

  This overview of SMART attributes in SSDs explains how organizations can put them to good use. SMART SSDs provide peace of mind about device life span. Continue Reading

• A primer on disaggregated storage

  Disaggregated storage enables organizations to scale compute and storage separately for high-performance, low-latency workloads. Some benefits are cost savings and flexibility. Continue Reading

• Key differences in software RAID vs. hardware RAID

  Hardware RAID generally costs more than software RAID but may offer better performance. Consider factors like cost, performance needs and OSes to find the best fit. Continue Reading

• data lifecycle management (DLM)

  Data lifecycle management (DLM) is a policy-based approach to managing the flow of an information system's data throughout its lifecycle: from creation and initial storage to when it becomes obsolete and is deleted. Continue Reading

• converged network adapter (CNA)

  A converged network adapter (CNA) is a single network interface device that provides the functionality of both a Fibre Channel (FC) host bus adapter (HBA) and a TCP/IP Ethernet network interface card (NIC). Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • data lifecycle management (DLM)
  • converged network adapter (CNA)
  • litigation hold (legal hold, preservation order or hold order)
  • business impact analysis (BIA)

  • program/erase cycle (P/E cycle)
  • garbage collection (GC)
  • Common Information Model (CIM)
  • queue depth

  View All Definitions

• litigation hold (legal hold, preservation order or hold order)

  A litigation hold -- also known as legal hold, preservation order or hold order -- is an internal process that an organization undergoes to preserve all data that might relate to a legal action involving the organization.Continue Reading

• business impact analysis (BIA)

  A business impact analysis (BIA) is a systematic process to determine and evaluate the potential effects of an interruption to critical business operations as a result of a disaster, accident or emergency.Continue Reading

• program/erase cycle (P/E cycle)

  A solid-state storage program/erase cycle (P/E cycle) is a sequence of events in which data is written to a solid-state NAND flash memory cell, such as the type found in a flash or thumb drive, and is subsequently erased and rewritten.Continue Reading

• garbage collection (GC)

  Garbage collection (GC) is a memory recovery feature built into programming languages such as C# and Java.Continue Reading

• Explore top data lake providers for substantial storage use

  Don't be deterred by the murky waters of data lake technology. Fishing for the right provider to accelerate your analytics is probably easier than you think.Continue Reading

• Common Information Model (CIM)

  The Common Information Model (CIM) is a computer industry standard that defines device and application characteristics so system administrators and management programs can control devices and applications from different manufacturers.Continue Reading

• queue depth

  Queue depth, in storage, is the number of pending input/output (I/O) requests that a storage resource can handle at any one time.Continue Reading

• RAM-based solid-state drive (SSD)

  A RAM-based solid-state drive (SSD) is a storage device made from silicon microchips that has no moving parts and stores data electronically instead of magnetically.Continue Reading

• World Wide Name (WWN)

  A World Wide Name (WWN) is a unique identifier that is hard-coded into each Fibre Channel (FC) device by the device's manufacturer.Continue Reading

• solid-state drive (SSD) capacity

  Solid-state drive (SSD) capacity is the maximum amount of data that can be stored on a solid-state drive.Continue Reading

• Fibre Channel (FC) port types

  A Fibre Channel port is a hardware pathway into and out of a node that performs data communications over an FC link.Continue Reading

• N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV)

  N_Port ID virtualization (NPIV) is a Fibre Channel (FC) standard that makes it possible to create multiple virtual ports on a single physical node port (N_Port), with each virtual port appearing as a unique entity to the FC network.Continue Reading

• A guide to Microsoft Azure storage pricing

  Take a deep dive into the costs of Microsoft Azure cloud storage across several different types, including Blob and Files. Compare pricing with AWS and Google Cloud.Continue Reading

• overprovisioning (SSD overprovisioning)

  Overprovisioning, in a storage context, is the inclusion of extra storage capacity in a solid-state drive.Continue Reading

• flash solid-state drive (SSD)

  A flash solid-state drive (SSD) is a non-volatile storage device that stores persistent data in flash memory.Continue Reading

• Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)

  Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS) is a method used to access computer peripheral devices that employs a serial -- one bit at a time -- means of digital data transfer over thin cables.Continue Reading

• SSD form factor

  An SSD form factor is the size, configuration or physical arrangement of solid state storage media. The form factor determines the media's physical compatibility and interchangeability with other computer components or devices.Continue Reading

• green cloud

  Green cloud is a buzzword that refers to the potential environmental benefits that IT services delivered over the internet can offer society.Continue Reading

• utility storage

  Utility storage is a service model in which a provider makes storage capacity available to an individual, organization or business unit on a pay-per-use basis.Continue Reading

• oversubscription

  Oversubscription in a storage area network (SAN) is the practice of committing more network bandwidth to devices connected to that network than what is physically available.Continue Reading

• A primer on the NVMe management ecosystem

  The NVMe management ecosystem has a lot of moving parts and confusing acronyms. This overview details the various specifications and how they work together.Continue Reading

• write amplification factor (WAF)

  Write amplification factor (WAF) is a numerical value that represents the amount of data a solid-state drive (SSD) controller writes in relation to the amount of data that the host's flash controller writes.Continue Reading

• A primer on SSD response time, other performance benchmarks

  Consider several SSD performance benchmarks, including SSD response time as a key unit of measurement. Also, note the difference between benchmarks and load generators.Continue Reading

• Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI)

  The Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI) is an international standard that defines a functional interface that applications use to create, retrieve, update and delete data elements from cloud storage.Continue Reading

• NAND flash wear-out

  NAND flash wear-out is the breakdown of the oxide layer within the floating gate transistors of NAND flash memory.Continue Reading

• What to look for in a green cloud storage provider

  Alongside cost and flexibility, a commitment to sustainability is a key consideration for organizations trying to choose a cloud storage provider.Continue Reading

• write endurance

  Write endurance is the number of program/erase (P/E) cycles that can be applied to a block of flash memory before the storage media becomes unreliable.Continue Reading

• clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system

  A clustered network-attached storage (NAS) system is a scale-out storage platform made up of multiple NAS nodes networked together into a single cluster.Continue Reading

• solid-state storage garbage collection

  Solid-state storage garbage collection, or SSD garbage collection, is an automated process by which a solid-state drive (SSD) improves write performance.Continue Reading

• LUN masking

  LUN masking is an authorization mechanism used in storage area networks (SANs) to make LUNs available to some hosts but unavailable to other hosts.Continue Reading

• virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number)

  A virtual LUN (virtual logical unit number) is a representation of a storage area that is not tied to any physical storage allocation.Continue Reading

• cloud washing

  Cloud washing (also spelled cloudwashing) is the purposeful and sometimes deceptive attempt by a vendor to rebrand an old product or service by associating the buzzword 'cloud' with it.Continue Reading

• HD-DVD (high-definition DVD)

  HD-DVD (high-definition DVD) is a defunct high-capacity optical storage medium that was once seen as the successor to the DVD.Continue Reading

• 2022 data storage conference list reflects cloud, flash trends

  In 2022, storage vendors plan to return to in-person shows. This data storage conference list will continue to update as vendors add events and provide more detail on current ones.Continue Reading

• Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP)

  Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) is an open protocol to control data backup and recovery communications between primary and secondary storage in a heterogeneous network environment.Continue Reading

• hierarchical storage management (HSM)

  Hierarchical storage management (HSM) is policy-based management of data files that uses storage media economically and without the user being aware of when files are retrieved from storage.Continue Reading

• exabyte (EB)

  An exabyte (EB) is a large unit of computer data storage, two to the sixtieth power bytes.Continue Reading

• storage security

  Storage security is the group of parameters and settings that make storage resources available to authorized users and trusted networks -- and unavailable to other entities.Continue Reading

• storage filer

  A storage filer is a type of file server designed and programmed for high-volume data storage, backup and archiving.Continue Reading

• information lifecycle management (ILM)

  Information lifecycle management (ILM) is a comprehensive approach to managing an organization's data and associated metadata, starting with its creation and acquisition through when it becomes obsolete and is deleted.Continue Reading

• WORM (write once, read many)

  In computer media, write once, read many, or WORM, is a data storage technology that allows data to be written to a storage medium a single time and prevents the data from being erased or modified.Continue Reading

• direct access

  In computer storage, direct access is the process of reading and writing data on a storage device by going directly to where the data is physically located on the device rather than having to move sequentially from one physical location to the next ...Continue Reading

• Enterprise data storage 2021 Products of the Year finalists

  The 20th anniversary of the 'Storage' magazine and SearchStorage Products of the Year contest showcases 39 finalists in backup, cloud, disk, hyper-converged and management.Continue Reading

• kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi and exbi

  Kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi and exbi are binary prefix multipliers that, in 1998, were approved as a standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).Continue Reading

• holographic storage (holostorage)

  Holographic storage is computer storage that uses laser beams to store computer-generated data in three dimensions.Continue Reading

• content-addressed storage (CAS)

  Content-addressed storage (CAS) -- also called content-addressable storage -- is a method for storing fixed content as objects and providing fast access to that content.Continue Reading

• direct access storage device (DASD)

  A direct access storage device (DASD) is a type of secondary storage device that supports direct access to the stored data, as opposed to sequential access, which is slower and less efficient.Continue Reading

• InfiniBand

  InfiniBand is an industry standard communications specification the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed.Continue Reading

• redundant

  Data redundancy refers to the practice of keeping data in two or more places within a database or data storage system.Continue Reading

• address space

  Address space is the amount of memory allocated for all possible addresses for a computational entity -- for example, a device, a file, a server or a networked computer.Continue Reading

• How many bytes for...

  Data is often expressed in bytes, which are composed of eight binary digits.Continue Reading

• hard disk drive (HDD)

  A computer hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device.Continue Reading

• Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)

  Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) is a technology that enables two networked computers to exchange data in main memory without relying on the processor, cache or operating system of either computer.Continue Reading

• storage (computer storage)

  Data storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital information on electromagnetic, optical or silicon-based storage media.Continue Reading

• How can organizations manage Microsoft Teams storage limits?

  Microsoft Teams storage limits can be complex for organizations to track. Learn the details and how to add Microsoft 365 storage to avoid capacity problems.Continue Reading

• storage medium (storage media)

  In computers, a storage medium is a physical device that receives and retains electronic data for applications and users and makes the data available for retrieval.Continue Reading

• charge-coupled device

  A charge-coupled device (CCD) is a light-sensitive integrated circuit that captures images by converting photons to electrons.Continue Reading

• IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)

  IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is an electronic interface standard that defines the connection between a bus on a computer's motherboard and the computer's disk storage devices.Continue Reading

• host bus adapter (HBA)

  A host bus adapter (HBA) is a circuit board or integrated circuit adapter that connects a host system, such as a server, to a storage or network device.Continue Reading

• data at rest

  Data at rest is a term that is sometimes used to refer to all data in computer storage while excluding data that is traversing a network or temporarily residing in computer memory to be read or updated.Continue Reading

• Tier 0

  Tier 0 (tier zero) is a level of data storage that is faster, and perhaps more expensive, than any other level in the storage hierarchy.Continue Reading

• tape drive

  A tape drive is a device that stores computer data on magnetic tape, especially for backup and archiving purposes.Continue Reading

• email archiving

  Email archiving is a systematic approach to saving and protecting the data contained in emails to enable fast retrieval.Continue Reading

• cloud NAS (cloud network attached storage)

  Cloud NAS (network attached storage) is remote storage that is accessed over the internet as if it is local.Continue Reading

• Terabyte (TB)

  A terabyte (TB) is a unit of digital data that is equal to about 1 trillion bytes.Continue Reading

• direct-attached storage (DAS)

  Direct-attached storage (DAS) is a type of storage that is attached directly to a computer without going through a network.Continue Reading

• gigabyte (GB)

  A gigabyte (GB) -- pronounced with two hard Gs -- is a unit of data storage capacity that is roughly equivalent to 1 billion bytes.Continue Reading

• MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory)

  MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory) is a method of storing data bits using magnetic states instead of the electrical charges used by devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM).Continue Reading

• storage volume

  A storage volume is an identifiable unit of data storage. It can be a removable hard disk, but it does not have to be a unit that can be physically removed from a computer or storage system.Continue Reading

• storage capacity planning

  Storage capacity planning is the practice of assessing current data storage needs and forecasting future storage requirements.Continue Reading

• non-volatile storage (NVS)

  Non-volatile storage (NVS) is a broad collection of technologies and devices that do not require a continuous power supply to retain data or program code persistently on a short- or long-term basis.Continue Reading

• optical disk

  An optical disk is an electronic data storage medium that can be written to and read from using a low-powered laser beam.Continue Reading

• cloud archive

  A cloud archive is storage as a service for long-term data retention.Continue Reading

• Why QLC flash adoption now benefits the enterprise

  While enterprises must overcome some obstacles with QLC, there is a solid case for its use. 3D NAND has played a big part in enabling QLC use within the enterprise.Continue Reading

• cache

  A cache -- pronounced CASH -- is hardware or software that is used to store something, usually data, temporarily in a computing environment.Continue Reading

• archive

  An archive is a collection of data moved to a repository for long-term retention, to keep separate for compliance reasons or for moving off primary storage media.Continue Reading

• data availability

  Data availability is a term used by computer storage manufacturers and storage service providers to describe how data should be available at a required level of performance in situations ranging from normal through disastrous.Continue Reading

• yottabyte (YB)

  A yottabyte (YB) is a measure of theoretical storage capacity and data volumes equal to 2 to the 80th power bytes, or approximately a million trillion megabytes (MB).Continue Reading

• cold storage

  Cold storage is a computer system or mode of operation designed for the retention of inactive data.Continue Reading

• tiered storage

  Tiered storage is a method for assigning different categories of data to various types of storage media to reduce overall storage costs and improve the performance and availability of mission-critical applications.Continue Reading

• secondary storage

  Secondary storage is persistent storage for noncritical data that doesn't need to be accessed as frequently as data in primary storage or that doesn't have the same performance or availability requirements.Continue Reading

• optical storage

  Optical storage is any storage type in which data is written and read with a laser.Continue Reading

• JBOD (just a bunch of disks)

  JBOD, which stands for 'just a bunch of disks,' is a type of multilevel configuration for disks.Continue Reading

• How businesses can manage Microsoft 365 storage space

  While Microsoft 365 users face storage limits across the platform, there are ways to increase capacity. It's also important to understand the limits in the first place.Continue Reading

• bare-metal restore

  A bare-metal restore (also referred to as bare-metal recovery or bare-metal backup) is a data recovery and restoration process where a computer is restored to a new machine, typically after a catastrophic failure.Continue Reading

• mSATA SSD (mSATA solid-state drive)

  An mSATA SSD is a solid-state drive (SSD) that conforms to the mSATA interface specification developed by the Serial ATA (SATA) International Organization.Continue Reading

• network-attached storage (NAS)

  Network-attached storage (NAS) is dedicated file storage that enables multiple users and heterogeneous client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity.Continue Reading

• storage class memory (SCM)

  Storage class memory (SCM) is a type of physical computer memory that combines dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory and a power source for data persistence.Continue Reading

• NAND flash memory

  NAND flash memory is a type of non-volatile storage technology that does not require power to retain data.Continue Reading

• RAID (redundant array of independent disks)

  RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs) to protect data in the case of a drive failure.Continue Reading

• Storage for edge computing is the next frontier for IoT

  IoT edge devices are getting smarter and will need local storage for machine learning and other AI operations. Is the industry ready for the challenge of storage for edge computing?Continue Reading

• all-flash array (AFA)

  An all-flash array (AFA), also known as a solid-state storage disk system or a solid-state array, is an external storage array that uses only flash media for persistent storage.Continue Reading

• flash storage

  Flash storage is any type of drive, repository or system that uses flash memory to keep data for an extended period of time.Continue Reading

• SSD (solid-state drive)

  An SSD, or solid-state drive, is a type of storage device used in computers.Continue Reading

• RAM (Random Access Memory)

  RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where the operating system (OS), application programs and data in current use are kept so they can be quickly reached by the device's processor.Continue Reading