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Mitigate Costs & Maximize Value with a Consolidated Network Storage Strategy
Don't think cost per Terabyte of storage. Think efficiency and value per Terabyte stored.
More DetailsYour Challenge
The good. Consolidated network storage (SAN/NAS) is a fundamental enabler of agile utility infrastructure. Benefits include better capacity utilization, and the ability to deliver availability and recovery for systems and data more efficiently.
The bad. Consolidated network storage is expensive and complex. Unlike server consolidation and virtualization, which can lead to significant CapEx reduction, consolidated network storage tends to be a big ticket item.
The ugly. The need for storage capacity continues to grow; even if the budget doesn't. Structured and unstructured data continues to increase, and various legal and regulatory pressures mean that more needs to be kept longer.
Our Advice
Critical Insight- The type, configuration, capacity and cost of consolidated network storage needs to be appropriate to the business value of the data being stored and/or the business processes being enabled.
- The main cost driver for storage should be the cost of ensuring specific service levels.
- The tools for managing storage need to be effective and efficient if storage is to be managed as a service.
- Storage decisions should be based on total cost calculations.
- Identify the strategic objectives of the storage investment (prioritize needs).
- Determine the most appropriate storage type and configuration for enterprise needs.
- Document the storage business strategy to clearly map costs (TCO) to benefits (strategic priorities). The goal is to show cost effectiveness – that when money is spent, it is money well spent.
Get to Action
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Assess the strategic goals that consolidated storage will help achieve.
Determine the type of consolidated network storage that is the best fit for your strategic context.
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Compare Total Costs of Ownership between options.
Determine not only the cost of the solution, but the cost per Terabyte of usable storage capacity.
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Make the case for your storage investment.
Justify your storage investment against strategic goals as well as efforts to increase service and storage utilization.
Related Solution Sets
Vendor Landscape Plus: Consolidated Storage Platforms
Select a consolidated storage vendor in an increasingly consolidated market.
Mitigate Costs & Maximize Value with a Best-Fit Backup Architecture Strategy
Transform backup architecture by focusing on service tiering.
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Download NowSolution Road Map
Don't think cost per Terabyte of storage. Think efficiency and value per Terabyte stored.
Select a consolidated storage vendor in an increasingly consolidated market.
Get best practice advice that leverages the buying experience of your IT peers.
Transform backup architecture by focusing on service tiering.
Purchase in-house storage capacity, or pay for usage in the cloud.
