Leo Salvaggio's blog post was featured
From Paper to the Cloud: The New Frontier of Data Storage
Data storage technology has advanced rapidly to keep with up the overwhelming increase in data over the last twenty years. New technologies are being developed and implemented to improve networks and move more data. Data storage has taken a radical shift away from physical storage to a hybrid solution of physical and virtual storage. This shift will continue as the amount of data grows beyond what anyone has anticipated.Brief History of Big DataPredicting the future of technology has always been a difficult task for even technology-focused futurists. In an article published by Forbes in 2013 titled, "A Very Short History of Big Data", Gill Press outlines the history of “big data.” During the late 80’s and early 90’s, data wasn’t really that big, or different or rapid. Organizations stored data as a necessity. It wasn’t until the last 15 years that data has become valuable, not just a necessary evil.The look of data storage is changing, we have moved from storage rooms stacked to the ceiling with cardboard boxes to the cloud in a very short amount of time. Every organization, big and small, requires data storage. Industries that were once tape dependent are transitioning to virtual solutions. Organizations that are data heavy have developed their own customized solutions. Data storage providers are addressing these changes, while looking into the future to identify subsequent storage needs.Current TrendsDepending on the industry, data storage has a different look. Highly regulated industries such as the financial sector, healthcare and government, all have strict compliance guidelines to consider. Security is a priority across all industries but plays an especially vital role amongst those that are highly regulated. Data storage providers have developed sophisticated encryption technology to safeguard valuable data from being compromised. Hackers continue to become increasingly more sophisticated in their methods of entry; developing impenetrable data security technology is an ongoing effort by storage providers.With data growing to levels no one thought possible, having the ability to reduce redundant information being stored is imperative. Deduplication solutions identify unique data segments, compares those segments to data stored previously and saves only the unique data. With automatic backups, the same information can be saved continuously, utilizing precious storage space. Deduplication saves only compressed, unique data; reducing storage requirements and improve processing speeds.The ability to recover data quickly has also become an important feature that organizations want to see in their data storage solutions. As we become more data dependent, massive data loss will continue to occur within organizations facing system interruptions ranging from natural disasters to scheduled maintenance to human error. Data storage providers develop and implement solutions for companies to recover data in a timely, cost effective manner. Point-in-time snapshots capture copies of physical action which references stored data to be used as a form of backup and assists in the rapid recovery of data. Another mainstream recovery practice is the implementation of virtual tape libraries. VTL technology is used both to manage large amounts of data and to provide faster recovery times.Future TrendsMany companies see data as their most valuable asset, digging into data not just to protect themselves from litigation but as a tool to better serve their customers. What does this shift mean for data storage vendors? What do organizations want to see in their data storage solutions?Virtualization will continue to be a predominant data storage theme. Physical storage solutions will not be obsolete but there will be a definite shift towards increased virtualization. As the amount of data grows and solutions become increasingly more sophisticated, we will see companies make the shift from physical storage to virtual solutions. Physical space and cost both play a role in companies integrating virtual storage solutions. Storage needs are changing so quickly, companies like the idea of virtual solutions scalability. There are many reasons companies are turning towards virtualized solutions, physical space, cost, and the idea that storage needs change and virtualization offers greater flexibility in scalability.AccessibilityAnother shift in organizations is the need to have data accessible from anywhere, at any time. Employees work remotely, business transactions take place across the globe, companies want information at their fingertips. Data storage vendors are faced with the challenge of properly securing data while keeping up with future business trends.Companies are turning towards cloud computing solutions to gain greater network accessibility. Moving sensitive data to the cloud is a risky maneuver. In the article, “9 Top Threats to Cloud Computing Security,” featured in InfoWorld, Ted Samson covers everything from massive data breach vulnerability to malicious insiders. Securing the cloud is going to be a challenge that companies and data storage providers must address to move towards increased implementation of cloud computing solutions.Connectivity (IoT)Unless you have been nestled underneath a rock for last two years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has taken hold of our world and is showing no sign of release. Everything we do is somehow intertwined with IoT. Connectivity is great, but with greatness comes a host of challenges. In a press release from Gartner titled, "The Internet of Things Will Transform the Data Center,” research director Fabrizio Biscotti states that, “processing large quantities of IoT data in real time will increase as a proportion of workloads of data centers, leaving providers facing new security, capacity and analytics challenges.”As IoT technology is further integrated into business practices, network points of vulnerability will continue to be an issue amongst security and IT departments. This is a challenge that data storage providers will have to address, and new technology will be needed to effectively handle the amount of data flowing onto networks from various devices.This is an exciting time for data storage providers as well as organizations. Technology is shifting, and organizations have the ability to mine valuable information from data to cater to client experience. Companies that are able to effectively manage their data and leverage the advantage it can provide will play an important role in writing the next chapter of this history.Leo Salvaggio is a vice president at Dynamic Solutions International (DSI).See More