You can read the following articles and whitepapers I have written online:
- Feature articles
- Storage Magazine 10 Key Considerations for Email Archiving (June 2008) Email archiving products vary in their features and technical structures. Here’s how to select an archiving tool that’s a good fit for your company’s needs.
- Storage Magazine Big Files Create Big Backup Issues (May 2008) Big files and millions of files clogging storage systems can create big backup headaches. While there’s no quick fix to the problem of big backups, there are many effective approaches, including adjustments to your backup process and newer technologies from backup vendors.
- Enterprise Systems Journal Ten Tips for Smarter E-mail Archiving (Dec 2007) We offer prudent best practices that minimize risk and are broadly acknowledged with widespread use because they work.
- Storage Magazine Can iSCSI crack the enterprise? (Jul 2007) iSCSI storage systems are showing up in medium-sized businesses, but storage managers at large enterprise shops have been reluctant to embrace them. This is largely because Fibre Channel (FC) is so firmly entrenched in bigger companies. But iSCSI offers some unique benefits that may appeal to shops with FC-only environments.
- Storage Magazine Secure iSCSI storage (May 2007) One of the raps against iSCSI storage is that it’s not as secure as Fibre Channel SANs. But iSCSI can be as secure as you want it to be. It was built from the ground up with strong authentication and encryption capabilities that work … as long as they’re used.
- Storage Magazine Backup SLAs: The art of diplomacy (Sep 2006) Negotiating backup service-level agreements (SLAs) can be one of the toughest elements of transitioning IT from a mere technology competence center to a real part of the business. Detailing what a backup service will provide, and figuring out how to measure and report on these promises, will greatly improve enterprise storage operations.
- WinStorage magazine Windows Storage Myths (February 2006) A compilation and expansion of my previous columns about Windows storage.
- Storage Magazine Securing IP SANs (Mar 2005) IP SANs use commodity hardware and industry-standard protocols to provide a cost-conscious, easy-to-manage alternative to Fibre Channel arrays. But with IP comes the issue of security. We detail five ways to make an IP SAN more secure.
- Storage Magazine NAS on a grand scale (Jun 2004) Do you want to rid yourself of a backup window or two? Continuous backup–also know as continuous data protection–is changing the rules by backing up in real time, or close to it.
- Storage Magazine The best way to scale SANs (Aug 2003) SAN configurations greatly influence their scalability. There’s no perfect model, but here are the trade-offs involved with each major option.
- InfoStor iSCSI gives end users what they want (Feb 2003) iSCSI will succeed because it is useful, inexpensive, and based on familiar technology (TCP/IP), but it does not spell doom for network-attached storage (NAS) and Fibre Channel.
- InfoStor Optimize Backup Assets to Reduce Cost, Complexity (May 2002) Storage administrators can optimize backup assets such as tape libraries, servers, and media to deliver substantial savings in both cost and manageability.
- Storage Magazine columns
- Best Practices: From WORM to Worst (Feb 2007) Everyone thinks about online data in the same way: You write it, read it, rewrite it and keep it forever. But many organizations have far more data that’s written once, read a few times and kept alive forever. You might say this bulk data is “write once, read several times” (WORST), and it can bloat your storage environment.
- Best Practices: Is it Really a Disaster? (Dec 2006) Was it really a disaster after all? It’s important to distinguish operational recovery from disaster recovery because the tools and techniques used in each situation can differ significantly.
- Best Practices: Untangling the Encryption Chain (Oct 2006) In many companies, data that should be safeguarded against loss or theft isn’t getting encrypted. The main reason why so many storage managers are shying away from encryption is that they don’t understand how it functions within the storage infrastructure.
- Best Practices: How to Count the Cost of Storage (Aug 2006) The cost of each gigabyte of storage is declining rapidly in every segment of the market. Enterprise storage today costs what desktop storage did less than a decade ago. So why are overall costs increasing?
- Best Practices: The Rise of the Ultra-Dense Array (Jun 2006) Disk drives are getting smaller and smaller even as their capacities rise. Now storage vendors are packing more disks than ever into smaller spaces, which saves costly data center real estate. But the denser arrays also have a downside–higher power consumption and more heat.
- Best Practices: Misplaced Priorities (Apr 2006) In this age of compliance and despite well-publicized cases of data theft, a recent security survey from GlassHouse Technologies indicates that few companies are paying much attention to storage security.
- Best practices: A Toaster Oven in the Data Center (Feb 2006) The midrange array market may still be hot, but storage managers are wary of getting burned. While midrange vendors keep piling on the features, storage pros are becoming disenchanted with midrange systems despite their more modest price tags.
- Best Practices: Is ILM for Real? (Dec 2005) ILM product initiatives today generally amount to little more than repackaging old products with new names, says Stephen Foskett. But you can still get ready for real ILM with tiered storage, consolidation and a service-oriented approach.
- Best Practices: Who Watches the SAN? (Oct 2005) There’s a tug-of-war going on over the storage network. Network people want to manage it, and so does the storage staff. But who should control the SAN?
- Best Practices: Bulletproof Windows (Aug 2005) It’s time to take Windows’ storage features seriously. Two key technologies-Multipath I/O and the Volume Shadow Copy Service-demonstrate why Windows is much more storage-friendly than people think.
- Best Practices: The Metric System (Jun 2005) Metrics can improve your organization’s service and user satisfaction. Here are some key performance indicators that will help you hone your storage environment.
- Best Practices: Windows and Storage: Debunking the Myths (Apr 2005) Windows often gets a bad rap when it comes to storage, but you can tap into Windows’ hidden resources to make it more enterprise-worthy.
- Best Practices: The Storage Revolution (Dec 2004) The storage revolution
- Best Practices: Get your storage management group up and running (Oct 2004) Follow this methodical plan to build an effective storage management group with clearly defined responsibilities.
- Best practices: The Smartest Man in Storage (Aug 2004) Here’s how to distinguish best practices in storage from sloppy ideas and unproven methods.
- Best practices: Five Axioms for Storage (Jun 2004) Metcalfe’s law explains how the Internet works. But what about storage? Here are five rules to help you build a storage strategy.
- Integration: Building Your Storage Management Group (Apr 2004) When creating your dedicated storage management group, there are better ways to determine staff levels than relying on a simplistic metric based on the number of terabytes per manager.
- Integration: Make Policies Your Policy (Mar 2004) It’s essential to create sound strategic, tactical and organizational policies to keep your organization from running amuck.
- Integration: (Feb 2004) There are many new technologies that you may want to try, but you need to implement them with new processes and procedures to maximize the benefits these new products bring.
- Integration: Two Routes to Tiered Storage (Dec 2003) Tiered storage is a hot idea, but implementing it can be trickier than appears. This article defines the two different approaches–heterogeneous and homogeneous–and helps you choose the strategy you should employ.
- Integration (Oct 2003) The key to making sense of the the bewildering amount of storage management products offered today is knowing what you need and ignoring the rest.
- Integration : Securing Your Storage Infrastructure (Jun 2003) Are you keeping your SAN secure? Here’s a start on process and infrastructure to safeguard your pooled data.
- Integration: Real World Utilization (Apr 2003) Stephen Foskett takes a real-world look at how storage is being utilized and the answers are shocking.
- Integration: Utilization (Feb 2003) If you’re figuring your space utilization from the host side, you’re getting the wrong answer. Here’s how to get a truer utilization picture.
- Integration: End to End Management in Sight (Dec 2002) SNIA is promising a new solution that manages heterogeneous storage environments. Will it deliver?
- Integration: Vendor Independence: Are the Tradeoffs Worth It? (Oct 2002) The good–and bad–of vendor independence.
- Integration: Are You Mature Enough for New Technology? (Aug 2002) Introducing new technology to your department isn’t as easy as it sounds.
- Integration: BCVs Planning for Performance (Jun 2002) A further look at business continuance volumes.
- Integration: Avoid the Pitfalls of Business Continuance Volumes (Apr 2002) Business continuance volumes.
- Whitepapers
- Symantec - How Long Should Email Be Saved? (Feb 2008)
- HDS - Six Critical Steps to Managing Electronically Stored Information Under FRCP, parts 1 and 2 (Jan 2008)
- Quest Software: Ten Tips For Smarter Email Archiving (Dec 2007)
- Running an Email Archiving RFP (Dec 2007)
- Finding the Right Email Archiving Product (Oct 2007)
- Email-archiving project roadmap (Aug 2007)
- Podcasts
- SAN School Lesson One: Building a SAN (Apr 2008) In this first lesson of Advanced SAN School, Stephen Foskett, Director of Data Practice for Contoural discusses the different types of storage arrays, switches, and software that make up a storage network.
- SAN School Lesson Two: SAN Architecture and Topology (Apr 2008) In lesson two, Stephen discusses the evolution of SANs from standalone entities, to islands and beyond. Discover techniques that can make a substantial difference in the way data is moved and processed, as well as in your company’s consolidation plans.
- SAN School Lesson Three: SAN Management and Security (Apr 2008) In this Podcast, expert Stephen Foskett, Director of Data Practice for Contoural explains what the options are for management tools. He’ll dissect array management, change management, virtualization and more to help you manage your environment.
- Videocasts
- The Next Wave of Virtualization (June 2008) The next generation of virtualization will have a big impact on storage infrastructures.View this Videocast, featuring storage expert, Stephen Foskett — Director of Data Practice at Contoural to find out the chief storage management challenges associated with a virtualized environment, and get practical tips on how to deal with them.
- Where the SAN Stands (May 2008) As SANs grow and expand, understanding the right architecture can be critical in making sure SANs are available and properly utilized. In this expert Videocast, Stephen Foskett dives into the nuts and bolts of SAN architecture and topology.
- Webcasts
- Webcast: Improve your actual storage utilization (Oct. 09, 2003) Join Stephen Foskett, senior consultant, storage management strategies and integration at Glasshouse Technologies for a webcast on how to “Improve your actual storage utilization.”…
- Digging into iSCSI : Learn about: 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Continuous Data Protection, Disk Backups (Dec. 21, 2007) This expert Videocast features Stephen Foskett of Contoural. View this presentation as Stephen digs into iSCSI and answers the most pressing questions surrounding this technology.
- Business and technical considerations for email archiving (Apr 2008) Because email archiving systems vary in features, the process of matching a solution to an individual company’s architectural, business and legal requirements is very complex. In this webcast, Foskett offers an overview of architectural considerations and major email archiving methods, ranging from managed and hosted solutions to hardware and software combinations. He also provides key questions to ask when sizing and pricing an archiving system.
- Web articles
- We Need a Storage Revolution (2 Jul 2008) Most storage protocols continue to mimic direct attached storage, and most of our so-called networks act as point to point channels. An ultra-modern virtualized storage infrastructure with all the latest bells and whistles still holds the concepts of block and file at its core. Whenever the storage industry has tried to bring about real storage management they have been stymied by a lack of context for data. No amount of virtualization, and no new protocol, will fix this. Put simply, we need a storage revolution
- Flash Forward or Flash Back? (11 Jun 2008) The tech industry has been buzzing about solid state drives (SSDs) again lately, but many questions remain. Even after many major vendors (Apple, EMC, and Dell to name a few) have introduced NAND flash-based disk into their core products, it is unclear whether non-disk storage will fly or flop. I’m betting it will find a nice niche, but that traditional spinning disks are here for a good long time.
- The Future of Home Storage (20 May 2008) Along with my professional focus on enterprise storage systems, I’m enamored of home networking, and recently passed the two terabyte mark at home! Along with David Mould’s post on the 19th, this got me thinking about where home storage is heading.
- Why FCoE is Relevant and Where It Will Be Used (24 April 2008) - The Future of Storage
- A Consultant’s View Of The SAN Market (14 April 2008) - Ars Technica and The Future of Storage
- Take care of data restoration clients (14 Nov 2005) How to deal with a large number of restore requests — from long term to short term and those coming from the middle.
- Grid computing quietly takes over the storage world (13 Jul 2005) While you may not have noticed, grid computing is already making an appearance in the storage market, and will have a much bigger impact over time than most may realize.
- Cheap storage tactics (10 Jun 2005) I’m the sort that likes to make do. Some would call me a cheapskate, but I prefer to think of myself as one who makes the most out of what is given. So, let’s kick off the storage strategy section of storage stars with some advice on saving money.
- Calculating space for parity in RAID-5 : What are the calculations for RAID-5 in regards to the amount of space parity will consume? For instance, if I have a RAID-5 with 10 146 GB drives, what is the percent factor of sp… .
- Calculating available disk space in a RAID-5 set : I’m trying to find out how to calculate how much disk space will be available from five 36 GB disks using RAID-5. Can you help me out? Five 36 GB drives in a RAID-5 configuration …
- Calculating available disk space in a RAID-5 set: I’m trying to find out how to calculate how much disk space will be available from five 36 GB disks using RAID-5. Can you help me out? Five 36 GB drives in a RAID-5 configuration …
- Five ways to secure iSCSI : This article first appeared in “Storage” magazine in their March issue. For more articles of this type, please visit www.storagemagazine.com. What you will learn from this tip…
