The Hidden Cost of Increasing Data Storage

Mass IT environments have the resources to cope with all aspects of a network enlargement, including the initial analysis, equipment installment and cabling, and suitable access management to users. In smaller environments the planning can not go beyond the present reaction to the user’s requirements—that is, “we’re out of space!” Whilst the size of the environment could ascertain how computer storage demands are handled and managed, such things as suitable equipment cooling, computer storage management software that provides scalable outgrowth (SRM), disaster recovery (including backup contingencies), and data recovery fears apply to IT environments of every size.

In one scenario, picture a small business with 5 desktop machines. Despite abiding by careful data compression processes and stringent archiving of old data files, their system is running out of space. They have a small-scale file server sitting near the users’ desks. Can the business owner upgrade the file server with a larger hard drive or should he add a separate rack of bargain-priced drives? How much space will they need? Will a terabyte be adequate? What if they need to upgrade later? How difficult will it be? What other concealed costs are they going to encounter?

In another situation, a business that uses 30-40 Workstations has a file server situated in a different room with enough cooling, user access management, and a firm network infrastructure. But they also are running out of space. When they plan for an expansion, what concealed costs will they need to regard?

As well as equipment investment, there are many concealed costs to think about when determining storage needs and subsequent management. Following are some hidden costs described when it comes to storage:

• Storage management software
• Power consumption
• Cooling necessities
• Noise
• Administrative costs
• Backup management
• Database storage
• Installation and wiring
• Disaster recovery
• Data recovery
  

• Storage management software

How can you get the most out of present storage space, not permitting it to fill up so rapidly? In conjunction, how do you prevent your storage space from running out before the full life expectancy is recognised? This is where storage management software, such as SRM and ILM, comes in to play. Storage Resource Management (SRM) software gives storage administrators the correct tools to manage space effectively. Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) software assists the management of data through its lifecycle.

While a workable solution, SRM and ILM software may not compensate all the needs of a business environment. SRM and ILM software are fashioned to manage files and storage effectively, and with a degree of automation. Beyond this is where good old-fashioned space management is needed. Recall the days when space was at a premium and there were all kinds of processes to make certain that inactive files were put away someplace else—like on floppy disks? Remember when file compression utility programs came out and we were compressing every duplicate byte out of files? Those methods are not obsolete just because the price per megabyte has fallen, or tools exist to help us manage data storage. Sensible storage practices never go out of fashion.

•     Power consumption

Manufacturers are working hard to optimise the operation of their machines, yet server power consumption stays on the increase. What will be the power demand of your company’s new storage solution? Luiz André Barroso at Google reports that if performance per watt is to stay continual over the following few years, power costs could easily overtake computer hardware costs, perhaps by a heavy margin.

Power consumption can be a hidden fixed charge that may not have been anticipated with the expansion of storage space. Particularly when you think about the wavering costs of energy, unforeseen power utilisation growths can be an costly budget buster affecting the entire enterprise.

•     Cooling necessities

Closely related to power expenditure is the need to keep cool the more powerful C.P.U.s found in the newest computers. Both the performance and life expectancy of the equipment are related to the component temperature of the equipment. Ever since the Pentium II processor in 1997, proper heat dissipation using heat sinks and cooling system fans has become a standard for PC equipment. Today’s superior C.P.U.s, motherboards, graphics cards, and hard disks demand reliable temperature management in order to effectively and efficiently work day in, day out.

If you or your customer's storage needs grow, suitable ambient server room temperature settings are going to be needed. Adding such a room or producing the required surroundings may add build-out costs, not to mention expand those power consumption and energy prices mentioned about earlier.

•     Noise

With proper heat dissipation and cooling comes noise. All those additional fans and cooling compressors can produce a pronounced amount of dBs. A large IT environment has the luxury of potentially keeping its noisy computers away from the users. Yet, in a smaller-scale business or home business, few have discovered the audio levels generated by their storage kit to be unbearable or at the least concentration breaking. Such noise makes surrounding areas non-conducive to work and productivity, handicapping employee’s ability to merely think. When expanding your data storage, be sure the resulting noise made is permissible. Be sure, too, that noise curtailment endeavors don’t interfere or get the better of heat dissipation or cooling resolutions.

•     Administrative cost

The equipment investment for the expansion may be considerable, but how does this expanded storage tie in to administrative needs? Should management hire a network advisor to appraise user needs, then install, setup, and trial the new kit? Or can the company’s in-house network administrator do the work? A small company runs a risk because although they might not be able to afford to have a professional appraisal and installation, they may learn the hard way with an cut-rate solution - the old adage of “you get what you pay for.”

An amateur might misdiagnose storage usage needs, set up the equipment incorrectly, or buy kit that isn’t acceptable for the environment. Such unintended errors are why there are certifications for network professionals. Storage management is not as easy as adding more space when needed, it is a complex, multi-layered effort affecting every facet and employee of a business.

Although applying the skills of a professional greatly increases the success of the storage enlargement, it will raise the final price. When weighing the monetary expense, businesses must also think to consider how much other ‘expenses’ - overall risk, loss of data availability, system downtime if the implemented solution fails - they can afford.

•     Backup management

How does your business presently handle backup cycles and comparable storage requirements? Do you store your backups on-site, or do you have a secure surrogate location at which to stock this treasured information? Natural disasters such as fires and floods, and extreme disasters like Hurricane Katrina are wakeup calls to many resistive to the idea of offsite data storage. Offsite data storage may be as easy as storing backup tapes off site or archiving data with data farms for a  monthly space lease fee, or as complex as having a mirrored site housing a direct copy of all your data (effective but costly).

Whatever backup management and storage procedure used, backups produced should be tested, in addition to the backup system with the expanded storage to make sure it’s actually backing everything up. There is nothing more painful than relying on a computer backup that doesn’t work, was improperly produced, or doesn’t hold the critical data your business requires.

•     Database storage

Databases created as a result of daily commercial activities can be staggering (as referenced in the earlier example of one large retail corporation’s generation of a billion rows of sales data daily). This activity can result in huge amounts of data being stored. One way to optimise database performance is by splitting up the database files and storing them in 3 different locations. In this process, data files are stored in one location, transaction files or logs in a 2nd location, and backups in a altogether different location. This not only makes data processing more streamlined but prevents having an “all the eggs in one basket” situation, advantageous when experiencing a process disturbance such as equipment failure.

Undertaking this type of database optimisation calls for the aforementioned planning and equipment costs. But keep in mind how database info has accomplished into all areas of the business - customer information, billing information, and inventory management information - and how vital it is that this information be protected. Hidden costs associated with protecting database information can escalate quickly.

•     Installation and cabling

The old trend was a standalone unit where the processor and storage were one system. Now the trend is to build a separate networked storage system that can be accessed by many users and servers. In general, there are two types of separate storage systems, the storage area network (SAN), and the network attached storage (NAS).

The separate storage system offers a number of advantages, including easier expansion. The consideration however, is that you will need the network infrastructure to support a separate storage system. In other words, if your storage system is in a separate building, you will need faster network connectivity to avoid a “bottleneck” in communication between the server and the storage device.

•     Disaster recovery

A disaster recovery plan encompasses everything that could happen if there is a system failure due to destruction, natural disaster, fire, theft or equipment failure. Part of a good disaster recovery plan includes a business continuation plan, that is, how to keep the business going and doing business despite the disaster. When planning for a data storage expansion, the disaster recovery plan should be reviewed to make sure the company’s data is accessible in the event of a contingency, and be closely aligned to business continuity planning and efforts.

•     Data recovery

Data recovery can become a hidden cost if not planned for. Every business continuity plan and disaster plan should include professional data recovery services as part of their overall solution.

Ontrack has successfully recovered data for customers who have lost data due to failures encountered during storage space migration or expansion, mirroring failures, system shutdowns due to environmental abnormalities, natural disaster, backup inconsistencies, and software and database corruption.

As you can see, there is much more to scalable growth than just adding more storage space. Although prudent planning and every precaution in instigating and undertaking an effective storage management solution has been enacted, failures and unforeseen circumstances can and do occur. Simply put, despite the best preparation, disasters can and do happen.