Tag Archive for: storage

Avoid complexity in data storage decisions

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A little while ago, I faced the challenge of migrating a digital asset management system to the cloud. As part of this, I had to migrate out terabytes of data on legacy hardware to a new provider. Add to this the fact that the storage hardware was based in a staffed office in a rural part of England with significantly limited internet speeds.

Ultimately, I managed to broker an agreement with a nearby datacentre to allow me to copy data physically to an external hard drive, plug it into a rented server in a third-party datacentre and then upload it to the cloud from the datacentre’s high-speed gigabit internet connection. Despite all the moving parts and security checks associated with accessing the datacentre, the plan worked surprisingly well.

Times have moved on and things have got easier. Nowadays, Amazon Web Services even offers a Snowball service in which it will physically send you hardware that you can load your data onto and send back to AWS for upload to the cloud. 

Cloud providers nowadays will offer many different solutions to seemingly the same problem. One example of this is hybrid cloud storage, which allows companies to simultaneously keep their data both in their own premises and in the cloud. When navigating through the seemingly ever complex landscape of new cloud products, it is important to bear simplicity in mind. Unnecessary complexity added now will simply result in greater headaches later on.

The remorseless pursuit of simplicity is a hugely advantageous trait for an engineer, but in many ways it flies in the face of human nature. In a recent study published in Nature, most participants favoured addition over subtraction when trying to solve a problem. For engineers, achieving simplicity rests in satisfying the business requirements without adding unnecessary complexity that makes future changes harder.

In the example of hybrid cloud storage, there are instances where such technology can be beneficial, for example where low-latency access speeds are needed on-site. Nevertheless, it remains essential to consider whether it is the simplest solution to meeting the requirements at hand.

Far too often, for different reasons, we adopt technologies…

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Server, storage, and security tech boom in China • The Register

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Chines buyers are spending up big on storage, servers, and security, according to reports by International Data Corporation (IDC) released this week.

The Middle Kingdom is the world’s fastest-growing storage market, IDC said, finding that for Q2 2021 China’s market grew 33.5 per cent year on year, against global growth of 9.7 points year-on-year. China’s external storage market is now US$6.9 billion a year.

The nation’s security market also surged. In 2019 China’s network security services market was already on the rise thanks to surging demand and the nation’s 2017 Cybersecurity Law that required network operators store select data within China. That law, alongside others that bolstered tech made in China, saw many new security services sprout.

Overall revenue from China’s IT security service market vendors subsequently increased 110 per cent in the first half of 2021, year-on-year, totalling around US$1.1 billion and bringing China’s IT security service market into what IDC refers to as “a period of full-scale demand”.

The security consulting service markets in particular saw a whopping 172 per cent year-on-year increase, attributable to pre-pandemic policy changes requiring compliance, testing and emergency services that were backlogged until the COVID situation became more stable in 2021 and services could be provided.

Other factors contributing to the boost in China’s network security services were smart city and other infrastructure-related projects increasing and training people to use the new enterprise-level network systems.

Meanwhile, China’s server market achieved an increase of 85.1 per cent year-on-year, reaching US$2.19 billion, with GPU-equipped servers occupying 91.9 per cent of the market. Non-GPU accelerated servers grew too, by 127.1 percent year-on-year reaching US$190 million, but accounted for just 8.1 per…

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The New iPhone 13 Has 1-Terabyte Storage Option : NPR

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Apple introduced its new iPhone 13 smartphones during a virtual event on Tuesday.

Jae C. Hong/AP


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Jae C. Hong/AP

Apple introduced its new iPhone 13 smartphones during a virtual event on Tuesday.

Jae C. Hong/AP

SAN RAMON, Calif. — Apple unveiled its next iPhone lineup, including a model that offers twice the storage available in earlier versions and other modest upgrades to last year’s editions that proved to be a big hit among consumers devouring the latest technology during the pandemic.

The pre-recorded video event streamed Tuesday gave Apple a chance to present a polished story following a turbulent few weeks. The recent bumps included a hastily patched security vulnerability that could let hackers secretly take control of iPhones and other Apple devices; a backlash to the company’s plans to scan iPhones for images of child sex abuse and a federal judge’s ruling that chipped away further at the competitive barrier Apple built around its app store, which generates billions of dollars in profits each year.

Apple Issues Critical Patch To Fix Security Hole Exploited By Spyware Company

As has been the case since Apple’s late co-founder unveiled the first iPhone in 2007, Apple executives talked reverently about the latest model, even though it isn’t dramatically different from the version Apple released nearly a year ago.

Like last year’s model, the new iPhone 13 will come in four different designs, with prices starting from $700 to $1,100. They’re scheduled to be in stores September 24.

“It’s an incremental upgrade,” said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen. “Some of the new features are impressive, but most of them are not noticeable or practical for most users.”

Possibly the most notable change in the latest high-end iPhone 13 will be an option for a full terabyte of…

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Do ransomware gangs know more about file storage than you do? Find out more at Nasuni CloudBound21 – Blocks and Files

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PROMO If you’re still not convinced of the need to re-examine your whole approach to file management, perhaps a ransomware attack will change your mind.

Ransomware merchants don’t just rely on working their way into your systems and locking your data. They know that any company large enough to pay a reasonable ransom will have a backup system in place. Which is why if they get the opportunity, they’ll happily bide their time, crippling your data protection systems well before they put the full lock on your production systems.

But even if they don’t hijack your data protection systems, they know restoring traditional backups is a laborious process that’s going to take hours, days or even weeks. And they know that a few millions in ransomware suddenly starts to look like a good deal as compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that downtime costs for even medium-sized enterprises.

 The old rules of data protection simply don’t apply anymore, which is why you should register (for free!) for Nasuni CloundBound21, which runs online from September 28th to 30th.

Nasuni CloudBound21 features powerful keynote sessions, deep dive breakout sessions, industry panels and more, designed to equip you with tangible takeaways during a time zone that aligns to your availability.

Highlights include keynotes with David Totten, CTO, US Partner System, Microsoft on September 28th and Lakshmi Sharma, Director Product Management, Network Experience, Performance, Reliability and Solutions at Google Cloud on September 29th.

Also on September 29th, you can dive deep into the world of ransomware, with a panel featuring Randy Kerns, Primary and Secondary Analyst at Evaluator Group, Jerome Wendt, President/Founder of DCIG and Nasuni CTO Andres Rodriguez.

 Additional sessions to focus on how your file storage strategy underpins and interacts with other key issues, such as digital transformation, VDI and an increasingly hybrid workforce. You’ll also learn how you can potentially realise massive cost savings on your file management and storage.

Plus, because nothing beats hearing from your peers, there will be innovative networking sessions.

And…

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