Informed CIO: Storage Automation
Storage Automation: 8 Questions to Ask Before Buying
Implementing automation tools and processes requires an upfront investment in funding, planning and integrity testing. But the business will reap benefits both immediately and as the footprint and complexity of storage services increase. Operationally, data protection activities, such as snapping clones and replication pairs, can often be readily automated and pay instant dividends by enhancing recoverability in the event of a data loss or corruption event. For instance, a clone of an Oracle database can be taken after a batch cycle has been completed and the database is quiesced or in hot-backup mode. Once the database is in a “backup ready” state, the automation task can be performed to create a clone of the data on a storage array. When completed, the database is restarted and resumes transaction processing. The clone can then be used to back up the Oracle database, or just as insurance against loss. The best thing is, all of this activity can be performed without human intervention and at any time of the day or night.
Not all storage tasks can be easily encapsulated and automated, of course. Activities such as provisioning and configuration, for example, require some degree of human intervention and decision-making. But by developing and documenting mature policies and procedures for storage functions that don’t require staff to be hands-on, and then seeking tools that can automate these processes reliably and consistently, CIOs can not only reduce costs but improve service execution and insulate the critical storage function against risk. (C110709)
Table of Contents
3 Author Bios
4 Tech Basics
5 Virtually Automatic
5 Figure 1: Data Volumes Growing at Steady Clip
7 Figure 2: State of Process Automation
8 Figure 3: Significant Growth Seen for Most Data Types
10 Figure 4: Customers Vs. Cost Containment
12 Figure 5: Automation Budget
14 Figure 6: Few Currently Virtualize Storage, but Interest Is There
8 Questions to Ask:
6 1 / I’ve been hearing about storage automation for years. Why should I believe it will work now?
8 2 / What, exactly, can I automate today?
8 3 / Money is tight. How do I cost justify automation?
9 4 / How do I judge the success of current automation projects?
11 5 / We’re highly virtualized. What effect does that have on automation?
11 6 / How do we define a path to storage automation?
13 7 / What other groundwork should be in place?
14 8 / What questions should my architects ask storage vendors?
About the Author
Andrew White is a senior consultant at GlassHouse Technologies with 10 years experience in the IT industry and a specific focus on storage systems and disaster recovery. His experience includes architecture of enterprise storage and data protection solutions, business and technology strategic alignment, and development of IT processes and tactics. Prior to joining GlassHouse, Andrew held technical and management roles providing leadership in storage and data protection for Commerce Bank, Philadelphia Stock Exchange and Fiserv Securities. Andrew holds B.S. degrees in finance and economics and an MBA in information technology management. Contact him at andrew.white@glasshouse.com.
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