Flash: How Businesses are Adopting New Data Storage

While solid-state disk (SSD) technology [Affiliate Link] isn’t anything new – it has been around for a few years as fast local storage for personal and business laptops and mobile devices – it is being used in new ways that is catching the eye of big spenders in the data storage and management industry. In particular, datacenters and server manufacturers are really taking notice. For starters, flash storage is a bit more stable than traditional disks, as it doesn’t rely on mechanical parts to function.

The downside is flash disk technology can cost over 10 times what mechanical disks cost. While there is much anticipation to use the latest and greatest technology, new startups in the space are looking for ways to make flash storage solutions as inexpensive as possible. To put this into concrete figures, traditional mechanical hard disks cost $1 per gigabyte, while flash disk solutions cost upwards of $10/GB.

An SSD Primer: SSDs vs. HDDs

In order to talk about why SSD tech is such a big deal, it’s important to understand exactly what we’re talking about when we’re talking about solid state:

• Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) – Hard disks are made up of mechanical moving parts. This includes a rotating disk coated in magnetic material where all the data is stored. Since these components are fairly primitive compared to cutting edge data storage technology, their price tag is relatively low. The major downside to hard disk storage solutions is that the components that make up hard disks can break down and even wear out. In fact, the majority of hard disks face a lifespan of about five years.
• Solid-State Drives (SSDs) – Solid-state drives on the other hand skip the mechanical parts, and rely on a tiny, silicon-based microchip to store data, as opposed to a mechanical magnetic disk. This makes for a much more reliable storage solution. Again, these drives are dramatically more expensive that HDDs.

How Businesses Are Using SSD Tech: Hybrid Disk Solutions

As with many new technological advances, businesses are adopting a hybrid approach to flash storage integration. This seems to be the healthiest balance between the cost effectiveness and instability of HDDs, and the high performance and high price tag of most SSDs. Companies, both large and small, are using hard disks to manage menial tasks on a small scale, while using solid state systems to the heavy lifting when it comes to multimedia and document file management on large scale. Additionally, some larger institutions fail to see the immediate need of adopting flash technology. In fact, many large universities and other like-minded institutions have resorted to using desktop virtualization in lieu of high-priced flash storage. A sensible choice, given the financial turmoil inherent in the education industry at current.

Conclusion

In the world of data storage, you really get what you pay for. Every business has to establish what their immediate and long-term needs are going to be. For small to medium size businesses, a stable of massive flash storage arrays is neither going to be possible or practical for now. The good news is that there are legions of storage geeks in their evil lairs cooking up the next big thing in flash storage that just may end archaic forms of data storage for good.

Zach Buckley is a freelance writer who is interested in exploring the intersection of culture, science and education.  He lives in the Midwest and enjoys music, literature and good food.

Why Data backup and Data Recovery is essential.

Master Chief, Backed Up by Rico-san, on Flickr

Behind the blog post!

I hate to rant on my family but sometimes they can be hardest people to deal with.  My Sister (I've got a lot of 'em) brought me this Acer Aspire One [Amazon Affiliate] laptop and asked me to get her data off it.  I really don't have a problem with the laptop myself but what happened was something only another Geek would cringe.  The screen was cracked and the laptop wouldn't boot.   The basic signs of a the laptop being dropped or smashed along the lines.  Anyways, she asked me to get her I-Tunes stuff off your computer.   That part isn't really a problem because you can pretty much find the technical manuals for free.  So that problem was solved for me because I never taken apart a small laptop like that.  However, upon inspection of the cables I would need to use the hard drive.   I found I had a really old version of the IDE and Atapi USB connector and didn't have a SATA USB Cable.   I bought one off Amazon which was Cables To Go 30504 USB 2.0 to IDE or Serial ATA Drive Adapter (Black) [Amazon Affiliate].   It Plugged in and started right up the Hard drive.   I must say it was the simplist plug and copy of files, that I've done in a long while.

Data Backup!

I really don't buy from Itunes because of the fact I only get one file copy and if that is lost or stolen, then I have lost my money.   I prefer Amazon Video [Amazon Affiliate], because I can have 2 downloads and still stream it all I want.   I wanted to at least talk about some ways to backup again, I'm sure you've heard me talk about backing up once.  I hate for anyone to loose their data because they didn't want to backup.  So I'm going to give you some help:

• Decide what type of backup! This is the first step I take to figure out what type of backup I want.
• Crashplan Plus [Affiliate link] is what I recommend.   You can backup all your household for just 6 dollars a month.  Works on All Major Operating Systems Linux/Mac/Windows, so no worries there.
• Keep alert for Warning signs of a Hard Drive going bad.   This is also why you need to keep your data backed up.
• Free backups are also better than nothing.   I don't recommend as much because you get what you pay for, but it still might help you if their was a problem.
• Don't forget about Backing up your Drivers for those important hardware add-on.   I've seen it before, people have to go re-download them once they re-install the Operating system.  This will help prevent it.
• If you want to keep your OEM Operating System, you might want to Backup your Hidden Partition on the Drive.  

In the End, it is what you want!

Nothing is set in stone, so you can always decide to do it your own way but you must remember to do it often and you must remember to have two or three ways to back up your software in case something terrible happens.   If you don't you just might regret it, and you know how important those pictures of your kids are. 

Paul Sylvester