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GRANDMETRIC Sp. z o.o.
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UK
Grandmetric LTD
Office 584b
182-184 High Street North
London
E6 2JA
+44 20 3321 5276
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US Region
Grandmetric LLC
Lewes DE 19958
16192 Coastal Hwy USA
EIN: 98-1615498
+1 302 691 94 10
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Disk Arrays and Data Storage Disk arrays, as advanced data storage solutions, offer not only significant scaling and performance capabilities but also mechanisms that ensure data security. In this context, choosing the right data storage system capable of meeting modern security requirements, especially in case of failure, becomes an indispensable element of every business strategy.
We help customers carefully select arrays to suit their needs and then configure them to make the most of the possibilities offered by the manufacturer.
The business generates gigabytes of data every second. An increasing number of information sources, such as IoT systems or data collected from tracking customer behaviour, have emerged. It’s estimated that while the average company stores several TB of data, enterprise-class organizations can reach up to several hundred PB.
Whether it’s a company’s infrastructure or an external data center, the technology that enables secure data storage is necessary.
Distributing data across personal computers is not feasible due to the need for operational continuity and constant access to information by multiple applications. There are also no disks large enough to meet the needs of even most small organizations.
The solution is disk arrays. These are devices designed for data storage, where up to several hundred disks can be installed. Additionally, data storage security is enhanced because modern solutions are equipped with a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) system, which, by duplicating files on two or more disks, protects against their loss.
There are many RAID configuration variants – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1+0, 0+1 – each (referred to as a level) distinguished by a unique method of writing information on disks. In RAID 0 arrays, we write data alternately on the disks. In the case of RAID 1, both devices store identical resources (the same files).
The whole system is perceived by the computer as one large space. Additional arrays can be connected, just like adding more shelves in a traditional warehouse, thus creating an infrastructure whose capacity is limited only by the budget.
While synchronous replication guarantees high speed, it does so at the cost of performance and space. Asynchronous replication, despite some delay, guarantees high throughput and scalability at the cost of security.
In case of failure of one of the arrays, switching to another device occurs, which allows business operations to continue and protects against the loss of critical data.
Deduplication is a data compression process where repeating parts of data are stored only once. This way, space is saved, unnecessary data accumulation is avoided, and available space is significantly increased.
Disk arrays are currently available in many variants. These differ from each other in performance, speed, and price. However, most of them operate in three basic models:
This is one of the simplest data storage systems, where its implementation and management are equally easy, and performance primarily depends on network bandwidth. It is ideal for small, undemanding businesses due to its low initial cost.
Besides the price, the lack of redundancy distinguishes it from classic arrays – in the case of failure, data loss is a risk.
Who needs it?
Small and medium organizations that need a cheap and simple solution.
Cons
Unlike NAS, “traditional” arrays usually have two controllers and independent power supplies. They operate using HDD and/or SSD disks, so they may not offer high speed, but they can hold vast amounts of data.
Who needs it?
Small and medium organizations that value security and need large space but do not require the highest performance.
Pros
Cons
The fastest of the available technologies, guaranteeing high throughput and performance. Its main advantage is the support of NVMe disks instead of traditional HDD/SSD. Although for most high-end solutions, All-Flash memory support is becoming standard, they are still very expensive. However, it’s worth investing in them, especially when running a business requiring high speed and performance.
Demanding businesses with a high need for performance, based on using critical applications, real-time analysis, or processing images/video.
Pros
Cons
Check other IBM storage and servers
Stored data needs to be made available to users somehow. Interfaces, which allow connectivity to a computer or server, specific to different arrays, serve this purpose:
In the area of data storage, our experts use a multifaceted approach, which not only creates an environment tailored in size or speed to the client's needs but above all guarantees the security of the content.
We modernize or build from scratch an efficient infrastructure, relying on solutions from partners such as IBM, Brocade, NetApp, DataCore, PureStorage, Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, or HP.
Get in touch with Grandmetric engineers and build a solid foundation for secure data storage.
