Research project on the future of data storage....

[da.Guvna]

Hi guys!

I'm doing a research project on the future of business critical data storage solutions and strategies for my final year at Uni, and I'm running out of information sources.

I've scoured the net but I keep running up against places that require expensive subscriptions to view articles etc.

I'm looking at current technologies and strategies available, what they offer and where they fall short. I then want to look to the near-future (thinking 6-12 months from now) and what sort of options are on the horizon, and then *hopefully* develop an implementation strategy.

The problem I'm having is that a lot of firms seem to be very reluctant to provide any info on their upcoming products and everytime I ask they say they'd like to help but can't in case I'm an industry spy or something.

If any of you guys know of any good sites, or have any juicy info I would be SOOOOOO grateful for any input, seriously! It doesn't have to be majorly techie, as I'm doing a business IT degree (with the emphasis on business).

Anyone that helps will get an aknowledgement in the front of my report (.....woo and yay) and who knows, if it's really useful maybe some kind of present (although bear in mind I'm just a poor student, haha! ).

Cheers guys!

[aidanjt]

stay on track of file servers, raid arrays, and SAN's in particular and you wont go far wrong.

[da.Guvna]

Cheers for the suggestions aidanjt.

I'm also gonna look at stuff like ILM, fibre channel vs IP, virtualisation, the grid, etc.

Anyone know any good sites for info about those?

[Kumagoro]

Have you tried looking at the electronics journals in your uni library? You will read things
in them which you wont hear about till a year later in mags.

[da.Guvna]

Yes I have. I found something quite good about Holographic data storage media the other day actually.
The problem with those journals is they are often far too complicated for my needs, and can be very lengthy, so trawling through them takes a long time relative to the information I can actually use.

My report is less from a techie, more from a management point of view (although it still needs to be technical to a degree).

I'm probably asking for help the wrong kind of forums really seeing as most of you are just desktop hardware enthusiasts, but I was hoping some of you guys might 'do' data storage management as your actual job

[Olly1234]

We're currently implementing a NAS (Network Attached Stoarge) solution for our oracle DB CV repository and other File and print data, 2 Hub sites each of which will house a NAS unit each which have 4TB stoarge and maintain a near perfect mirror for disaster recover via a dedicated link. These will then serve the 25 or so remote office sites as necceresary when data is requested. Backups are to be run weekly on overland tape librarys, 2 of these per site each with 28 slots with each tape holding 6gb

[ajbrun]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3381997.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ne/4235725.stm

Try those .