Information for Business from Lenovo
Iain Ferguson
Contributor: Iain Ferguson
The move from SAN to SDS

The ability to store and manage fast-increasing volumes of data is crucial to businesses today. Unfortunately traditional storage area networks (SAN) that provide access to consolidated block-level data storage can often only meet business demands at sizeable expense. Precious budget that should be allocated to applications and projects that deliver a competitive edge is instead directed to purchasing storage.

So how are leading-edge businesses meeting the challenge of storing data cost-effectively? The answer is by adopting software-defined storage (SDS). SDS is similar to concepts such as the software-defined data centre or software-defined networking (SDN). Intelligent software is used to manage and automate storage infrastructure, removing storage capabilities and services from the storage hardware that can deliver considerable rewards to the IT function and broader business.  

For example, a hospital that was running a range of storage devices could not manually move sometimes sensitive data between individual devices due to the widely varying service level agreements that applied. A Lenovo storage virtualisation appliance enabled the hospital to pool these resources and automate the process of moving data between the various storage tiers, considerably reducing cost and resources required.[1]

SDS also enables businesses to take advantage of advanced backup and restoration capabilities to protect their data in the event of a system outage. In addition, SDS reduces costs by simplifying management and enabling companies to deploy lower-cost or heterogeneous storage hardware. Further, the sophistication of the software used can help businesses meet their information security and retention challenges.

Deploying SDS is a powerful step forward for businesses that want to optimise their data centre environments and gain the flexibility and agility required to compete in the modern marketplace. Storage can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of individual applications and fine-tuned as required. To enable your business to maintain its competitive edge, you should be evaluating the potential benefits that SDS can deliver.    

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