Fluid Data Storage: Driving Flexibility in the Data Center

Today’s dynamic business landscape requires efficient storage systems. This paper discusses eight must-have Dell Compellent technologies that combine to create new levels of storage efficiency and flexibility while cutting costs now and in the future:

1. Fluid Data Architecture – Storage is managed at the most granular level with built-in system intelligence to enable the dynamic flow of enterprise data.
2. Storage Virtualization – Storage is virtualized at the disk level to create a flexible pool of storage resources shared by all servers all the time.
3. Thin Provisioning – Allocation is completely separated from utilization so any size volume can be created at any time, yet capacity is only consumed when data is written.
4. Automated Tiered Storage – Data dynamically cascades from tier to tier according to actual usage, freeing up high-performance drives for mission-critical applications.
5. Space-efficient Snapshots – Continuous snapshots only capture changes in data for real-time protection with instant recovery to any point in time.
6. Thin Replication – Data is replicated between local and remote sites using space-efficient snapshots and native IP connectivity, eliminating the need for high-speed data links or identical system configurations.
7. Unified Storage Resource Management – All storage resources are managed through a single, point-and-click interface providing a complete view of the entire storage environment.
8. Open, Agile Hardware Platform – Storage is designed for persistence, not obsolescence, leveraging a single, modular hardware platform coupled with technology independence.