Interoperability – Integrating ‘SAN Islands’

Few organisations have been able to predict the high annual growth in the amount data that they need to store. As a result, many businesses now have very complex storage architectures with 10s or 100s of standalone SANs (Storage Area Networks) that are difficult to integrate, complex to manage, expensive to maintain and often have very different backup procedures.

Bell Microsystems' three stage approach to storage integration can help you to break down the barriers between your 'SAN islands':

Visualise
- running analysis tools to identify exactly what storage you have and how it is being used

Virtualise
- implementing software that works within your existing network to turn an array of different storage devices into a 'virtual', single, centralised storage facility, simplifying systems management and reducing operating costs

Automate
- managing your entire storage environment as a single entity and automating key processes, minimising the need for manual intervention and reducing the chance of human error. There is a wide range of virtualisation technologies that offer differing sets of benefits. However, choosing the 'wrong' virtualisation method can result in a system that fails to deliver the expected benefits and can be difficult to reverse.

The Bell Microsystems team can help you to assess different vendors' options and select the virtualisation technology that best fits your needs.

Consolidate onto fewer storage devices
Cut energy and cooling costs
Free-up floor space in your data centre or offices
Reduce storage system maintenance and support costs
Simplify systems administration