Store it in a new way: green way

Green storage refers to a broad spectrum of solutions ranging from sheer hardware efficiency to more application-level software
IT has already made inroads into controlling energy costs associated with servers and to achieve such goals it is chanting the Green mantra everywhere and the latest is Green storage technologies such as virtualization, thin provisioning, deduplication and disk technologies that can significantly reduce the power and cooling costs in a data center Most storage technologies being marketed as green today are really technologies designed to improve storage utilization, which enables organizations to store their data on fewer disk drives and, in turn, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), as well as power and cooling requirements.
Ever since data centers are the largest energy consumers in most organizations, they have understandably become a focal point for trying to reduce energy costs. Yet, while storage is part of the data center, it has escaped much of this intense focus so far. This is primarily due to the growing number of high-density servers in the data center during the past several years, which have naturally captured the most attention as organizations seek to resolve the most glaring power and cooling issues. Furthermore, responsibility for data center power and cooling costs has traditionally resided within the corporate facilities budget-meaning that many data center managers are neither directly responsible for, nor at times even aware of, the costs that they generate.
Storage Solutions that currently marketed as green are mainly divided into two sections, technologies that increase storage utilization, enabling users to store more data with fewer disk drives and include technologies and solutions that directly reduce power and/or cooling costs or are inherently green. Technologies that fall into the first category make the easiest business case. These are technologies that organizations should be using anyway, if available, because they directly and immediately save resources. Technologies in the second category are specifically targeted to address the power and cooling issues for storage rather than providing power and cooling benefits as a byproduct of something else. Technologies that increase storage utilization rates are considered green because they help users to store more data with fewer disk drives, an efficiency that automatically reduces power and cooling requirements.
Storage virtualization
This is the ability to present a file, volume or storage device in such a way that its physical complexity is hidden, and the application and the storage administrator see a pool of available resources instead of separate silos of dedicated storage.
Thin provisioning
Thin provisioning (TP) is a method of optimizing the efficiency with which the available space is utilized in storage area networks (SAN). TP operates by allocating disk storage space in a flexible manner among multiple users, based on the minimum space required by each user at any given time.
Thin-provisioning-aware replication
Thin-provisioning-aware replication (sometimes called thin replication) enhances remote replication capabilities so that only the allocated space to which users have written data is transmitted to the secondary site.
Data reduction techniques
Whether they are called file-level single instance store (SIS), data deduplication, data compression or redundant file elimination, the intent of data reduction techniques is to reduce the amount of capacity needed to store a given amount of information. It is especially useful in backup or archiving scenarios. Backup, for example, tends to be a particularly wasteful activity. Often, the data change rate is less than 10% of new and modified files per week. This means that the weekly full backups are sending and storing at least 90% unnecessary data, in addition to the redundancies in data throughout the week. Gartner considers data reduction a transformational technology and rates it as one of the fastest deployed storage technologies that the market has seen in more than a decade.
Boot from Storage Area Network (SAN)
This reduces the need for internal disk drives in servers (especially in rack server and blade server environments), by allowing the boot image to reside in the SAN. It also improves server reliability (no disks) and server availability (again, because there are no disks), and it helps in rapid server imaging. When coupled with thin provisioning and thin-provisioning-aware replication, multiple boot images can be stored with great space efficiency.
Quality of Service
These optimize the use of disk storage system resources by implementing user-defined policies and/or adaptive algorithms to maximize application performance while minimizing back-end storage costs. Quality of Service (QoS) storage features improved performance and throughput using a variety of techniques, including cache partitioning and binding, and input/output (I/O) prioritization. It also has the potential to improve service-level agreements (SLAs) because more data can economically be stored online. QoS storage features also provide cost savings when coupled with virtualization.
Inherently green storage technologies
While efforts to develop technologies specifically designed to reduce power consumption or cooling requirements are in their infancy from a storage hardware perspective, there are some storage solutions on the market that are inherently green. These technologies should be evaluated for their potential benefit in an organization's specific environment and considered when making purchase decisions where those benefits are judged to be high.
Massive Arrays of Idle Disks
Massive Arrays of Idle Disks (MAIDs) store data on a large group of disk drives that can be spun down when not in use. It can also be used to spin down disks (and save power and cooling costs) during non business hours in companies that do not run a 24/7 operation, or as a third tier of storage. New and future MAID implementations may incorporate intelligent power management (IPM) techniques that allow different degrees of spin-down to increase the user's options for power savings and response times. The three IPM levels include heads unloaded, heads unloaded and drive slowed to 4,000 rpm, and sleep mode/power on, where the drives stop spinning altogether. In addition to power and cooling savings, MAID and IPM approaches can also prolong the lives of disk drives. Combined with data reduction techniques, such as data deduplication, MAID storage provides a compelling green storage solution.
Small form factor disk drives
These are 2.5-inch hard drives that, in addition to increasing storage spindle density per square foot, reduce the number of voltage conversions within the system because they require less voltage than today's 3.5-inch-high rpm disk drives.
Airflow-enhanced cabinetry
A focus in the server environment for several years, this has begun to show up more in storage disk arrays. These designs do nothing to improve capacity, utilization or performance. Rather, they are designed to improve cooling, with the goal of positively affecting power and cooling issues (such as data center configuration) and costs.
Although the concept is really promising, this technology is highly complex and may require delicate tuning to achieve true energy savings. For example, difficulty in accurately predicting idle periods can result in disks spinning up soon after they were spun down, resulting in less energy conservation than anticipated. Furthermore, there may be risks that drive mechanics will become less reliable with repeated spinning up and spinning down. In the absence of conclusive evidence that proves the long-term feasibility of turning off disk drives, customers are hesitant to adopt such technologies in haste. But keep in mind that the Environmental issues are gaining serious commercial momentum and, fueled by the growing number of local and global green initiatives, they are rising ever more insistently up the corporate agenda.

The new era networking: Green Networking

There is no formal definition of “green” in networking. In simple term it’s seen as the green practices of selecting energy-efficient networking technologies and products, and minimizing resource use whenever possible. Green networking" -- the practice of consolidating devices, relying more on telecommuting and videoconferencing, and using virtualization to reduce power consumption across the network -- is an offshoot of the trend towards "greening" just about everything from cars to coffee cups. That trend has encompassed IT in general, the data center and the network.
Green Networking can be the way to help reduce carbon emissions by the Information Technology (IT) Industry. Green Networking covers all aspects of the network (personal computers, peripherals, switches, routers, and communication media). Energy efficiencies of all network components must be optimized to have a significant impact on the overall energy consumption by these components. Consequently, these efficiencies gained by having a Green Network will reduce CO2 emissions and thus will help mitigate global warming. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the components must be considered. LCA is the valuation of the environmental impacts on a product from cradle to grave. New ICT technologies must be explored and the benefits of these technologies must be assessed in terms of energy efficiencies and their associated benefits in minimizing the environmental impact of ICT. Desktop computers and monitors consume 39% of all electrical power used in ICT. In 2002, this equated to 220Mt (millions tons of CO2 emission).

To reduce power consumption and equivalent CO2 emissions from a network switch, several techniques are available. To reduce the carbon footprint of desktop PCs, their usage must be efficiently managed. Old Cathode Ray Tube monitors should be replaced with Liquid Crystal Display screens which reduce monitor energy consumption by as much as 80%. Replacing all desktop PCs with laptops would achieve a 90% decrease in power consumption. Energy can also be saved by using power saving software installed on desktops and running all the time. The power saving software controls force PCs to go into standby when not in use. Another option is to use solid state hard drives that use 50% less power than mechanical hard drives.
When considering the Local Area Network (LAN) network infrastructure, probably the most power hungry device is the network switch. PoE (Power over Ethernet) is a relative new technology introduced into modern network switches. PoE switch ports provide power for network devices as well as transmit data. PoE switch ports are used by IP phones, wireless LAN access points, and other network-attached equipment. PoE switch port can provide power to a connected device and can scale back power when not required.
Another solution is to use power management software built into the network switch. With power management software, we can instruct the network switch to turn off ports when not in use, this would equate to a saving of 15.4W × 16 hours × 365 days = 89,936 kilowatt-hours per port per year.
As networks became more critical in daily business operations, additional network services were required. Network infrastructure devices were required to support VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and data encryption also. The new integrated network infrastructure with its network services will make the network more energy efficient and reduce the carbon footprint of the network infrastructure.
Due to the high power consumption by Data Centers, there are some proposed solutions to save energy and make Data Centers more energy efficient. Some of the solutions include; taking the Data Center to the power source instead of taking the power source to the Data Center, consolidation, virtualization, improved server and storage performances, power management, high efficiency power supplies, improved data center design.

Traditionally the electrical power needed for Data Centers is supplied by the electricity grid. Using alternate energy sources at the Data Center is often impractical. The solution is to take the Data Center to the energy source. The energy source could be solar, wind, geothermal, or some combination of these alternate forms of energy. Instead of the power traveling great distances, the data would need to travel great distances. For this to be feasible, we would require a broadband network infrastructure.
Consolidation
Going through a systematic program of consolidating and optimizing your machines and workloads can achieve increased efficiencies at the Data Center.
Virtualization
Virtualization is one of the main technologies used to implement a “Green Network”. Virtualization is a technique used to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical machine, sharing the resources of that single computer across multiple environments. Virtualization allows pooling of resources, such as computing and storage that are normally underutilized. Virtualization offers the following advantages: less power, less cooling, less facilities, and less network infrastructure. Virtualization can also be used to replace the desktop. With desktop virtualization one can use a thin client consuming little power (typically 4 Watts). The image and all other programs required by the client can be downloaded from one of the virtualization servers.
Improved Server and Storage Performances
New multicore processors execute at more than four times the speed compared to previous processors and use new high speed disk arrays with high performance. 144-gigabyte Fiber Channel drives can reduce transfer and improve efficiencies within the Data Center.
Power Management
It is estimated that Servers use up to 30% of their peak electricity consumption when they are idle. Although power management tools are available they are not necessarily being implemented. Many new CPU chips have the capacity to scale back voltage and clock frequency on a per-core basis and this can be done by reducing power supply to the memory. By implementing power management techniques, companies can save energy and cost.
High Efficiency Power Supplies
The use of high efficiency power supplies should be considered in all Data Center devices. Poor quality power supplies not only have low power efficiencies, but the power efficiency is also a function of utilization. With low utilization we achieve lower efficiency in the power supply. For every watt of electrical power wasted in a Data Center device, another watt is used in extra cooling. Therefore, investing in high efficient power supplies can double power savings. Another issue with power supply is that quite often Data Center designers overestimate power supply needs. With more accurate assessment of the power requirements of a device, we can achieve high efficiency and energy savings.
Cloud Computing
“Cloud Computing” can be considered “Green Networking” through the efficiencies gained using “Cloud Computing”. “Cloud Computing” offers the following advantages: consolidation—redundancy and waste, abstraction—decoupling workload from physical infrastructures, automation— removing manual labor from runtime operations, utility Computing—enabling service providers to offer storage and virtual servers that ICT companies can access on demand.

Green networking practices include:
Implementing virtualization
Practicing server consolidation
Upgrading older equipment for newer, more energy-efficient products
Employing systems management to increase efficiency
Substituting telecommuting, remote administration and videoconferencing for travel
High Efficiency Power Supplies
Improved Data Center Design

The apparition of a Green Network is one where we all will be connected via wireless to the Internet, using low energy consumption, where all our data is securely stored in highly efficient, reliable Data Centers typically running at low energy per Gigabit per second speed. This can also include access to network services from Cloud computing service providers. Whatever the future is, Green Networking will help reduce the carbon footprint of the IT industry and hopefully lead the way in a cultural shift that all of us need to make if we are to reverse the global warming caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases. Finally, the issue of Efficiency versus Consumption is an interesting argument, that is, efficiency drives consumption. IT solutions can solve efficiency; it is society that must solve consumption.

An arduous profession: Network administrator

Network administrators are teasingly referred to as the highest level of techie you get before you get turned into a fatty belly boss and made into management.
Network administration is a grueling profession where the person is accountable for the maintenance of computer hardware and software that comprises a computer network. This normally includes the deployment, configuration, maintenance and monitoring of active network equipment. A related role is that of the network specialist, or network analyst, who concentrates on network design and security. And the responsibility doesn’t limit only to this but often involve many different aspects and may include such tasks as network design, management, troubleshooting, backup and storage, documentation, security and virus prevention as well as managing users.
The actual role of the Network Administrator will vary from company to company, but will commonly include activities and tasks such as network address assignment, assignment of routing protocols and routing table configuration as well as configuration of authentication and authorization – directory services. It often includes maintenance of network facilities in individual machines, such as drivers and settings of personal computers as well as printers and such. It sometimes also includes maintenance of certain network servers: file servers, VPN gateways, intrusion detection systems, etc. but the common responsibilities include:
Oversee administration of networks
Designs, manages and maintains LAN network server, IBM AS/400 application and data servers, SQL server, state interface server, E911 phone company interface server and remote access devices; Develops and monitors system security procedures to protect the system from physical harm, viruses, unauthorized users, and data damage; Conducts the installation, configuration and maintenance of servers, network hardware and software; Establishes and maintains network user profiles, user environment, directories, and security.
Provide system support
Implements and maintains connectivity standards allowing PCs to communicate with network and server applications; maintains a technical inventory of current configuration of all servers, PCs, shares, printers and software installations; prepares and maintains accurate and detailed problem/resolution records. Tracks frequency and nature of problems; assists the System Analyst with second-level user support when necessary.
3. Identify and recommend computer system needs
Conduct product evaluations of upgraded or new hardware and software identifying strengths, weaknesses, and potential benefits; assist with on-going statistical analysis of system load, to determine optimal operating efficiencies and assist in capacity planning algorithms.
Performs additional duties as needed
Provides assistance to management and users regarding NIBRS and NCIC connectivity as applied in the application software; assesses user accounts, upgrades, removes and configures network printing devices, directory structures, rights, network security and software on file servers; performs network troubleshooting to isolate and diagnose problems while maintaining minimal system outages.
To become a successful network administrator one should have a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and thorough knowledge of server level operations and software principles utilizing Windows NT 4.0 to 2003 and Linux/Unix operating systems; good knowledge and experience with LAN systems and hardware such as Cisco and HP, including experience with managed switches and VLAN capability preferred; knowledge of local area networks and wide area networks, including experience with networking essentials such as DNS, DHCP, NAT, WINS, packet filtering and advanced routing; in-depth knowledge of application packages must include Antivirus, backup routines, network sharing, group e-mail suites and open source software; knowledge of current network and computer system security practices; ability to install and maintain a variety of operating systems as well as other related hardware and software; ability to clearly and concisely communicate technical information to non-technical users at all organizational levels; ability to accurately prepare and maintain various records, reports, correspondence and other departmental documents; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and exercise tact when dealing with governmental officials, outside agencies, co-workers and supervisors.

Wire free networking- The Wi-Fi world

As the name indicates, Wireless Networking means no cables or wires required to network your computers and share your Internet connection. Wi-Fi connects computers, printers, video camera's and game consoles into a fast Ethernet network via microwaves.
A wireless LAN is the perfect way to improve data connectivity in an existing building without the expense of installing a structured cabling scheme to every desk. Besides the freedom that wireless computing affords users, ease of connection is a further benefit. Problems with the physical aspects of wired LAN connections (locating live data outlets, loose patch cords, broken connectors, etc.) generate a significant volume of helpdesk calls. With a wireless network, the incidence of these problems is reduced.
A range of wireless network technologies have or will soon reach the general business market, wireless LANs based on the 802.11 standard are the most likely candidate to become widely prevalent in corporate environments. Current 802.11b products operate at 2.4GHz, and deliver up to 11Mbps of bandwidth – comparable to a standard Ethernet wired LAN in performance. An upcoming version called 802.11a moves to a higher frequency range, and promises significantly faster speeds. It is expected to have security concerns similar to 802.11b.This low cost, combined with strong performance and ease of deployment, mean that many departments and individuals already use 802.11b, at home or at work – even if IT staff and security management administrators do not yet recognize wireless LANs as an approved technology. Without doubt, wireless LANs have a high gee-whiz factor. They provide always-on network connectivity, but don’t require a network cable. Office workers can roam from meeting to meeting throughout a building, constantly connected to the same network resources enjoyed by wired, desk-bound coworkers. Home or remote workers can set up networks without worrying about how to run wires through houses that never were designed to support network infrastructure. Wireless LANS may actually prove less expensive to support than traditional networks for employees that need to connect to corporate resources in multiple office locations. Large hotel chains, airlines, convention centers, Internet cafes, etc., see wireless LANs as an additional revenue opportunity for providing Internet connectivity to their customers. Wireless is a more affordable and logistically acceptable alternative to wired LANs for these organizations. For example, an airline can provide for-fee wireless network access for travelers in frequent flyer lounges – or anywhere else in the airport. Market maturity and technology advances will lower the cost and accelerate widespread adoption of wireless LANs. End-user spending, the primary cost metric, will drop from about $250 in 2001 to around $180 in 2004 (Gartner Group). By 2005, 50 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will have extensively deployed wireless LAN technology based on evolved 802.11 standards (0.7 probability). By 2010, the majority of Fortune 2000 companies will have deployed wireless LANs to support standard, wired network technology LANs (0.6 probability).
For the anticipated future wireless technology will complement wired connectivity in enterprise environments. Even new buildings will continue to incorporate wired LANs. The primary reason is that wired networking remains less expensive than wireless. In addition, wired networks offer greater bandwidth, allowing for future applications beyond the capabilities of today’s wireless systems. Although it may cost 10 times more to retrofit a building for wired networking (initial construction being by far the preferred time to set up network infrastructure), wiring is only a very small fraction of the cost of the overall capital outlay for an enterprise network. For that reason, many corporations are only just testing wireless technology. This limited acceptance at the corporate level means few access points with a limited number of users in real world production environments, or evaluation test beds sequestered in a lab. In response, business units and individuals will deploy wireless access points on their own. These unauthorized networks almost certainly lack adequate attention to information security, and present a serious concern for protecting online business assets.
Finally, the 802.11b standard shares unlicensed frequencies with other devices, including
Bluetooth wireless personal area networks (PANs), cordless phones, and baby monitors. These technologies can, and do, interfere with each other. 802.11b also fails to delineate roaming
802.11b’s low cost of entry is what makes it so attractive. However, inexpensive equipment also makes it easier for attackers to mount an attack. “Rogue” access points and unauthorized, poorly secured networks compound the odds of a security breach.
Although attacks against 802.11b and other wireless technologies will undoubtedly increase in number and sophistication over time, most current 802.11b risks fall into seven basic categories like, Insertion attacks, Interception, unauthorized monitoring of wireless traffic and Jamming.
With all its advantages, the major issue related to it is security, anyone within the geographical network range of an open, unencrypted wireless network can 'sniff' or record the traffic, gain unauthorized access to internal network resources as well as to the internet, and then possibly sending spam or doing other illegal actions using the wireless network's IP address, all of which are rare for home routers but may be significant concerns for office networks. There are three principal ways to secure a wireless network.
For closed networks (like home users and organizations) the most common way is to configure access restrictions in the access points. Those restrictions may include encryption and checks on MAC address. Another option is to disable ESSID broadcasting, making the access point difficult for outsiders to detect. Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems can be used to provide wireless LAN security in this network model.
For commercial providers, hotspots, and large organizations, the preferred solution is often to have an open and unencrypted, but completely isolated wireless network. The users will at first have no access to the Internet nor to any local network resources. Commercial providers usually forward all web traffic to a captive portal which provides for payment and/or authorization. Another solution is to require the users to connect securely to a privileged network using VPN.
Wireless networks are less secure than wired ones; in many offices intruders can easily visit and hook up their own computer to the wired network without problems, gaining access to the network, and it's also often possible for remote intruders to gain access to the network through backdoors like Back Orifice. One general solution may be end-to-end encryption, with independent authentication on all resources that shouldn't be available to the public.


Wireless LAN security has a long way to go. Current Implementation of WEP has proved to be flawed. Further initiatives to come up with a standard that is robust and provides adequate security are urgently needed. The 802.1x and EAP are just mid points in a long journey. Till new security standard for WLAN comes up third party and proprietary methods need to be implemented.

DAS: Perfect for Local Data Sharing

DAS is a type of storage that is connected directly to the server which enables quick access to the data but only through the server.

A network storage system helps organize and save critical information created on a computer in an efficient and accessible manner. Direct Attached Storage is an extremely versatile dedicated solution that addresses many storage problems. Its most common uses are server expansion and low-cost clustering. Direct-attached storage, or DAS, is the most basic level of storage, in which storage devices are part of the host computer, as with drives, or directly connected to a single server, as with RAID arrays or tape libraries. Network workstations must therefore access the server in order to connect to the storage device. This is in contrast to networked storage such as NAS and SAN, which are connected to workstations and servers over a network. As the first widely popular storage model, DAS products still comprise a large majority of the installed base of storage systems in today's IT infrastructures.
Although the competition of networked storage is growing at a faster rate than ever but direct-attached storage, is still a viable option by virtue of being simple to deploy and having a lower initial cost when compared to networked storage. In order for clients on the network to access the storage device in the DAS model, they must be able to access the server it is connected to. If the server is down or experiencing problems, it will have a direct impact on users' ability to store and access data. In addition to storing and retrieving files, the server also bears the load of processing applications such as e-mail and databases. Network bottlenecks and slowdowns in data availability may occur as server bandwidth is consumed by applications, especially if there is a lot of data being shared from workstation to workstation.
DAS is ideal for small businesses or departments and workgroups that do not need to share information over long distances or across an enterprise and localize file sharing in environments with a single server or a few servers. Small companies traditionally utilize DAS for file serving and e-mail, while larger enterprises may leverage DAS in a mixed storage environment that likely includes NAS and SAN. DAS also offers ease of management and administration in this scenario, since it can be managed using the network operating system of the attached server. However, management complexity can escalate quickly with the addition of new servers, since storage for each server must be administered separately.
From an economical perspective DAS is a cost-effective storage solution for small enterprises though limited in its scalability. It is ideal for setups that rely on localized file sharing and there is no need to transfer files over long distances. Enterprises that begin with DAS but later shift to networked solutions can use DAS to store less critical data. A single enclosure DAS offers some advantages – these include an easy to manage connection that can be managed with minimal skills. This is because the cabling is an integral part of the cabinet with the server. DAS is a general-purpose solution for all types of storage processing.
Organizations that do eventually transition to networked storage can protect their investment in legacy DAS. One option is to place it on the network via bridge devices, which allows current storage resources to be used in a networked infrastructure without incurring the immediate costs of networked storage. Once the transition is made, DAS can still be used locally to store less critical data.
With so many plus points, it has some drawbacks like, a single enclosure DAS design include poor scalability and limited disk capacity. This means that DAS cannot be used as the only storage medium for an enterprise environment. Poor scalability adds to the complexities in managing the storage environment. DAS does not allow for good management practices where a single data repository image is maintained. DAS does not provide the uptime or security that is associated with a SAN or NAS configuration. Disk consolidation with DAS is not feasible.
A multiple external enclosure DAS design offers the advantage of speedier recovery in case complete server hardware takes place. Storage capacity is in terabytes and greater than the internal capacity of a computer. On the flip side, a multiple external enclosure DAS adds to the complexity of management; it is more expensive than an internal solution and has greater space requirements. When setting up DAS, the following aspects regarding hard disks should be taken into consideration – disk capacity, disk I/O, and hard disk connectivity.
Large-scale DAS deployments can be a little difficult to secure because of the distributed nature of the servers. DAS security includes server security policies and access limitations to the server – both physical and over a network. DAS hosted on Windows servers can be made secure by using group policies. DAS scores well on the manageability front so long as scalability is not an issue. Backup and recovery of DAS storage can be done over LAN; but this adds to the LAN traffic and can slow down applications. A solution is to add another network to be used solely for backup and recovery but such a solution adds to the management complexity and may not be adequate for very large databases.
With DAS, redundancy is provided at the disk or controller level because with locally attached storage the fault tolerance is taken care of by localized DAS technologies. System-level redundancies cost more and in the event of a server problem the attached storage may be unavailable to users. In order to improve data accessibility the Windows Cluster service can be deployed to provide redundant hosts that share the storage subsystem. RAID configurations also add to the redundancy.
In terms of performance DAS storage delivers well because the processor and disk are situated close to each other. Any effort to scale DAS can result in performance levels falling because the storage and applications share the same set of resources. Unlike NAS and SAN which use dedicated resources for storage processing, DAS affects the LAN passage because of storage-related traffic.
Like all industries, storage networking is in a constant state of change. It's easy to fall into the trap of choosing the emerging or disruptive storage technology at the time. But the best chance for success comes with choosing a solution that is cost-correct and provides long term investment protection for your organization. Digital assets will only continue to grow in the future. Make sure your storage infrastructure is conducive to cost-effective expansion and scalability. It is also important to implement technologies that are based on open industry standards, which will minimize interoperability concerns as you expand your network.

A DAS is a dedicated storage device that's added to your environment. It's an ideal solution for applications requiring a lower-cost, entry-level cluster to maintain availability. And if a person is simply looking for an economical way to expand storage, than DAS is a smart alternative.

Scalable On-demand: highly scalable, whether to add
146GB or 10TB, disks can be added as per need them
Flexible: multiple configuration options for a variety of storage needs including transactional databases, media downloads and archiving
Dedicated: dedicated solution ensures only one accessing data on drives and can help satisfy requirements for certain compliance programs
Easy: adding a DAS is easy on budget and eliminates the complexities of growing storage by adding another server to your configuration.

The Magic World of 4G

A strong need exists to combine both the wireless (LAN) concept and cell or base station wide area network design. 4G is seen as the solution that will bridge that gap and thereby provide a much more robust network.
Technology is versatile and changing speedily with time. Following the evolutionary line of cell phone technology standards that has spanned from 1G, 2G, 2.5G to 3G, 4G describes the entirely brave new world beyond advanced 3G networks.
4G, which is also known as “beyond 3G” or “fourth-generation” cell phone technology, refers to the entirely new evolution and a complete 3G replacement in wireless communications. A successor to 2G and 3G aiming to provide the very high data transfer rates. This technology can provide very speedy wireless internet access to not only stationary users but also to the mobile users. This technology is expected to trounce the deficiencies of 3G technology in terms of speed and quality. 4G can be best describe as a term that stands for Mobile multimedia Anytime Anywhere Global mobility support, integrated wireless and personalized services.
But at this time nobody exactly knows the true definition for 4G technology. However it has been used often to denote a fast internet access available to mobile phone users. More over the distinguishing feature of high multimedia streaming and end to end IP configuration is judged to be its MAGIC enchantment. 3G has WiMax and WiFi as separate wireless technologies, whereas 4G is expected to combine these two technologies. The efficiency of 4G can be easily estimated, by the way it would coalesce two extremely reliable technologies. 4G can greatly anticipate in evolving and advancing the pervasive computing. The aim of pervasive computing is to attach itself to every living space possible, so that human beings remain intact with the wireless technology intentionally and unintentionally. Therefore 4G is be able to connect various high speed networks together, which would enable each one of us to carry digital devices even in dispersed locations. The network operators worldwide would be able to deploy wireless mesh networks and make use of cognitive radio technology for widespread coverage and access. Someday 4G networks may replace all existing 2.5G and 3G networks, perhaps even before a full deployment of 3G. Multiple 3G standards are springing up that would make it difficult for 3G devices to be truly global. A strong need exists to combine both the wireless (LAN) concept and cell or base station wide area network design. 4G is seen as the solution that will bridge that gap and thereby provide a much more robust network.
With these advantages there are some major challenges in realising the 4G vision. The first major concern is power consumption. This is getting critical with adding up multiple processing and communication elements to drive higher levels of MIPS (throughput) in mobile devices. All of these elements will increase current drain. Additional hardware acceleration technology is going to be required to manage power in this kind of environment and, with the emergence and use of OFDM-based technology as crucial to managing some of the process streams and power challenges in these kinds of applications and devices.
The second challenge is spectral efficiency, which is largely a matter of availability. In order for more spectrum to be made available, the option is either re-farm existing spectrum in 2G and analogue broadcast TV or open up higher-frequency bandwidths. Further improvements in spectral efficiency can be derived from the use of cognitive radio. Dramatic innovations will be required to deliver on that promise.
Third significant challenge is cost, related to infrastructure, operating or handset cost, it is also include the cost of deploying services. There are a variety of challenges in this area that come along with the network topology required for a 4G system.
First of all, to deliver the spectral efficiency and coverage required, we will have to see a dramatic growth in the number of basestations. To support the kinds of services that consumers increasingly expect, we will need as much as three times more basestations to deliver a ten-fold increase in data rate.One way to reduce basestation density is by applying advanced antenna techniques such as MIMO and space-time coding (STC). These techniques can improve spectral efficiency to reduce the number and growth rate of basestations. They can do this and still achieve the kind of coverage required to deliver the bandwidth necessary for the applications consumers want.
There are capital costs associated with growth in the number of basestations required to deliver coverage at high data rates. On the handset side, there are significant challenges in continuing to drive down the cost of integrating greater and greater processing capability in multimode RF technology. From a carrier perspective, the affordability of managing, billing and distributing content over these networks to drive revenue to recover those higher operating costs is another challenge in realising a 4G vision.
Everybody is still wondering what the 3G application is, and people are already getting into 4G technologies, mobile media players, internet access, broadcast technology and other types of corporate aggregations will become more robust and will drive average revenue per user (ARPU) in the carrier space.
Adding on to this is Miniaturisation challenges that include power reduction, cost, size and product development cycle. Multimode technology in 4G means we have to be able to hand off the different types of radio access technologies in a seamless way. There are significant software, billing, carrier interoperability and enterprise carrier interoperability challenges. On the multimedia side, it is obvious that with rich digital media content come dramatic processing challenges for mobile devices.
As its obvious that 4G is not going to be driven by a single entity or organisation. It will require a tremendous number of partnerships and a robust ecosystem, so exploitation of the capabilities that are available in wireless technologies is certain. Given the sweeping changes in the world of technology, it is going to require multiple standards bodies, corporations and government entities to come together to drive standards-based interoperability and the opportunity to deliver 4G networks. Governments will have to manage the spectrum in different parts of the world, and this will have a dramatic impact on how we can exploit the capabilities available to us in wireless technologies.
Traditional equipment vendors have historically operated at layers 1–3. Wireline internet access is increasingly being challenged to improve security. Security has multiple elements, much more than just moving encrypted traffic at faster and faster rates across the network. Security is also about denial of service attacks and digital rights management. These are all becoming carrier problems.

4G is a multi purpose and versatile technology hence it can utilize almost all of the packet switched technologies. It can use both orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). OFDM mechanism splits a digital signal into different narrowband and frequencies. 4G is also capable of using multiple input / multiple output technology (MIMO).this antenna technology is used to optimize the data speed and reduce the errors in the networks.
The flexibility of 4G technologies to be used in combination with GSM and CDMA has provided it an edge over other technologies. The reason is that the high broadband capability of 4G not only increases data streaming for stationary users but also for mobile users.4G can be efficiently combined with cellular technologies to make consistent use of smart phones. The digital cameras attached in smart phones can be used to establish video blogs in scattered geographical regions. This gives the manufactures the opportunity to produce more affordable user friendly 4G compatible devices. Famous iPod is one such device that supports the working of video blogs. Hence 4G is capable of providing new horizon of opportunity for both existing and startup telephone companies.

4G delivers true mobile broadband for the masses with a superior user experience. Nortel is boosting the adoption of mobile multimedia and the delivery of a true mobile broadband experience through our leadership in 4G-enabled technologies - LTE (Long Term Evolution) and IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem).4G mobile broadband provides improved performance, lower total cost of ownership and enables a new era of personalized services. 4G networks are IP-based and flatter with fewer nodes to manage. The benefits are significant and can make 4G mobile broadband a truly disruptive technology providing service providers a cost-effective way to deploy next generation technology and services and redefining the end-user experience.

The next industry buzz words: Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is massively scalable, provides a superior user experience, and is characterized by new, internet-driven economics

Information technology is like an invisible layer that increasingly touches every aspect of our lives and the dependence on it is growing faster than ever. Another baby it has delivered to make planet smarter and, ready to set a trend is cloud computing.
Cloud computing is the most vague topic, rather is one of those topics that often educes a mixed reaction in the tech world. Businesses see it as a strong cost savings at a time, still many IT people have their doubts, expressing worries over the security, safety, and reliability of farming out data and services to cloud provider. With its due share of hullabaloo, it Cloud comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities.
It’s a new generation of computing that utilizes distant servers for data storage and management, allowing the device to use smaller and more efficient chips that consume less energy than standard computers. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.
A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email or Gmail etc. People don’t need software or a server to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud (Internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yahoo , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits.
The term cloud computing probably comes from (at least partly) the use of a cloud image to represent the Internet or some large networked environment. It is a technology used to access services offered on the Internet cloud. Everything an informatics system has to offer is provided as a service, so users can access these services available on the “Internet cloud” without having any previous know-how (or at least not as an expert) on managing the resources involved.

The term "cloud computing" encompasses many areas of tech, including software as a service, a software distribution method pioneered by Salesforce.com about a decade ago. It also includes newer avenues such as hardware as a service, a way to order storage and server capacity on demand from Amazon and others.
Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "sevices," "platforms," and "infrastructure." Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for businesses and individuals around the world.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service like Amazon Web Services provides virtual server instances with unique IP addresses and blocks of storage on demand. Customers use the provider's application program interface (API) to start, stop, access and configure their virtual servers and storage. In the enterprise, cloud computing allows a company to pay for only as much capacity as is needed, and bring more online as soon as required. Because this pay-for-what-you-use model resembles the way electricity, fuel and water are consumed; it's sometimes referred to as utility computing.
Platform-as-a-service in the cloud is defined as a set of software and product development tools hosted on the provider's infrastructure. Developers create applications on the provider's platform over the Internet. PaaS providers may use APIs, website portals or gateway software installed on the customer's computer. Force.com, (an outgrowth of Salesforce.com) and GoogleApps are examples of PaaS. Developers need to know that currently, there are not standards for interoperability or data portability in the cloud. Some providers will not allow software created by their customers to be moved off the provider's platform.
In the software-as-a-service cloud model, the vendor supplies the hardware infrastructure, the software product and interacts with the user through a front-end portal. SaaS is a very broad market. Services can be anything from Web-based email to inventory control and database processing. Because the service provider hosts both the application and the data, the end user is free to use the service from anywhere.
The major issue slowing cloud computing growth is security. No matter how many security management tools are released or assurances of reliability are made, complications with data privacy and data protection continue to plague the market. Privacy is another matter. If a client can log in from any location to access data and applications, it's possible the client's privacy could be compromised. Cloud computing companies will need to find ways to protect client privacy. One way is to use authentication techniques such as user names and passwords. Another is to employ an authorization format -- each user can access only the data and applications relevant to his or her job.
Cloud computing is considered to be a paradigm shift in the computing industry. The shift would affect companies a few different sub-industries including software companies, internet service providers and hardware manufacturers. Companies in each of these industries will face significant change if cloud computing is to be the next step for the industry. While it is relatively easy to see how the main software and internet companies will be affected by such a shift, how companies in the internet and hardware will be affected is slightly more difficult, because if companies switch to using streamlined computer systems, they'll have fewer IT needs. Some industry experts believe that the need for IT jobs will migrate to the back end of the cloud computing system.

Cloud computing really is accessing resources and services needed to perform functions with dynamically changing needs. An application or service developer requests access from the cloud rather than a specific endpoint or named resource. What goes on in the cloud manages multiple infrastructures across multiple organizations and consists of one or more frameworks overlaid on top of the infrastructures tying them together. Frameworks provide mechanisms for self-healing, self monitoring, resource registration and discovery, service level agreement definitions, automatic reconfiguration