As you grow your data storage infrastructure you may quickly find yourself coming up to a critical mass and asking yourself how to decipher between important data and less critical data. This is a common discussion we have with our clients as they decide how to continue to make sense of the data they’ve collected.
You begin to discover that there is some data that you want to keep readily available at all times on disk or the cloud, while other pieces of data can be stored on tape offline. Keeping your data organized is much like keeping your closet clean and functional. It’s value is only is as good as you allow it to be.
In order to help you classify your data and best maintain your data library, there are a handful of things you should consider:
1. Data Type
It is important that you create a classification system by which you indicate a piece of data’s value. One way to do this is to distinguish between file extensions/types. By assigning a context to a file based on its extension, you can easily tell the difference between the value of data.
2. Age
The age of data is often the most useful indicator because most data’s value tends to decline over time. Consider classifying data in relation to its age and setting policies that will help you determine when to pull data offline versus keeping it online indefinitely. Archiving old data to LTO tape can save a considerable amount of money over the long-term.
3. Location
Think carefully as to where exactly each piece or type of data should be stored. The path of a file can truly help indicate its value and make the management of data much easier. Be smart about where you house your data, rather than lumping it all together.
4. Name
There’s a lot of importance in a name. If you label your files with care, you can take a lot of guesswork out of the equation. A file’s name can provide indication of its contents, purpose, and relationship to other files. You can then search for data based on a specific keyword and sort accordingly.
When building out your data library, it’s very important to plan and institute policies that will make data management meaningful and valuable.
Have questions as to which technologies you should use? We’d be happy to help. Drop us an e-mail or call our offices, and we’ll get you pointed in the right direction!
Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com | Toll Free 800-905-7329 | Local 949-679-6633
7 Steps to Securing Your Data...
In today’s world, one of the most important assets of small, medium, and large businesses/organizations is data. Without an effective data storage system, thousands and even millions of dollars of information can go by the wayside. Also, lost data can result in major regulatory problems, lost customers, and lawsuits.
We hope the following tips will help you make sure you are headed in the right direction:
1. Carefully assess your data storage needs. Look deeply into how much data you think you will need to store in the present moment and in the future. Also, consider what types of data will be confidential and which is non-sensitive. In order for you to develop a disaster recovery plan, you will most likely need to consider additional technologies – such as LTO tape that can be stored offline.
2. Discover the very best solution to meet your data storage needs. Every organization has its very own needs, depending on the types of data that needs to be stored, the amount of space needed, etc. Look into disk, tape, cloud storage, or a combination of them all.
3. See what other organizations have to say and what they are doing. Turn to customer reviews, rankings, and case studies to see what has and hasn’t worked for others. You can also turn to experts, but make sure you have a well-rounded understanding of the art of storage before making a final decision.
4. Plan ahead. One of the most costly problems for organizations is jumping into a solution before they have considered their future needs. Dare not to get into a position in which you need to spend thousands of dollars down the road to make up for lost vision. Brainstorm on each and every scenario that can affect your future configuration – especially investing in solutions that may quickly become obsolete.
5. Purchase all necessary technology and supplies. Luckily, there are many price options out there. You can either buy new or recycled equipment. We offer both options and are able save our clients a great deal of money in the process.
6. Develop rules for organization. Another major pitfall for many organizations is lack of organization. Prior to diving into the use of your new data storage configuration, determine how all team members will name files, tapes, and maintain equipment. Disorganization can be costly in the case that a file or tape can’t be found.
7. Test your system. Make sure that before your data storage system goes live it is fully tested. It is an excellent idea to run through exercises – such as running a system backup. The more comfortable the team is with using the system, the better.
Have questions about your next steps? Big Data would love to help you find your way.
Contact us today: Info@BigDataSupplyInc.com / Toll Free 800-905-7329 / Local 949-679-6633
