Modernize Enterprise Storage
- Current storage solutions are nearing end of life, performance or capacity limits.
- Data continues to grow at an exponential rate, and management complexity is growing even faster. Some kinds of data, like unstructured data, are leading factors in the exponential growth of data.
- Emerging storage technologies and storage software/automation are disrupting the market and redefining the role of disk arrays, including how storage aligns with people and process.
- Storage infrastructure budgets are not satisfying the exponential growth of data.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Start with the data, not storage. Answer what is being stored and why before investigating the where and how of storage solutions.
- Governance and archiving are not IT projects. These can have tremendous benefits for managing data growth but must involve the larger business.
- More capacity is not a long-term solution. Data is growing faster than decreasing storage costs. Data and capacity mitigation strategies will help in more effective and efficient infrastructure utilization and cost reduction.
Impact and Result
- It’s about the data. Start with what is being supported and why. Decide on what and how data is stored before you decide on where. Let the needs of your workloads and governance requirements of your business drive your storage infrastructure decisions and the technologies you adopt.
- Identify current and future capacity needs for current and future data drivers. Evaluating the ability of current infrastructure to meet these needs will help you discover necessary additions to meet these requirements.
- Identify governance requirements and constraints that exist across the organization and are specific to workloads. Technology has to conform to these requirements and constraints, not the other way around.
- Align people and process with technology changes. To effectively utilize the changes in storage, appropriate changes must be made to existing people and process.
Modernize Enterprise Storage Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should modernize enterprise storage, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Modernize Enterprise Storage – Phases 1-3
1. Build the case for storage modernization
Develop the business case for modernizing storage and assess your existing infrastructure for meeting data needs.
- Modernize Enterprise Storage – Phase 1: Build the Case for Storage Modernization
- Modernize Enterprise Storage Workbook
2. Develop your storage technology needs and goals
Review data governance, explore emerging storage technologies, and identify current and future storage needs.
- Modernize Enterprise Storage – Phase 2: Develop Your Storage Technology Needs and Goals
- Evaluate Hyperconverged Infrastructure for Your Infrastructure Roadmap
- Evaluate Software-Defined Storage Solutions for Your Infrastructure Roadmap
- Evaluate All Flash in Primary Storage for Your Infrastructure Roadmap
- Infrastructure Roadmap Technology Assessment Tool
3. Develop and communicate the roadmap, TCO, and RFP
Communicate the roadmap with people, process, and technology initiatives, develop an RFP, and conduct a TCO.
- Modernize Enterprise Storage – Phase 3: Develop and Communicate the Roadmap and RFP
- Modernize Enterprise Storage Communications Report
Workshop: Modernize Enterprise Storage
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Identify Business Case and Assess Current State
The Purpose
Identify a business case and need for storage modernization by assessing current and future storage needs.
Key Benefits Achieved
A clear understanding of the business expectations and needs of storage infrastructure.
Activities
1.1 Identify current storage pain points.
1.2 Discuss storage modernization drivers.
1.3 Identify data growth drivers.
1.4 Determine relative growth burden.
Outputs
Alignment of storage modernization with organizational pain points
Desired outcomes of storage modernization
An understanding of growth impact across drivers
An understanding of capacity and expansion needs
2 Review Governance and Emerging Technologies
The Purpose
Review existing data governance.
Explore emerging technologies and trends in the storage space.
Key Benefits Achieved
Review data governance objectives that must be met.
Identify a shortlist of storage technologies and trends that may be of interest.
Activities
2.1 Shortlist interest in storage technologies.
2.2 Prioritize shortlist of storage technologies.
2.3 Identify solutions that meet data and governance needs.
Outputs
A starting point for research into new and emerging storage technologies
Expressed interest in adopting storage technologies
A list of storage solutions needed to deliver on future data and governance needs
3 Identify Storage Needs and Develop Initiatives
The Purpose
Identify the people, process, and technology initiatives required to adopt new storage technologies.
Key Benefits Achieved
Align your organizational people and process with new and disruptive technologies to best take advantage of what these new technologies have to offer.
Activities
3.1 Complete future storage structure planning tool.
3.2 Identify storage modernization technology initiatives.
3.3 Identify storage modernization people initiatives.
3.4 Identify storage modernization process initiatives.
Outputs
A understanding of the future state of your storage infrastructure
Technology initiatives needed to adopt storage structure
People initiatives needed to adopt storage structure
Process initiatives needed to adopt storage structure
4 Build a Roadmap and RFP, Calculate TCO
The Purpose
Develop an executive communications report.
Conduct a TCO analysis comparing on-premises and cloud storage solutions.
Key Benefits Achieved
Communicate storage modernization goals and plans to stakeholders.
Activities
4.1 Prioritize storage modernization initiatives.
4.2 Complete project timeline and build roadmap.
4.3 Compare TCO of on-premises and cloud storage solutions.
Outputs
Alignment of people, process, and technology with storage adoption
Communicate storage modernization goals and plans to stakeholders and executives
Compare cost of on-premises and cloud storage alternatives