You've bought your scanner, now what?

Archiving data is not usually at the forefront of most peoples mind when they think of network storage and definitely not when they are scanning documents or creating new ones. However, in so doing, you are creating a storage headache for someone, usually the IT management, one of whose jobs is to allocate scarce resources to all users. So the question that should be asked when creating new files is what will be the lifecycle of this data?

New files take up valuable space on a network's primary storage. This puts pressure on the remaining storage until either more storage is acquired - an expensive option - or data is moved. It also has a knock-on effect on the daily and weekly backup function that all networks undertake. More data means more media, larger tape libraries and longer backup times, all amounting to more expense.

When looking at what to do with the growing volume of data with which all systems administrators have to deal, a few simple questions will qualify files for retention or migration.

1. How long is this file needed?
2. Has this file been accessed within the last 6 months?
3. How big is this file?
4. What type of file is this?

If a file needs to be accessed regularly in the first few weeks of its life e.g. an invoice or purchase order, it makes sense to keep it where it can be can be easily and quickly retrieved. However if a file has passed the point where it is being accessed regularly that file could be migrated to a less expensive, less volatile and consequently more secure repository, e.g. an optical storage system such as Plasmon's UDO libraries.

This is where QStar's HSM and MultiStor could help.

MULTISTOR is a policy based data movement and retention manager which will migrate files from network servers based on policies such as time, size, extensions, string searches and disk capacities (high water marks), which are pre-set by the system administrator. In migrating data from network servers, you remove the need to backup that data on a daily/weekly basis. With 50%, or more, of network data archived because it meets the parameters suggested by MultiStor, the backup overhead is thus reduced considerably.

HSM gives a single or multiple volume view of multiple pieces of archival media. These can span media and jukebox boundaries. With the appearance of a standard magnetic disk, access to the data is transparent to the user and their applications. Data is initially written to cache and then migrated to an optical jukebox allowing HSM to provide fast access to an archived file and the additional security of an optical medium. Media can be tracked outside the jukebox through QStar's Volume Librarian allowing logical volumes to grow beyond the available on-line capacity. Volume Librarian will prompt for an off-line piece of media should the need arise. HSM also allows you to copy the archived data so that a second copy can be held off-site. Data mirroring is also available with Data Director.

If you would like to find out further information, please contact us.