One of the biggest challenges for companies today continues to be the cost of data storage, which is a large and rapidly growing IT expense. IBM® System Storage® N series incorporates a variety of storage efficiency technologies to help organizations lower this cost. This IBM Redbooks® publication focuses on two key components: N series deduplication and data compression. In this book we describe in detail how to implement and use both technologies and provide information on preferred practices, operational considerations, and troubleshooting. N series data compression and deduplication technologies can work independently or together to achieve optimal savings. We explain how N series data compression and deduplication work with Data ONTAP 8.1 operating in 7-Mode. We help you decide when to use compression and deduplication based on applications and data types to balance space saving against potential overhead. Optimization and usage considerations are included to help you determine your space savings.

One of the biggest challenges for companies today continues to be the cost of data storage, which is a large and rapidly growing IT expense. IBM® System Storage® N series incorporates a variety of storage efficiency technologies to help organizations lower this cost. This IBM Redbooks® publication focuses on two key components: N series deduplication and data compression. In this book we describe in detail how to implement and use both technologies and provide information on preferred practices, operational considerations, and troubleshooting. N series data compression and deduplication technologies can work independently or together to achieve optimal savings. We explain how N series data compression and deduplication work with Data ONTAP 8.1 operating in 7-Mode. We help you decide when to use compression and deduplication based on applications and data types to balance space saving against potential overhead. Optimization and usage considerations are included to help you determine your space savings.

Until now, the only way to capture, store, and effectively retain constantly growing amounts of enterprise data was to add more disk space to the storage infrastructure, an approach that can quickly become cost-prohibitive as information volumes continue to grow and capital budgets for infrastructure do not. In this IBM® Redbooks® publication, we introduce data deduplication, which has emerged as a key technology in dramatically reducing the amount of, and therefore the cost associated with storing, large amounts of data. Deduplication is the art of intelligently reducing storage needs through the elimination of redundant data so that only one instance of a data set is actually stored. Deduplication reduces data an order of magnitude better than common data compression techniques. IBM has the broadest portfolio of deduplication solutions in the industry, giving us the freedom to solve customer issues with the most effective technology. Whether it is source or target, inline or post, hardware or software, disk or tape, IBM has a solution with the technology that best solves the problem. This IBM Redbooks publication covers the current deduplication solutions that IBM has to offer: IBM ProtecTIER® Gateway and Appliance IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager IBM System Storage® N series Deduplication

Corporate workgroups, distributed enterprises, and small to medium-sized companies are increasingly seeking to network and consolidate storage to improve availability, share information, reduce costs, and protect and secure information. These organizations require enterprise-class solutions capable of addressing immediate storage needs cost-effectively, while providing an upgrade path for future requirements. IBM® System Storage® N series storage systems and their software capabilities are designed to meet these requirements. IBM System Storage N series storage systems offer an excellent solution for a broad range of deployment scenarios. IBM System Storage N series storage systems function as a multiprotocol storage device that is designed to allow you to simultaneously serve both file and block-level data across a single network. These activities are demanding procedures that, for some solutions, require multiple, separately managed systems. The flexibility of IBM System Storage N series storage systems, however, allows them to address the storage needs of a wide range of organizations, including distributed enterprises and data centers for midrange enterprises. IBM System Storage N series storage systems also support sites with computer and data-intensive enterprise applications, such as database, data warehousing, workgroup collaboration, and messaging. This IBM Redbooks® publication explains the software features of the IBM System Storage N series storage systems. This book also covers topics such as installation, setup, and administration of those software features from the IBM System Storage N series storage systems and clients and provides example scenarios.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides a basic introduction to the IBM System Storage® N series, virtualization, and VMware 5.x. It explains how to use the N series with VMware vSphere 5 environments and the benefits of doing so. Examples are given on how to install and set up VMware ESXi server with the N series. The IBM System Storage N series used as a storage foundation offers unified storage solutions that provide industry-leading technologies in the areas of storage efficiencies, instantaneous virtual machine and datastore cloning for virtual servers and virtual desktops, and virtual data center backup and business continuance solutions. The information provided can be also be used as a foundation to create dynamic cloud solutions, making full use of underlying storage features and functions. This book provides a blueprint for how clients can create a virtualized infrastructure/storage cloud that will help to address current and future data storage business requirements. IBM System Storage N series in conjunction with VMware vSphere 5 helps complete the virtualization hierarchy by providing both a server and storage virtualization solution. Although this configuration can further assist with other areas of virtualization, networks, and applications, these areas of virtualization are not covered in detail in this book.

This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides deployment guidelines, workload estimates, and preferred practices for clients who want a proven IBM technology stack for virtualized VMware and Microsoft environments. The result is a Reference Architecture for Virtualized Environments (RAVE) that uses VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hypervisor, IBM System x® or IBM BladeCenter® server, IBM System Networking, and IBM System Storage® N series with Clustered Data ONTAP as a storage foundation. The reference architecture can be used as a foundation to create dynamic cloud solutions and make full use of underlying storage features and functions. This book provides a blueprint that illustrates how clients can create a virtualized infrastructure and storage cloud to help address current and future data storage business requirements. It explores the solutions that IBM offers to create a storage cloud solution addressing client needs. This book also shows how the Reference Architecture for Virtualized Environments and the extensive experience of IBM in cloud computing, services, proven technologies, and products support a Smart Storage Cloud solution that is designed for your storage optimization efforts. This book is for anyone who wants to learn how to successfully deploy a virtualized environment. It is also written for anyone who wants to understand how IBM addresses data storage and compute challenges with IBM System Storage N series solutions with IBM servers and networking solutions. This book is suitable for IT architects, business partners, IBM clients, storage solution integrators, and IBM sales representatives.

Continuing its commitment to developing and delivering industry-leading storage technologies, IBM is introducing the IBM Real-time Compression Appliances for NAS, an innovative new storage offering that delivers essential storage efficiency technologies, combined with exceptional ease of use and performance. In an era when the amount of information, particularly in unstructured files, is exploding, but budgets for storing that information are stagnant, IBM Real-time Compression technology offers a powerful tool for better information management, protection, and access. IBM Real-time Compression can help slow the growth of storage acquisition, reducing storage costs while simplifying both operations and management. It also enables organizations to keep more data available for use rather than storing it offsite or on harder-to-access tape, so they can support improved analytics and decision making. IBM Real-time Compression Appliances provide on-line storage optimization through real-time data compression, delivering dramatic cost reduction without performance degradation. This IBM® Redbooks® publication is an easy-to-follow guide that describes how to design solutions successfully using IBM Real-time Compression Appliances (IBM RTCAs). It provides practical installation examples, ease of use, remote management, high availability, and administration techniques. Furthermore, it explains best practices for RTCA solution design, application integration, and practical RTCA use cases.