Automation sounds pretty great right? The term automation has been thrown around in the data storage world for quite some time. Automation sounds magical, but for anyone who has worked on implementing a fully automated storage backup and recovery solution, knows that it can be a logistical nightmare.
We are living in a data-centric world, and now more than ever, it’s important for companies to connect with storage providers that fully understand what it will take to meet the unique demands of each company’s storage requirements. Done right, automation can be a data management game changer. Here’s a list of tips to make sure your automation implementation is as seamless as possible:
Pro-tip #1 - Know what type of data needs to be stored on what storage solution
Depending on the industry, some data needs to be stored for years due to industry compliance regulations. This is data that will probably not need to be accessed often, if ever, but must be kept for audits. Then you have the data that’s being utilized daily, and everything in between. It’s important that all of these data types are housed appropriately and that there are no breaks in the line of communication between solutions.
Pro-tip #2 - Map your data plan
Once you have categorized the data, it’s important to map out the data plan based on data usage requirements, availability and the ability to retrieve the data. There are big cost swings on the fee pendulum, from equipment to data center square footage requirements depending on the solution you choose. Properly mapping out your data plan will help estimate how much data will be placed on which storage solution, and how much each platform will cost.
Pro-tip #3 - Enlist the help of a professional to fully automate
We cannot emphasis enough how important it’s to team up with a knowledgeable data storage expert. Once you have completed a full data audit with—or without a storage professional—it’s critical to properly implement an automated storage solution to fully garner positive outcomes.
IT departments are a company’s first response team in a storage crisis, which is an incredibly stressful role to play. Taking advantage of automation tools will assist IT professionals with data management and disaster recovery, easing the burden that role signifies.