The unchecked growth of data is a major challenge for businesses. With IoT applications, automation processes and machine learning, data volumes are quickly reaching unprecedented levels. The cost of storage and storage expansion is skyrocketing.
- How can these large and ever-increasing volumes of data be stored as cost-effectively as possible?
- How can data be stored in a legally compliant manner that meets archiving and retention requirements?
- What storage technologies are suitable for backup and to meet legal requirements for data archiving?
- What processes control how data is stored in the optimal location?
Storage Management and Infrastructure Optimization with PoINT Solutions
PoINT Storage Manager is a software solution for efficient storage management and compliant archiving. Our software supports companies in optimizing their storage infrastructure and fulfilling compliance requirements.
Case Study: SIXT SE
At the mobility service provider SIXT, large amounts of inactive data overloaded the primary storage systems. With the introduction of PoINT Storage Manager, this data is now automatically moved to a secondary storage tier, thus relieving the high performance primary storage systems. All this happens in the background, so that users can continue to access the moved files transparently and via the familiar operating system.
With PoINT Storage Manager, SIXT manages and stores data much more efficiently. By relieving the primary storage of inactive data, the storage infrastructure can be used more cost-efficiently.
Case Study: e.solutions GmbH
e.solutions GmbH implemented a three-tier storage architecture with PoINT Storage Manager. Capacity oriented storage systems for inactive data and archiving were added to the infrastructure. PoINT Storage Manager automatically moves cold data from the primary storage tier to the secondary storage tier to ensure that the primary storage systems are available for hot data. On the archive storage tier, archiving specifications such as retention periods and protection against modification are implemented.
The primary storage systems are now used more efficiently, while the archived data remains transparently accessible. Backups also benefit from the reduction in data volume on the primary storage systems.
Hierarchical Storage Management and Storage Tiering
Our customers optimize their storage management with PoINT Storage Manager and Hierarchical Storage Management.
The concept of Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) is based on a storage hierarchy with three levels or "tiers":
- Performance Tier
- Capacity Tier
- Archive Tier
Within this storage hierarchy, PoINT Storage Manager performs automated, rule-based storage tiering.
- Often up to 80% of the total data is inactive. Nevertheless, this cold data occupies valuable storage space on the high-performance primary storage.
- Storage tiering within a multi-tier storage architecture relieves primary storage. Inactive data is stored on more cost-effective secondary storage.
- Compliant archiving of data is enabled by using appropriate storage technologies on the archive tier.
Users continue to access the offloaded and archived files through the Performance Tier, i.e., the high-performance storage on the primary storage tier.
Hybrid Storage Infrastructure
PoINT Storage Manager supports all common storage technologies from many vendors. This allows users to use the storage technology with the specific advantages that meet their requirements at each storage level:
- On the higher tier, fast, hard disk and/or flash-based primary storage is used. This is where you store the hot, active data that needs to be accessible as quickly as possible.
- At the lower tier, where inactive data is stored, less expensive secondary storage is usually sufficient. Tape-based storage, such as tape loaders or tape libraries, is recommended for this purpose. Cloud storage can be a useful complementary solution.
This type of hybrid storage infrastructure also increases data protection against loss and contributes to cybersecurity.
- Media disruptions and the use of offline media such as tape improve resilience to cyber-attacks.
- With copies of data on different media in different locations, you can recover more quickly in the event of a disaster.
Data and Storage Management with PoINT Storage Manager
PoINT Storage Manager supports you in optimizing your storage infrastructure and storage management.
Our software solution moves files based on user-defined rules within a multi-tier storage architecture. PoINT Storage Manager automatically moves cold data to the appropriate storage tiers. Users still have transparent access to the moved files.
Relieving the primary storage of inactive data enables significant cost savings. The selection of the appropriate storage media in the archive storage tier allows the implementation of a legally compliant archiving with PoINT Storage Manager and the fulfillment of compliance requirements.
With the help of PoINT Storage Manager you can avoid cost-intensive storage expansions and save up to 60% of your storage costs.
