Originating Author: David Butler
Hand-held mobile computing devices can go anywhere and increasingly, as evidenced by the iPhone, will be able to do anything. Moreover, hand-held computers are likely to breed like bunnies, ultimately outnumbering PCs by at least three-to-one (according to various market research estimates). Of course, billions of hand-held computers doing almost anything anywhere means millions of computers breaking anywhere at anytime. Thus, while most envision the wonders of being able to view YouTube anywhere and at anytime, storage managers translate the consequences of these new devices differently: billions of computers doing almost anything that must be backed up and restored (B/R) anywhere and at anytime. The consequences of hand-held device B/R will include new types of administration software, adjustments to data aging and archiving practices, better defined data classification rules and processes, and extensive user training, among other things. However, while many of these consequences may not start to take clear shape for 24-30 months, the "anywhere, anytime" fact of hand-held computers will force B/R to learn how to use public infrastructure extensively. Generally, storage administrators have enjoyed the luxury of being able to operate B/R solutions over wholly or mostly private networks, such as direct-channels, corporate backbones, or leased virtual private networks (VPNs). In the past decade, corporate B/R services have been complemented by third-party services for PC B/R, but increasingly PC B/R has been moved in-house. However, the sheer scale and scope of emerging hand-held computing will force storage managers to employ public networks to operate required B/R services, which imposes a new class of security, performance, contracting, and cost requirements on business's ugliest, critical application.
Action Item: The emergence of powerful hand-held computers will force storage administrators to employ fully public network infrastructure (PNI) to operate global backup and restore services. Storage professionals must factor the characteristics of PNI into their storage strategies immediately, or face further encroachment on the hegemony of the storage function by third-parties.
Footnotes:
