NAS and SAN technical experts do not always agree, or have the same approach to solving problems. However, a common strategic framework should be developed for key compliance, business continuance and classification issues for both pools of data. As discussed in the storage alert “SAN and NAS technologies should be consolidated but kept apart,” the technologies should usually be kept separate.
To achieve this both the user and IT stakeholders will need to be fully and directly involved, so that they can participate and shape the business case, and select technologies that will support the applications. This may lead to some delay in reaching conclusions as the groups struggle to find a common storage language. However it is better to resolve these issues in the computer room than in the courtroom, meaning mistakes in storage management can leave organizations exposed to litigation.
Action Item: Common methodologies and procedures should be used to evaluate the cross-functional compliance and other business issues for all storage pools and in particular NAS and SAN. Imposing standards without full buy-in is likely to lead to non-conformance to standards, and increase significantly the exposure of the organization to business risk. Consolidation of NAS should be encouraged as a natural outcome of the business necessity to simplify the practical implementation of standards.
Footnotes: Related research: Managing geometric data growth in SANs