Originating Author: David Floyer
Several key technologies make up an effective tiered storage implementation: software and processes to ensure effective classification, software to non-disruptively transfer data-sets, and hardware to ensure integrity.
The most difficult technical issue to ensure is integrity of data, especially when something goes wrong. For small networks, network-based appliances will work fine, but you have to do the integration. On large networks, strong architectural reasons mandate having the storage controller own all the data integrity and data movement issues.
A growing number of vendors offer in-the-box tiered storage solutions. The natural development of these is towards clustered controllers with significantly enhanced scope of control. Several of these are hitting the market now.
Action item: Focus on data-classification, not technology integration. For each of your key storage pools, pick a vendor that offers the best integrated homogeneous solution and go with it. Don’t try to find nirvana, a single heterogeneous solution across your data centers; if it ever happens, it will find you.