Cloud Storage, Deduplication and Post-Production Data Management Topics are Runner-ups in 2011

Before DCIG announces its top three blog entries of 2011 tomorrow, this year we thought we would do something different and take a look at some other blog entries that garnered a great deal of attention throughout 2011 but not quite enough to reach the Top 10. That being the case, an honorable mention for these blog entries was in order. Further, what is notable about these entries is that, with the exception of one, they were all published in 2011.

A New Era of Post-Production Data Management Software is Dawning. Published in February of this year, this blog entry took a look at how data management of backup in particular is evolving. As more companies backup data to disk, new opportunities to leverage that data to do everything from disaster recovery to business continuity to testing and development to eDiscovery are emerging. But as that occurs, organizations need software that facilitates these new use cases. This blog entry talked about some of these products from companies like Activio, FalconStor, and InMage.

 

Analyst Reports Reflect that Backup Software's Transition to Data Management is Under Way. This blog entry took a look at the number of analyst reports that were coming out that showed how the use case for backup software was transitioning from just doing backup to a broader data management use case. Most telling in these unsponsored analyst reports from DCIG and others is that as they evaluated backup software, they looked at variables well beyond backup and recovery to include some of the factors required to do post-production data management. What is noteworthy is that CommVault Simpana was coming out at the top in many of these most reports released in 2011.

 

Businesses See Risks but Proceeding to Immerse Themselves in Social Media Anyway. It is quickly becoming apparent that the internet has forever changed how people get and share information with social media increasingly eclipsing traditional media outlets in how people get their information. So while the risks associated with using social media persist, businesses also now recognize the greater risk is being left out of the conversation altogether so they are plunging into the social media conversation. This blog entry took a look at results from a mid-year survey released by Symantec and how businesses are becoming increasing anxious to embrace social media while taking steps to mitigate the risks it presents.

 

Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! A Not so Authoritative Look at What "Cloud" Terms Mean. This blog entry is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at all of the ways the word "Cloud" is being used and misused by analysts, media, vendors and users alike. In it, I took a look at all of the various ways that cloud is being defined and expanded to include everything and anything as most vendors appear terrified that if they do not have a cloud story, they run the risk of being perceived as irrelevant or out-of-touch. However, as this blog entry illustrates, the risk they run by slapping the cloud tag on everything is an equally great risk of being perceived as "putting lipstick on a pig" by current and prospective customers.

 

Dell, HP Prepare to Tee Off Against EMC and NetApp in the Enterprise Storage Game. Every year in mid to late June after I have completed my annual second quarter gauntlet of attending every storage show from multiple vendors on a coast-to-coast tour of the US, I write a blog entry that gives a state of storage industry at that particular point in time. Dell's acquisition of Compellent and HP's acquisition of 3PAR in the previous twelve months resulted in a significant change in the storage landscape that was more directly pitting Dell and HP against storage stalwarts EMC and NetApp. This blog entry commented on how and why Dell and HP made the acquisitions they did and why the enterprise storage battle may start to tilt more strongly in Dell's and HP's favor in the years to come.

 

Different Clouds for Different Data. When talking about the cloud in general and cloud storage in particular, there is a perception that all clouds and cloud storage solutions are created the same. In actuality, they are not. This blog entry delves into what some of those differences are and, when organizations are looking for an enterprise cloud storage solution, how and why Nirvanix stands apart from the rest.

 

Four Datacenter Megatrends for the Decade of the Teens. There are trends and then there are megatrends. This blog entry took a look at some of the megatrends that I am picking up when talking to vendors, end users, managed service providers and VARs about what they are seeing in the market from a long term perspective. Centralizing their infrastructure administration, automating their data centers, delivering instant gratification to business users and preparing for the cloud are chief among the trends they are taking steps to deliver on now and into the future.

 

Getting Real About Deduplication Ratios. From the time I first heard the term "deduplication" used nearly a decade ago to the present, claims about "achievable" deduplication ratios have been all over the map from little to none to deduplication ratios of 500:1 or greater. This blog entry provided some context as to when and under what conditions organizations might achieve specific deduplication ratios.

 

Why Disk Has Forever Replaced Tape as a Primary Backup Target. Revinetix may not be a household name but it is right on the money delivering an all-in-one disk-based backup solution for SMBs. This blog entry examines the four forces that have resulted in disk replacing tape as a primary backup target which go well beyond the normal arguments that disk is faster and more reliable than tape solutions in SMBs and why solutions such as what Revinetix offers are benefiting from this trend.

 

Overland Re-Affirms Commitment to Tape; Midrange Tape Market Still a $1.3 Billion Industry. If viewership of blog entries on tape is any indication, there is still plenty of life left in tape. Granted, it is not what it once was and the role of tape and how it is used in organizations is definitely changing, but as this blog entry illustrates, people still are seeking out information about tape and looking for tape solutions such as those from Overland Storage to appropriately position it in the enterprise.

Check back tomorrow for the top three blog entries by viewership on DCIG's website in 2011!

Also, if you missed the two blog entries on which blog entries ranked numbers 4 - 10 in terms of viewership on DCIG's site in 2011, this one will give you numbers 8 - 10 and this one will share numbers 4 - 7 with a little commentary on each one to boot.

01/04/2012 Update - The blog entry announcing the blog entries that achieved positions #1 - #3 in DCIG's Top 10 for 2011 is now published and may be viewed here.