BANGALORE, INDIA: Tiered storage, as we all know, is a hierarchical architecture of storage systems based on a set of parameters relevant to the organization.

These parameters could include data confidentiality, security, speed of back-up and recovery thus providing business continuity and compliance mandates which include duration of retention, all while optimizing the cost of the storage.

In today’s world though, data back-up is more subjective whereas traditionally, it was more objective. Simple parameters such as frequency of access or size of file are no longer decision-making criteria to determine the criticality of data.

ILM (Information Lifecycle Management), if implemented thoughtfully, is a probable solution to the above problem. ILM can be thought of as a rules manager that delivers the business logic to determine what storage type is the right fit for the data.

By applying policies that define the tiers of service and setting the rules on data classification based on set parameters that define information, data, and security service requirements such as retention, placement, protection, business continuity, archive, and compliance policies to information based on its value or business requirements, ILM practices can be optimized to deliver cost and time benefits.

In terms of business and technological value, there is a great synergy between cloud and tiered storage. Cloud storage is a great way of optimizing an organization’s op-ex and cap-ex, the former by reduction in the manpower, overall power consumption, space consumption etc. and the latter by lesser investments in hardware.

However, there have been a few inhibitors in quick and early adoption of cloud storage. Of this, the concern over the security of data residing in the cloud vis-à-vis in an enterprise data center has not gone away yet.

Being a young concept, the cloud has yet to establish itself as a secure environment. Also, the loss of visibility of the actual location of the data in the cloud is a concept that most data managers have not yet come to terms with.

Though theoretically, cloud storage is supposed to be unlimited, no one has really been tested on this claim as yet; hence, there is an apprehension on this claim and the scalability is still a question mark.