All Posts by Zach Buckley

Flash: How Businesses are Adopting New Data Storage

Zach Buckley

 

Data storage - old and new

 

While solid-state disk (SSD) technology [Affiliate Link] isn’t anything new – it has been around for a few years as fast local storage for personal and business laptops and mobile devices – it is being used in new ways that is catching the eye of big spenders in the data storage and management industry. In particular, datacenters and server manufacturers are really taking notice. For starters, flash storage is a bit more stable than traditional disks, as it doesn’t rely on mechanical parts to function.

The downside is flash disk technology can cost over 10 times what mechanical disks cost. While there is much anticipation to use the latest and greatest technology, new startups in the space are looking for ways to make flash storage solutions as inexpensive as possible. To put this into concrete figures, traditional mechanical hard disks cost $1 per gigabyte, while flash disk solutions cost upwards of $10/GB.

An SSD Primer: SSDs vs. HDDs

In order to talk about why SSD tech is such a big deal, it’s important to understand exactly what we’re talking about when we’re talking about solid state:

  • Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) – Hard disks are made up of mechanical moving parts. This includes a rotating disk coated in magnetic material where all the data is stored. Since these components are fairly primitive compared to cutting edge data storage technology, their price tag is relatively low. The major downside to hard disk storage solutions is that the components that make up hard disks can break down and even wear out. In fact, the majority of hard disks face a lifespan of about five years.
  • Solid-State Drives (SSDs) – Solid-state drives on the other hand skip the mechanical parts, and rely on a tiny, silicon-based microchip to store data, as opposed to a mechanical magnetic disk. This makes for a much more reliable storage solution. Again, these drives are dramatically more expensive that HDDs.

How Businesses Are Using SSD Tech: Hybrid Disk Solutions

As with many new technological advances, businesses are adopting a hybrid approach to flash storage integration. This seems to be the healthiest balance between the cost effectiveness and instability of HDDs, and the high performance and high price tag of most SSDs. Companies, both large and small, are using hard disks to manage menial tasks on a small scale, while using solid state systems to the heavy lifting when it comes to multimedia and document file management on large scale. Additionally, some larger institutions fail to see the immediate need of adopting flash technology. In fact, many large universities and other like-minded institutions have resorted to using desktop virtualization in lieu of high-priced flash storage. A sensible choice, given the financial turmoil inherent in the education industry at current.

Conclusion

In the world of data storage, you really get what you pay for. Every business has to establish what their immediate and long-term needs are going to be. For small to medium size businesses, a stable of massive flash storage arrays is neither going to be possible or practical for now. The good news is that there are legions of storage geeks in their evil lairs cooking up the next big thing in flash storage that just may end archaic forms of data storage for good.

Zach Buckley is a freelance writer who is interested in exploring the intersection of culture, science and education.  He lives in the Midwest and enjoys music, literature and good food.

 


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How to Succeed in Blogging Without Even Trying! [Guest Post]

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50 Golden Blogging Tips For Business

There are tons of people trying to make an easy income by blogging. From niche subjects to multi-level marketing gurus, it seems like everyone has an angle or a tactic that they hope will grab readers’ attention and catapult them to success. So what can you do to stand out from the crowd? These tricks offer some secrets to bringing your blog to peoples’ attention and building a steady audience.

Find What Works

One way to learn the strategies that will drive your blog to the top is to find what’s already worked for others. Take a minute to write down your top 10 blogging heroes, the ones who have set the bar for you or blazed the trail you want to walk. (If you don’t have blogging role models, find some. If you never read blogs, you can’t expect to succeed in writing them.) Figure out what worked for them and then translate it into strategies you can apply.

Eye-Catching Real Estate

There are three critical factors in real estate: Location, location and location. It’s the same in blogging. A domain name that people will remember will give you a massive advantage over your competitors. Think about it. If you want to learn about jogging, are you more likely to check out i-can-teach-youhow-to-jogbetter23.net or JogBlog.com? Registering a fantastic domain name is easy using the tool on Name.com that lets you check to see what domain names are available. Choosing the right one can turbocharge your efforts by making it easy for readers to find you. Think short and catchy. (And avoid dashes like the…well, like underscores.)

Build Your Networks

Sad as it may be, nobody cares that you really want them to read your blog. They care about what adds value to their lives, and the biggest way most people find blogs to read is through their friends’ recommendations. What does that mean for you? Get busy on social networking sites like Google+ and ask your readers to spread the word. The more you can engage with your readers and give them tips or tidbits or jokes worth passing on, the more they’ll become evangelists for your blog and your personal platform.

 

Publish a Book (In Weeks or Less!)

Becoming a published author is a fantastic way to build your personal platform and get your message out to new readers. You say you haven’t written a manuscript yet? No problem! Thanks to recent fusions between the publishing industry and the Internet, you might be able to turn your blog into a physical book in a matter of weeks. An exciting new trend is for bloggers to publish their blogs in book form, using a series of strategically chosen and arranged posts to form the content of the book. Reusing the work you’ve put into your blog is a great way to break into new markets and keep building your through personal platform.

See The Big Picture

Having a plan is the first and best trick to making money blogging. As you explore these tactics, you’ll find what does and doesn’t work for you. Take note of what you find. Massage it into a personalized strategy. Set high goals and run after them with abandon. With the right combination of work, luck, strategy and platform you might be the one to strike blogger gold.

Zach Buckley is a freelance writer who is interested in exploring the intersection of culture, science and education.  He lives in the Midwest and enjoys music, literature and good food.