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2013 promises some interesting opportunities for Data Center Managers and IT Departments to improve their storage and compute environments. Among the things I think will be talked about around the water cooler will be:

Just read a survey on the subject of Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM). Fascinating statistics about a technology that, in at least one dimesntion, is growing by proverbial leaps-and-bounds. The survey clearly indicates HSM has become one of the basic best practices of effective data storage management: 53% of the survey respondents report their shop’s storage systems are, in fact, tiered.

No huge surprise there. That is about the same percentage I saw a couple years ago.

I have been reviewing the cloud storage offerings available from Amazon Web Services (AWS). Specifically, and of late, I’ve been looking at AWS’s Glacier cloud storage service as a low-cost service for archived data – specifically, data that's rarely accessed but needs to be retained for long periods. Seems like every client we talk to these days has this type of data storage needs.

Big Data: everyone, and I mean everyone seems to be talking about it if you stand around long enough. Given – it’s a hot topic and one that’s only going to get hotter as the world keeps creating tons more data every second (only a slight exaggeration for effect, I’m sure.)

IBM is not kidding around with software developers on the subject of IBM’s PureSystems. Think I’m kidding? Go to IBM’s Developer Works web page for Pure: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/puresystems/try.html and you can start developing on a PureSystem – now. Today. With a 90-day free trial of Pure in the cloud. Amazing – not only do you get to prove the benefits (which are huge) or using cloud-based technology for application development work, but you get 90 days to do it in.

Last week I blogged a bit about the IBM Pure systems and their associated Redbooks. I also made a bit of a case for why IT Managers should be taking a serious look at this technology. This week I’d like to add another thought (and vote) for Pure Systems technology: Pure Clouds.

One of the remarkable things (and there are several) I like about PureSystems, is how this technology gives you, the IT Manager or CIO/CTO an integrated solution, complete with all the technology you need, to stand-up a private cloud system --- in minutes. Not hours or days, as is often the case.

If like everyone else, you’ve been trying to keep up-to-date on all things IBM Pure, I’ve got some good news for you: the IBM Redbooks library on Pure Systems et al is expanding rapidly! I just perused a couple of the latest titles, including a very popular Redbook title, IBM PureFlex System and IBM Flex System Products and Technology and a draft for a new work entitled Implementing Systems Management of IBM PureFlex System. Both were well written and informative.

Perhaps you saw this story: “Rackspace has released Cloud Monitoring, which includes an API designed to give users flexibility in monitoring websites and Web applications that run on a variety of platforms…”

A little later in the story was this: “Cloud Monitor…will cost from US$1.50 per check, per month. Each check allows the monitoring of a specific resource at any interval.”
What is the message here?

Your IT world is changing at warp speed, and as fast as it is speeding up, the price is dropping just as fast.

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Our friends at Microsoft (MS) just announced a survey of firms defined as small and medium business (SMB; 100-250 computers in the company). Specifically MS was surveying those SMB firms who are using cloud-based technologies. The results of the survey support why perhaps your firm should be talking about (and talking to others about) cloud as well: in a nutshell, the SMB folks surveyed say they’re in the cloud to (drum roll) add security and save money.

And who doesn’t like that?