Mass storage: the options

With the growth in digital storage of data and information across many industries, and the increased recognition of the importance and value of that information to the enterprise, demands on storage capacity and accessibility of data have mushroomed. In addressing these needs there have been developed several key technologies and standards for data storage and access, specifically in the areas of RAID and storage to host channels. This paper looks at some of the significant issues which these standards attempt to address, and looks at the major emerging standards in terms of their benefits and disadvantages and their suitability and applicability to particular applications. The focus of this paper is on introducing the technologies, and the issues and applications surrounding them, rather than an in depth analysis of their technical merits or aspects.