assessments

Data infrastructure assessments are the foundation for all successful data infrastructure initiatives but can also be performed as standalone projects. We offer assessments to review overall information management challenges or to specifically address virtualization needs. 

Assessment Types

Implementation-based: The assessment is the foundation of every client implementation. In it, we identify the root cause of data storage problems or challenges, determine the scope of the project and recommend an appropriate data storage architecture and corresponding technologies and solutions.

Standalone: We offer specialized project-based engagements to help businesses identify issues, limitations, gaps and risks in their existing data storage infrastructures. Extra attention and effort may be required to analyze large amounts of data and create findings, analyses and recommendations.
 

Assessment Criteria

Assessments are based on a rigorous analysis of:
  • Data storage infrastructure, hardware and software resources, challenges and issues.
  • Short- and long-term business, technology and data storage objectives. The acceptable level of risk (recovery time objectives,  recovery point objectives, recovery performance).
  • The business’ organizational structure and the relative importance of up-time for different business units (based on whether they are revenue-generating, support critical business operations, are vital to the IT infrastructure, etc.)
  • Industry-specific regulatory requirements for storing, archiving, accessing or destroying data.
  • The types and amounts of data in the business environment (structured vs. unstructured, at rest or in flight, business-critical).
  • The short-term and long-term budget allocation for data storage initiatives. Business impact goals and meaningful, quantifiable metrics by which improvements can be measured.

After a thorough analysis, Network Storage architects the appropriate solution for each client’s needs.


Assessment Criteria

Both of these services can provide focused disciplines or “views” to address typical client problem areas:

  • Application view

  • Topology view

  • Utilization view

  • Performance view

  • Data protection view

  • Information value view

Contact Network Storage to gain a better understanding of our assessment process.