F5 Networks White Paper Sample

The continued expansion of file-based, business-critical information within extended enterprises is changing the storage dynamic in a wide range of industries and organizations. In a series of interviews with U.S. and European enterprises, IDC found that companies are increasing their file-based storage by 40% to 120% a year and place a high priority on boosting the efficiency and reliability of their management processes for file-based information. IDC research indicates that unstructured, file-based data drove a majority of new storage capacity in all organizations’ datacenters in 2008 and projects this growth to accelerate, in spite of current economic conditions. By 2012, over 75% of new storage capacity shipped will be dedicated to the storage, organization, and protection of files.

The added costs associated with this growth are forcing organizations to place a high priority on boosting the efficiency and reliability of their management processes for file-based information. This explosion in file-based data with its unique use and retention requirements is driving the adoption of new solutions for optimizing storage utilization and reducing the burdens associated with data protection and business continuity. Network-based file virtualization is a key technology for more effectively managing file-based information.