Surveillance System Considerations

Choosing an IP-based surveillance system is an important decision – there are several factors to consider. Since, network cameras transmit over your existing IP network, bandwidth is important. You’ll also need to think about storage based on archival time, image quality and  continuous vs recording triggered with motion. Other key consideration include network and system scalability. Putting thought into these areas before your system setup will ensure that you have the right equipment and proper game plan to fulfill your surveillance requirements.

There are a number of factors to consider when calculating the amount of hard disk space required for your specific storage need:

1. How many surveillance cameras are you operating ?

2. Will the cameras be recording continuously or only at certain hours of the day ?

3. Will your IP cameras be set too record only when motion is detected?

4. How long will the video footage be stored on the hard disk?

5. What level of image quality is the required (this will determine parameters such as frame rate and compression)

 

Feeling overwhelmed with these questions ? Not to worry – speak now with an IP surveillance  expert at 510.265.1122.

We will get you the right configuration, at right price with tech. support just a call away.

DAS to SAN Migration Using a Storage Concentrator™

A common side effect of server consolidation projects or implementing a centralized Fibre Channel SAN is scores of unused disk arrays. Many organizations are reluctant to perform that they call ‘forklift upgrades’.

Through our extensive analysis we have found three ways to migrate captured server disks (direct-attached external JBOD or RAID) to an IP SAN (Internet Protocol Storage Area Network) using the StoneFly Storage Concentrator™. This StoneFly whitepaper clearly explains the three methods of converting storage to an IP SAN using the Storage Concentrator.

P.S – The document assumes that that you are an IT administrator in a small to medium business (SMB) who is responsible for this migration. It assumes that you are familiar with Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 OS, iSCSI, IP SANs, SNICs (Storage Network Interface Cards), and StoneFly’s Storage Concentrator solutions.

Happy reading!

It’s All About Restore

Peace of mind comes from knowing your backed-up data can actually be restored quickly and reliably. Backups can be easily verified, but there is high anxiety associated with confirming
the reliability of a restore.    In most cases, knowing that a restore actually works usually occurs after data is lost. Keeping your fingers crossed should not be an integral part of a data recovery program.

High profile events, such as recent natural disasters, provide harsh reminders of the many ways information can be lost. Among the most common are hardware and software malfunction, human error, computer viruses and natural disasters.There are three main quantifiable costs associated with each incident of data loss:  the cost of technical support in the recovery effort, lost productivity due to user downtime, and the possible cost associated with data that is permanently lost.

Visit StoneFly Whitepaper Library to learn all about cost-effective restore suggested by experienced StoneFly experts.

Secrets to Affordably Protecting Critical Data

Whenever IT managers assess the value of their company’s data, they should ask two basic questions: 
    1.  What is the immediate impact if we lose access to the data?
    2.  How quickly must we regain that access?

The answers to these questions will determine the type of required data protection. Fundamentally, data that is essential to the business and represents the company’s lifeblood requires the highest level of protection, since losing essential data could financially cripple or kill the business.  Therefore, restoring access to this critical data needs to be immediate and as close to the point of loss as possible.

 The catch is that the cost to acquire this level of protection can be financially crippling as well. Fortunately, not all data requires the highest level of protection.  Companies that classify and segregate their data based on access patterns and value can lower the cost of data recovery by using a tiered data protection strategy. We recommed StoneFly white paper ‘The Secret to Affordability’ to assess your company’s data and create your tiered data protection strategy.

Unleashing the SAN in Your IP Network

 Computer storage holds the lifeblood of today’s economy. From movies, music, books, and classroom materials to corporate, personal, and financial data of all sorts, everything is being stored digitally.For this reason, the information and the knowledge derived from today’s Internet-reliant world have become the core elements by which our society increases its productivity. This deluge of digital data is driving the need for reliable, high-performance storage that is easier to implement and manage.

The complete line of StoneFly Storage Concentrators™ provides IP Storage Area Network (SAN) infrastructures that are highly scalable, intelligent, reliable, manageable, and cost effective.  Storage Concentrators are IP-based storage provisioning appliances that enable mid-sized to large enterprises to manage and optimize their storage assets in real-time.  As a result, they provide a rapid return on investment by delivering more efficient storage usage, improved administrative productivity, and reduced network complexities.

To find more about StoneFLy scalable IP SAN Appliances watch this short YouTube video!