1. Tier 2 and Tier 3 VMs – Deploying new apps is fast with virtualization, to the point where sprawl occurs and the Tier 1 SAN needs expanding, time to offload the main SAN of lower-tier VMs and backing up with Veeam
2. Rich-media storage – Individual video, audio, and graphic files from Marketing and other departments add up very quickly, but don’t have the same criticality as databases
3. Expanding file servers – Rich media can fill these up, but so can the usual business files and applications, the same front end can manage lower-cost back-end storage for less critical data
4. Online archiving – HSM of the past called for archiving on low-cost tape, where disk today can be as cost effective at high capacities and enable online access without mounting media
5. Test & Development – Very important to stage & test, but almost impossible to have an exact replica environment; with virtualization the infrastructure does not need to match
6. Disk-based backup – Backup should be lower cost than primary, and having backup on a separate device is also better for high availability / failure domains
7. Utility storage in IT – Playing Tetris while moving large amounts of data is a challenge; everyone could use space in the network for storing things on a temporary and permanent basis
8. Migration – Like utility storage, but in larger organizations migration is a very periodic event, and the more storage you have the harder it is without a place to put it temporarily
9. Research / analysis – These can involve huge data sets, and the more storage the more research that can be done, needs for individual projects are often short-term
10. Dissimilar DR replication – Buying and identical array for replication may not always be feasible, and the 2nd site does not need to be as powerful as primary for recovery of select applications
11. VMware Essentials Plus, Exchange 2010 up to 250 users - all of the classic primary SAN use cases on a smaller scale
thanks Aaron
