Taking control of NT data growth

An annual worldwide survey of information systems (IS) executives reveals that as corporations increasingly set up applications on Windows NT, the need to effectively manage, store, access and protect this information is fueling the acceptance and implementation of consolidated data repositories for previously distributed information.

This fourth survey of some 850 IS executives from a cross-section of large corporations worldwide was conducted by independent research firm FIND/SVP for EMC Corporation. Entitled "Managing information across the enterprise: The need for a unifying force," the study`s key findings include:

• Windows NT is rapidly gaining momentum as a preferred platform for strategic applications as 83% of IS executives surveyed are currently implementing or planning to implement Windows NT for mission-critical applications;
• Seventy-three percent of the executives surveyed report that Windows NT data is growing rapidly or very rapidly within their organisation. As volumes of Windows NT-based data increase, 77% are concerned about their ability to manage the Windows NT information explosion outside the data centre;
• Despite the continued trend toward distributed servers, consolidated information management remains a major IS objective as 65% of those surveyed favour an enterprise storage architecture that allows the data centre to consolidate information and management functions on a single storage system rather than on disparate, server-based storage devices;
• A majority - 54% of IS executives - are building enterprise-wide applications like ERP on a combination of mainframe, Unix and Windows NT-based systems; and,
• Storage Area Networks (SANs) are emerging as a new strategic weapon for corporations looking to manage distributed Windows NT data: nearly half of those surveyed are planning to implement a SAN.

The study finds that as corporations aggressively implement data-intensive applications on Windows NT, most IS managers say they lack the proper tools to manage this situation. Three-quarters have concerns about their ability to back up Windows NT data; more than 50% registered high concern over the large amount of scheduled downtime for backup and 58% favored centralised on-line backup of servers.

"As Windows NT arrives as a strategic platform for corporate computing in increasingly decentralised environments, there remains serious concern among IS executives about the ability to effectively manage information from a central location," says Robert Dutkowsky, EMC`s executive vice president, markets and channels.

"The survey affirms that the most forward-looking IS executives have recognised the information management benefits provided by data consolidation and enterprise storage networks. These practices and solutions are proving to be the foundation of their consolidation strategies."

The research further reveals that more than 72% of IS executives prefer to consolidate data while building storage networks. Correspondingly, 72% believe that extending enterprise storage to the network will result in easier information sharing, and 63% say it will improve information management.

"These survey findings, which are consistent with our research, clearly indicate that the sheer growth of distributed information is creating problems for corporations. This underscores the need for tools that support centralised information management, while facilitating universal data access," says Michael Peterson, president of Strategic Research Corp.

"Enterprise Storage Networks are strategic in helping corporations achieve these goals by enabling the consolidation of critical information, while providing the necessary tools to manage this information."