Good storage architecture and design really come down to 3 key areas, function, strategy, and cost. Deciding what method of storage one wishes to use is a significant first step. Data storage can come in many different forms such as on-site hardware and cloud storage. A helpful method of designing storage is using a tiered storage approach.

Tiered storage, a principle of the ILM (Information Lifecycle Management) involves storing data on a multitude of types of media based on requirements such as availability, performance, and recovery. This comes in handy when deciding what data needs to be accessed quickly or stored for long periods of time. For example, if data was to be stored long-term, it could be archived onto cheaper disks. If all data were treated the same way, the cost of storing the data and the risk of losing that data would be much higher. By developing different tiers of data, a company can determine which data much be accessed quickly, what data needs to have redundancy, and what data is most sensitive.

Data that deals with privileged or sensitive information should be stored both onsite and offsite as well as securely protected. Tiered storage also enhances backup and recovery plans. Tiered storage should be implemented into any size company to increase storage and decrease storage costs.

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