存储概述(Technology Computer English)

What is Data Storage and Why is it So Important?
As computers have a limited amount of memory, most computer
owners require storage media such as hard disks, tape drives, and
compact disks (CDs) to save their information. Corporations have
become particularly dependent on such devices for the preservation
of their data. Every year, corporations produce increasing amounts
of data that they have collected from a variety of sources. A recent
UC Berkley study found that "the world's total yearly production of
print, film, optical, and magnetic content would require roughly 1.5
billion gigabytes of storage. This is the equivalent of 250 megabytes
per person for each man, woman, and child on earth."
With recent advancements in computer networking technologies, many
corporations have built large-scale corporate networks that ease the enterprise-wide
distribution of information. In a corporation, the challenge has been to
organize the data that is saved onto external media, like a CD, and then to
make that data accessible across its network for its business applications. Two
main architectures have emerged that facilitate the organization and access to
the tapes and CDs on which the data is stored: Storage Area Networks and
Network-Attached Storage.
Storage Media
While data storage has been an issue since the development of computers,
the real hurdles in the development of storage media devices emerged in the
1980s. The primary concern, whether with a 5.5 inch floppy disk or a CD,
has been figuring out how to get the most data into the smallest amount of
storage space. The two most common technologies for placing data onto
external storage media involve magnetic and optical technologies. Data that
is saved onto hard disks, floppy disks or tape drives has been stored
electromagnetically?S?Stranslated from bits to magnetic pulses. That data
can later be converted back when called upon to do so by the computer.
While most of the early storage devices saved data electromagnetically,
the largest advances have been made in optical technologies, which use lasers
to write data onto CDs or Magneto-Optical disks. Optical technologies have
become popular because they require less storage space and are more durable
than tape or magnetic disks.
Holographic Data Storage, another optical technology, transforms data
into optical interference patterns and then records them onto plates.
什么是数据存储？为什么它会如此重要？
由于计算机的内存容量有限，大部分的计算机用户都需要
像硬盘、磁带、光盘（C D ）之类的存储介质来保存信息，企
业存储数据则更是依赖于此类设备。每年，各种各样的数据令
公司产生的数据总量不断增加。最近的UC Berkley 研究发现：
“全世界”全年产生的印刷品、胶片、光学和磁性产品的内容
大约为1 5 亿G B 的存储量，这相当于地球上每个人平均拥有2 5 0
兆字节， 不论男人、妇女还是孩子。
随着近来计算机网络技术的发展，许多公司构建了大规模
的企业网络，方便了企业信息的发送。在公司内部，组织数据
的难题通过保存到外部介质，然后再让商业应用程序存取得到
解决。目前已经形成了存储区域网络和附带网络存储两个主要
体系，更利于组织和访问存储有数据的磁带和C D 。
存储介质
由于计算机的发展，在数据存储出现问题的时期内，存储
介质设备的发展所遇到的真正障碍产生于2 0 世纪8 0 年代。无论
是用5 . 5 英寸的软盘还是C D ，首要关注的问题就是如何将最多
的数据装进最小量的存储空间。用于设置数据到外部存储介质
的两个最常用技术包括电磁技术和光学技术。保存到硬盘、软
盘或磁带上的数据已经通过电磁原理存储——把比特转化为磁
性脉冲。随后，当访问这些数据时，由计算机再将这些数据转
化回来。
在大部分早期存储设备通过电磁原理存储数据的时候，光
学技术已经取得了最大的进展，可以用激光把数据写到C D 或
磁光盘上。与磁带和磁盘相较， 光学技术需要的存储空间更
少， 但耐用性更高， 所以光学技术变得非常流行。
全息数据存储是另一种光学技术，它可以将数据转化成光
波干涉的模式，然后记录到感光底版上。I B M 和朗讯科技的研 

Researchers at IBM and Lucent believe that holography will be able to store
more data in less space than any other technology available today, but no
viable products have reached the market yet.
Storage Networks
Finding new ways to store the most data into the least amount of
space has not been the only challenge facing the Storage industry.
Organizing and managing the massive amounts of data that corporations
produce each day has proved difficult and costly. A Strategic Research
Center study noted that "every $1 spent on primary storage costs $4
in management expense." Additionally, a Gartner study has predicted
that "end-user expenditures on storage networking solutions will exceed
$65 billion in 2003."
Storage Area Networks (SAN) and Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
are relatively new and evolving processes to simplify data access. A SAN is a
computer network that exists separately from the main corporate network.
A SAN runs on storage-specific interfaces like Fibre Channel or a Small
Computer System Interface (SCSI) that are designed to transfer data quickly
between storage devices. A SAN is beneficial because it runs separately from
the corporate network. Transferring data ties up bandwidth, which
can dramatically slow down a corporate network. NAS usually consists of
one or more computers that act as file servers and are only used for hard disk
storage. NAS file servers can be added to a corporate network or even be
included in a SAN.
Market Leaders
Given the diversity of products available for data storage, there
are a number of market leaders. Most of the major vendors produce
both storage media and storage network products; they include:
Compaq, Dell, EMC, Gadzoox, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems,
IBM, Lucent, Network Appliance, StorageTek, Sun and VERITAS.
The Future of Storage
Data storage has a bright future as most corporations expect to
produce more data through online applications such as e-commerce,
and because corporations want continued access to that data for CRM
or Business Intelligence applications. Both magnetic and optical storage
media continue to be the subject of research and development, while
the future of storage networks seems to be focused on the convergence and
integration of SAN and NAS systems. As data storage systems have
become more complex and expensive, the administrative costs have
also increased. For this reason, outsourced storage solutions have
become a popular option for many small and large businesses. Forrester
predicts that "by 2003 corporations will be spending three quarters of
their IT dollars on storage."
究人员认为： 在今天， 将全息技术和其它任何可用的技术相
较，它都能够用更少的空间存储更多的数据。但是，直到目前
为止， 市场上也还没有出现可行的产品。
存储网络
寻找新方法以把最多的数据保存到最小的空间并不是存储
行业所面对的唯一挑战。组织和管理公司每天产生的大量数据
不但困难， 而且费用昂贵。一个战略研究中心的研究表明：
“在最初存储上每花费1 美元，就需要在管理上花费4 美元。”
此外，一个G a r t n e r 研究机构预言：在2 0 0 3 年，最终用户用于存
储网络解决方案的支出将超过6 5 0 亿美元。
相对而言，存储区域网络（S A N ）和附带网络存储（N A S ）
是简化数据存取的较新的、正在发展的方法。一个S A N 就是一个
能够独立于主企业网而存在的计算机网络。S A N 运行于在存储设
备间快速传递数据的存储专用接口上，类似光纤通道和小型计算
机接口 (SCSI)。SAN 很有益处，因为它的运行独立于企业网络。
而数据传递会大量占用带宽，而它可以很显著地减缓企业网络。
N A S 通常包含作为文件服务器且仅用于硬盘存储的一台或多台
计算机。N A S 文件服务器可以加入进企业网络，甚至包含进
SAN 系统。
市场先驱
在已知的各种数据存储产品中，有许多的市场先驱。大部
分的一流厂商都同时生产了两种产品，即存储介质和存储网络
产品。这些厂商包括：C o m p a q、D e l l、EMC、G a d z o o x、
Hewlett-Packard、Hitachi Data Systems、IBM、Lucent 、Network
Appliance 、StorageTek 、Sun 和VERITAS。
存储的未来
由于大多数的公司希望通过像电子商务之类的在线应用程
序生成更多的数据，并且，由于企业希望用C R M 或商业智能应
用程序不断地使用这些数据，所以，数据存储前景光明。当存
储网络的未来似乎集中在S A N 和N A S 系统的集成与综合时，不
论磁性还是光学存储介质，都成为研究和开发的持续主题。随
着数据存储系统变得越来越复杂越昂贵，管理费用也在不断递
增。出于这种原因，外购存储方案已经成为许多大型、小型企
业较欢迎的选择。F o r r e s t e r 预言：“到2 0 0 3 年之前，IT 费用的
四分之三将用于存储。”