We live in a world that’s literally awash in digital data.  According to the research firm IDC, we will create 1.8 zettabytes of new data in 2011.  That is one billion terabytes of data created in the current year alone!

In 2007 I’d written a paper about managing petabyte storage.  At the time it was difficult to find any organizations with that amount of content on spinning disk.  Today, a petabyte of data is relatively common among larger corporations and government agencies.  It has almost become blase’.  The scientific community is now looking at ways to process and store exabytes of data!  Whew!

In the coming months I plan to use this forum to explore some of the issues and challenges storing and managing vast quantities of data present.  Some of the emerging technologies and advanced methods for managing information in this brave new world.  With a little luck it will generate a valuable dialog among readers as to what works and/or doesn’t work when faced with these challenges.  We’ll also examine some vendor solutions and try to filter out some of the facts from the “marketware” to determine how effective a given solution may actually be.

If you  have a moment, stop past our website, http://www.dc-ei.com and see what’s new.  Anyway, please try to be gentle with me.  This is my first blog.  …And as Scottie said in Star Trek’s movie The Voyage Home, “Hold on tight, Lassie.  It gets bumpy from here.”