Drew Robb

A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is a networking and security appliance or application that processes network traffic. NGFWs apply rules to block dangerous or potentially dangerous traffic. They rose to prominence about five years ago as firewalls moved on from their original duties in security defense to take on a great many more functions.  Here are some of […]

Firewalls have come a long way since they first appeared in the late 1980’s. Back at that time, they did little more than basic packet-filtering duties, monitoring the packets being sent between computers for any potentially mischievous traffic. They gradually added features such as stateful inspection, addressing vulnerability exploits at the application layer, anti-bot capabilities, […]

Storage area networks (SANs) were once the kingpins of the storage world.  A handful of large storage companies ruled the roost. They captured the lion’s share of storage revenue too. But gradually, their hold over the sector diminished.  Despite that, SANs remain important, particularly in enterprise-class operations.  Here are some of the top trends in […]

Storage virtualization has come a long way, and the journey has not yet been completed.  Many more virtualization avenues have yet to be traveled. Currently, Kubernetes, for example, is taking virtual storage to a whole new level.  Here are some of the top trends in the storage virtualization market:  See more: The Storage Virtualization Market 1. […]

Backup has been turned on its head over the last decade due to the presence of the cloud, the increased frequency of cyber attacks, and the need for speed.  Companies increasingly want recovery to happen fast. All this has to happen at a time when there is more data to store and backup. Thus, the […]

All storage used to be on-premises. But in the last 10 years, the picture has shifted markedly.  Now the cloud is the home of the bulk of newly stored data. As time goes on, less and less storage is going to be retained outside of the cloud.  See below for some of the top trends […]

As storage hardware becomes more commoditized—especially at the lower end—software has stolen some of the spotlight, distinguishing itself by providing additional functionality and features that set products apart. Here are five of the top storage software trends. Keeping Pace with Evolving Data Access Requirements For years, the industry has been focused on how to store […]

Storage hardware is the backbone of the storage world.  Having reached a high state of maturity, it doesn’t get the coverage it once merited. Yet, it remains a vital element and one that generates billions in infrastructure costs on an annual basis.  Despite its maturity, though, the storage hardware market continues to evolve. Here are […]

Power is integral to any data center. Without electricity, a data center is just a bunch of dormant machines and unused software. Yet, power supply and demand has become something of a data center battleground. Some cities are so constrained for power from the local grid, and data centers are so hungry for more power […]

Data center infrastructure encompasses a vast array of equipment. This includes servers, storage, networking, applications, and the cloud. But it also stretches into the realms of facility infrastructure components, such as power distribution units (PDUs), computer room air conditioners (CRACs), and building management systems (BMS). It makes sense, therefore, that software would evolve to do […]