Data is the heart of your business-and that data is created, shared and stored in files.
For small and medium businesses, creating, sharing, storing and securing files is a top IT priority. The technology for file sharing has been around for years. Today youโll find countless options for how this can be accomplished. But which do you choose and why?
Todayโs file-sharing options can be split into two categories: on premises and off premises. With the advent of the cloud, off-premises file sharing is easier than it has ever been. Because of the simplicity of going off premises, you may question the need for on-premises file sharing, but it only takes the network going down once to realize a combination of on- and off-premises file sharing is needed.
HPE and Microsoft have been providing and perfecting file sharing and storing technology for SMBs since the early 1990s. Today, we offer both on-premises and off-premises file-sharing options. Off premises comes in the form of Microsoft Azure. On premises comes in the form of Storage Spaces Direct. Here, Iโm focusing on Storage Spaces Direct.
Storage Spaces Directโan SDS technology for on-premises storage
Storage Spaces Direct is a new software-defined storage (SDS) technology available with Windows Server 2016. SDS allows software to act as the storage controller. This enables lower-cost HPE ProLiant servers with local storage to replace storage area networks (SANs). Using servers with local storage decreases complexity, increases scalability (simply add more servers) and enables lower-cost flash storage to be used for better performance.
For best practices on how to implement Storage Spaces Direct on HPE ProLiant servers reference this white paper on implementing Windows Server 2016 Storage Spaces Direct using HPE ProLiant servers.
HPE SMB Solutions for Storage and Backup with Microsoft Windows Server 2016 include a Microsoft Windows Server Standard 2016 Reseller Option Kit. This provides the right combination of hardware and software to help ensure you have what you need to create a robust on-premises Storage Spaces Direct solution for your small and medium business. Combining Storage Spaces Direct with Microsoft Azure gives you both on-premises and off-premises options to make sure your files and data are safe.
Together, Microsoft and HPE continue to define and deliver the technologies, services and support that help small and medium businesses like yours manage files and data and transform your business.
