Data Backup Digest

Big data is becoming a growing concern amongst IT industry experts. While the niche has certainly paved the way for some groundbreaking developments in just a short amount of time, the sheer amounts of data we're generating on a daily basis is, for lack of a better word, amazing. In fact, recent reports indicate that the world currently creates around 2.5 quintillion bytes of new data every single day. When you add this up over the course of time, the figures are staggering.

In order to rein in some of this data and gain more control over data protection, storage, backup and recovery, Cisco has pioneered a brand new server category within their comprehensive Cisco Unified Computing System, or USC, line of products. Meant specifically for handling larger datasets, the device could be a godsend to those who work with big data on a daily basis.

Their introductory offering in the USC S-Series family is the UCS S3260, which promises to provide exceptional flexibility, quick deployment and scalability and an elevated level of connectivity to the cloud. All of these features result in improved business intelligence on behalf of their customers.

Steven Hill, senior storage analyst at 451 Research, has examined the Cisco UCS S-Series firsthand. He quoted as saying: "Enterprise storage is moving from traditional, dedicated platforms to commodity hardware; but not all commodity hardware is created equal. Cisco’s new UCS S-Series offers substantial drive density and scalable x86 hardware options, making it easily customizable for any number of optimized SDS applications. Added to this is the S-Series’ deep integration with Cisco’s UCS management and datacenter automation platforms, not to mention Cisco’s world-wide support and service capabilities."

Apart from the ability to handle large amounts of data, the S3260 can decrease an organization's total cost of ownership, or TCO, by more than 50 percent when compared against similar services that are currently available through public cloud offerings. Overall capital expenditure can even be reduced by as much as 34 percent, which ultimately makes it much cheaper than current market alternatives.

The UCS S3260 really shines when compared to modern server options. For example, the device is capable of reducing power consumption by nearly 60 percent while simultaneously taking up 60 percent less floor space. Equipment cabling can be reduced by as much as 70 percent due to the ultra-efficient design.

Brian Humphreys, VP of infrastructure delivery with Xerox, described how the UCS S-Series line of devices has already impacted his business. He was quoted as saying: "We store millions of voice records for our end users every month. UCS S-Series provides us a more cost-effective means of offering them this service with second-tier storage. UCS management provides us with even greater efficiencies for running our operations worldwide."

For more information on Cisco Systems, including details on the UCS S-Series, the UCS S3260 or any of their other products, please visit their official website at www.cisco.com. Alternatively, current users who are in need of live technical support can call their hotline at 1-800-553-2447.