To get around these problems, Martin and his team deployed a SAN from Xiotech in 2004, consisting of a Magnitude 3D and a Classic system in Wallops Island, and the same hardware in Dahlgren. (See Xiotech Wins Contracts, Xiotech Supports Drives, Auctioneer Picks Xiotech, and Xiotech Intros Storage System.) The total capacity of the system, which uses 300-Gbyte Seagate drives, is somewhere between 50 and 60 Tbytes, according to Martin.
The exec estimates that using standard hardware could save the Navy more than $150 million between 2004 and 2009 by eliminating the many different types of media used in ship design. By way of example, the exec explained that the price for a single 9-Gbyte hard drive had reached $42,000.
The naval IT guru, however, did not reveal the exact technology used to link the different parts of the SAN, although he admitted that cost efficiency was a major driver behind the project.
The SAN deployment comes at a time when the Department of Defense (DOD) is coming under increasing budget pressure from Capitol Hill. After pumping billions into the DOD to fund the war on terror, the government is now looking for more bang for its bucks. Today, for example, research firm Input warned that increasing Congressional oversight and budget pressure is likely through the next federal budget cycle. (See Defense Budgets Under Scrutiny.)
Storage is also playing an increasingly important role for the U.S. military, which is becoming more and more technologically advanced. At last year's SNW, for example, Lt. Col. Karlton Johnson, a U.S. Air Force technology guru, urged storage vendors to meet the military's need for battle-ready kit. (See USAF Issues Storage Challenge.)
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
There are many network courses that can address your present job's priorities and help you gain the needed skills to keep pace with industry changes and new technologies.
