It depends on how you are going to handle your data replication. If you are going to use native array based replication then you’ll need to either use array’s data replication options or look at EMC’s recover point.
If however you are going to handle the replication outside of the array:
- DFS for file servers
- Mirroring, log shipping, etc. for SQL Server
- Native Exchange replication for mail data
Then you’ve got a few options available to you.
Dell has a storage option called EquilLogic which can serve as a great storage solution for a DR environment where you need a lots of storage, but you need less IO than you need in your production environment (I’m not saying that EquilLogic is a slow solution, but there are solutions which are much faster but they will cost you more). You’ll probably be able to start with a single shelf, then add another as needed.
EMC also has a smaller array option called the AX4. The AX4 array is based on the same concepts as the CX4 array which is a much more expensive array, but the CX4 has more features available. The AX4 runs on SATA disks, and supports up to 60 disks which can be up to 1TB each. For an 11 TB solution I’d recommend at least 15 disks (one full shelf). If performance ever becomes an issue you simply buy another shelf and move some of the LUNs to the new shelf.
There are a couple of other options which you can look at from smaller companies, but when it comes to storage I prefer to stick with the bigger companies. Yes you have to pay a little more, but you know that EMC and Dell will be around in a few years, and that the technologies which they are using have been around for quite a while.
Denny
