Report: Applications Key to ILM

Software that combines specific applications with storage functions like backup and archiving are driving the progress of information lifecycle management (ILM), according to December's Byte and Switch Insider, this publication's paid subscription research service.

Despite much hype surrounding ILM, products fall short of helping customers capitalize on the benefits of tiered storage, says the report, "Information Lifecycle Management: At the Crest of a Wave." The primary problem with ILM is most products rely on metadata gathered at the file-system level, resulting in classification schemes and policies that are too broad.

What's needed instead, and what is emerging from a handful of vendors, is software that integrates more closely with applications. Currently, these new products work with email and databases. Gradually, they are being integrated with other applications, such as ones for customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and instant messaging.

The evolution of ILM as part of corporate applications makes sense. While ILM is supposed to help customers save costs associated with expensive storage, performance is an issue, too. Databases bog down if tables are too large. Email hogging server space slows response time.

New application-integrated ILM products focused on email and database servers understand the inner workings of specific programs, so they provide more sophisticated migration and archiving, hence, better overall performance.It's tough to tell when these products will evolve to cover the kinds of criteria engines require to make ILM live up to its hype. Indeed, the market may never morph as expected. Several solutions that use file-system metadata are being improved with backup and archiving capabilities that could make them more useful ILM tools than some of the emerging email and database-integrated software, depending on how automated and flexible the integrated products become.

The bottom line is that ILM will evolve. Customers need better application performance and more efficient storage, and vendors who want to survive must address these concerns. So far, a handful of products appear to be headed in the right direction.

Vendors mentioned in the report include:

Dave Raffo, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch

More information about the Byte and Switch Insider report, "ILM: At the Crest of a Wave," is available here0