Server Disk Management in a Windows Environment

Book excerpt: Hard drives and disk management receive scant attention from the industry press, yet recent surveys have identified disk failure as the #1 source of server downtime. Combine this fact with the skyrocketing TCO of data storage management, and it is apparent that server disk management is a subject deserving of much more scrutiny. Server Disk Management in a Windows Environment explains the basic elements of disks and disk architectures, and explores how to successfully manage and maintain functionality within a Windows environment. The author focuses on critical issues that are often ignored by other books on this subject, issues including disk quotas, fragmentation, optimization, hard drive reliability, asset management, software deployment, and system forensics. This book is a valuable resource for IT veterans and those who are less tech-savvy. Students and IT newcomers can access multiple definitions and examples of fundamentals such as disk organization, file systems, and basic maintenance actions. Chapters examining hardware and software management and industry trends provide further insight into how you can maintain and monitor disks, and have them perform at maximum efficiency.