The University of Strathclyde has picked Hitachi Data Systems' (HDS) infrastructure to better support students' research projects.
It picked elements including NAS, SAN and backup based on Hitachi Unified Storage VM with accelerated flash, after discovering staff, students and researchers were using tools not sanctioned by IT.
“In reviewing our research data we found many of our researchers using solutions we wouldn’t recommend – storing information on local hard drives, memory sticks and using consumer file-sharing services," admitted Bruce Rodger, head of infrastructure services at the university.
The IT department discovered many of the researchers and academic staff were using these external methods because they were reaching the limit of their personalised storage areas, meaning they were unable to store everything securely on the university's servers.
Rodger explained that since Capita helped the university implement HDS's IT infrastructure, there has already been a 20-fold increase in storage used by the university, from 14TB to 280TB in the first year alone.
Although much of this is down to increasing amounts of data being processed by researchers, the university said it was testament to the might of HDS's solutions in allowing the smooth storage and management of such information.
"We worked with Hitachi Data Systems to implement a solution better suited to our needs, which meant not only significantly increasing available capacity, but also ensuring high-performance, reliability and flexibility," Rodger added.
Aside from the obvious benefits to staff, students and researchers, it also means the university's IT department is able to provision resources more efficiently, thereby further improving end-user experience.
“We are delighted to assist the University on its journey towards a research-led future, supported by an agile, reliable and future-proof infrastructure,” Richard Gadd, managing director of HDS UK and Ireland, said.
