If the term "data storage architecture" makes your lip curl, chances are that you've been procrastinating on implementing a storage solution for your data worthy of your critical business data. Data storage architecture can be a complicated rabbit hole of acronyms that can cause just about anyone's head to spin. In this article, we'll explore some simple ways to determine the right type of storage plan for your business.

The good news is that you don't have to try and design your entire storage structure alone and you don't need to fork out tons of money for an architectural consultant. Instead, spend you money on better systems and equipment to protect your data. Data storage VAR's, or Value Added Resellers are an ideal resource for unbiased storage consultation.

A value added reseller is one that adds, you guessed it, value to the process of buying data storage products by also offering consultation. VAR's don't work for any one specific company so you won't be suckered into buying an inferior brand by a company sales rep. Value added reseller representatives are consultants experienced with the technology and their only "bias" comes from their experience and research of working with different brands and storage types.

Unfortunately for the majority of us, storage for you data is not a one size fits all solution. Some businesses will benefit from storing their data on tape media, some will be better off with disk storage, others with optical jukeboxes, and still other that require a combination of two or more types. While a small, single person home business may be just fine with secondary disk storage device, a doctor's office with thousands of patient records will probably require a tape storage with and automated tape library system to back up data on a regularly scheduled basis.

Either way, your company's data probably isn't something that you want to experiment with through trial and error of different types of storage devices for your data. Whether you're the small home business, the doctor's office, or a large corporation, data storage value added resellers can help you to develop a storage game plan at no additional cost above and beyond the normal selling price of the data storage products.

So if you're like many business owners, you've been meaning to spend some time learning about data storage architecture before implementing a storage strategy. When you consult with a VAR, there's no reason to procrastinate or lose several weekend trying to learn about SAN's, iSCSI, LAN's, and the like. Find a reputable value added reseller, and they'll know just the right questions to ask you to help you find the ideal solution for your company's data storage needs.