• How much data is stored? • What type of data is it—database, e-commerce, web server, file storage, or other types of data?
• What are the data retention requirements? Can some existing data be eliminated, or should data be archived on a regular basis? What corporate or legal retention requirements apply to each application?
3. Assess utilization statistics and trends:
• How much new data is generated in what period of time? Use historical and trend reports to generate baseline growth curves.
• How frequently is the data accessed or updated? I/O performance and statistics will reveal usage patterns and trends, which informs the decision of what media to use for what data.
• Who uses the data? Where are the clients/users located? Is global access required? Would it make sense to use content delivery networks to push data closer to users?