Data Recovery

Storage recovery

A sky-high tower of data

A look at the market for data storage clearly shows that the demand for data storage on the part of companies and private individuals is scaling unforeseen heights. While two years previously manufacturers of data storage systems had posted combined sales revenues of USD 3.5 billion, in 2006 this had risen to USD 4.3 billion, with the market for large-scale data storage solutions accounting for the bulk of this total. In line with the increasing numbers of large-capacity storage systems, a growing number of large data-storage systems suffering some sort of data-loss problem are being delivered to the laboratories of the KÜRT Group. And it’s becoming increasingly the case that systems integration knowledge alone is not enough for the data to be recovered: it’s essential that the files containing data to be recovered be placed as soon as possible in the hands of experts with specialist knowledge in the field, advises KÜRT.
 
In 2006, the world’s data storage-system manufacturers posted a 25% greater than planned increase in revenues. This annual growth of 10% (compared to the expected 8%) clearly demonstrates computer users’ growing appetite for data. Last year a total of USD 4.3 billion worldwide was spent on data storage systems. (This figure comprises only the amounts that companies and other organisations spent on their central data storage devices; it does not include the sums spent on home or individual data storage products, where a similarly rapid rate of growth was observed.)
 
The appetite for data – in numbers*
(Total revenues of the world’s data storage system manufacturers from sales of large storage systems, in USD billions)

The growth in the total amount spent does not in itself reveal the whole picture, however, as technological developments mean that from year to year the same amount of money buys more and more storage space. In terms of the cost per unit of storage capacity, there was – in line with a trend of the past several decades – a further fall in 2006, by around 30% compared to the previous year. Taking this, as well as the 10% growth in spending on data storage systems, into account, it can be concluded that last year users purchased nearly 60% more data storage capacity than in 2005.

Based on the forecasts of experts and on the existing trend, demand for ever greater storage space will grow at a similar rate in 2007. A growth in storage capacity of at least 25-30% can be expected with regard to servers and central data-storage systems, a segment that constitutes one of the largest areas of use, and where conventional hard disks continue to predominate. In the case of such sophisticated systems, increasingly complex data storage technology and the huge variety of logical structures will increase the number and complexity of data loss-related problems.

KÜRT data recovery – in numbers
 
In 2006, some 270,000 gigabytes of data were restored – that is, successfully recovered – in the various data recovery centres of the KÜRT Group. This quantity of data would fill about 400,000 CDs. Piled one on top of the other, in their cases, these discs would form a tower 4 kilometres high.

The past three years has seen the creation of a separate research arm within the data recovery laboratory of the KÜRT Group dedicated to the restoration of data lost from large storage systems, the realignment of logical structures, and the finding of solutions for transcribing volumes of data into usable formats. However, despite the best efforts of this internationally renowned company, attempts at data recovery carried out by those who lack the relevant competence make it significantly more difficult – and indeed in many cases impossible – to find solutions to the data loss problems of such storage systems. Knowledge of systems integration is not sufficient for the recovery of data from disabled, damaged, and improperly or carelessly operated data storage systems – a fact supported by the negative experiences of recovery assignments taken on by the KÜRT Group’s European units.
 
As Géza Molnár, director of technology at the Data Recovery Division, emphasises: “Although when it receives damaged disks, KÜRT does everything it can to successfully recover data, irreversible data loss is often the result of the efforts of those not competent to deal with the problem – due to the more complex configuration and technology of these systems. For this reason, if a problem has occurred, I’d recommend immediately placing the system in the hands of experts.”

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