Sun Microsystems is one of the pioneers in data networking and Sun storage systems, servers and workstations. Since the 2001 collapse of the information technology industry (dubbed by some as "the dot-bomb"), Sun Microsystems Inc. has been declared dead on different occasions, but has confounded naysayers by continuing to bounce back. This has been primarily due to the company's emphasis on technical product innovations, including those within their StorageTek division.

StorageTek was started by four former IBM engineers in 1969 as the Colorado-based Storage Technology Corporation. In the 1980s, CEO Ryal Poppa led Storage Technology out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and helped the company develop more than 600 U.S. patents.

In 2005, Sun Microsystems acquired StorageTek data storage technology, forming the Sun Storage division.

Types of Sun Storage systems and products include the following:

1. Sun disk storage systems, including workgroup systems, storage server systems and datacenter systems
2. Sun tape storage products, including tape storage drives and media, tape encryption systems and tape virtualization systems
3. Sun Storage networking products, including network adapters, network switches and directors
4. Sun Open Storage products with open source software
5. Sun Storage applications, including data management and protection software along with Sun appliance-specific software for tape or disk storage systems

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get an overview of Sun Storage products and services

Sun Storage solutions for businesses may include data archiving, open source system configuration, system security surveillance technology, data encryption protection, and data storage system backup and recovery.

I recommend: Visit the Sun Microsystems website to see a specific list of Sun Storage devices and data storage systems. Download the Sun Storage Quick Reference Product Guide (PDF) for an easy-to-understand overview of Sun Storage product families. Learn how Sun Storage can provide specific solutions for your business's data storage and management needs. Get an overview of the feature advantages of specific types of Sun Storage data management technologies, such as disk data storage systems versus tape data storage systems. Learn about Sun Storage virtualization technologies as applicable to tape and disk data storage systems.

Get an overview of Sun Storage disk system appliances and application products

Explore the features of specific types of Sun Storage disk system appliances and applications.

I recommend: Get an overview of how disk storage systems by Sun Storage and disk system applications by Sun support business workgroups, enterprise data centers and data storage servers. Explore the features of Sun Storage disk systems for small to mid-sized business datacenters. Read an overview (PDF) of the Sun Storage Unified Storage system and their family of cost-efficient scalable disk data storage systems. Explore the features of the Sun Storage Sun Fire line of storage servers for enterprises and other higher-power storage users. Explore the features of Sun StorageTek Data SnapShot, a leading Sun Storage software product for disk data storage systems.

Get an overview of Sun Storage's data storage tape system appliances and applications

Explore the features of specific types of tape storage systems by Sun Storage along with tape system applications such as tape data libraries and drives, tape virtualization and encryption systems, and software products.

I recommend: At the Sun Microsystems website, read an overview of Sun Storage tape system appliances and applications. Download an easy-to-understand overview of Sun Storage tape library products with comparisons of specific Sun Storage tape library product features (PDF). For an overview of Sun Storage tape virtualization products, download an easy-to-understand brochure (PDF). Explore the features of Sun StorageTek high-capacity data storage tape drive products. Learn about how the Sun StorageTek Crypto Key Management System provides scalable data encryption solutions. Sun Storage tape system software products include Sun Storage Tek Mainframe Software Suite, a tape library management application.

Get an overview of Sun Storage's storage networking appliances and applications

Explore the features of Sun Storage networking products including data network switches, directors, routers and HBAs (host bus adapters).

I recommend: For an understandable overview of storage networking products, read a feature comparison of the Sun Storage Brocade family of products, which includes the Brocade Backbone storage network infrastructure system and Brocade SAN directors, switches and routers. Get an understandable overview (PDF) of Sun Storage's host bus adapter Fibre Channel connectivity products. Besides Brocade directors and switches, Sun Storage offers a line of Cisco MDS connectivity products.

Get an overview of the Sun Storage open storage platform

The Sun Storage open storage platform is an open source architecture system compatible with Solaris, Windows and Linux server operating systems platforms.

I recommend: Get a quick overview of Sun Open Storage hardware and open source software systems made for the Sun Storage Unified Storage family of products, Sun Fire storage server products and for higher capacity Sun Storage Expansion Array products. For a deeper understanding of their hardware and open source software data storage platform, Sun Open Storage offers an in-depth information resource that includes easy-to-understand videos from the Sun Open Storage Media Center.

Get an overview of Sun Storage's data management and protection software

Sun Storage software also serves Sun Storage tape and disk data storage devices.

I recommend: Get quick overviews of Sun Storage applications for data management including Lustre File System (PDF), Sun StorageTek Archive Manager (PDF), OS-specific Solaris ZFS software for Sun Storage, and Veritas Storage Foundation software (developed by Symantec). Get quick overviews of Sun Storage data protection software products including Sun StorageTek Enterprise Backup Software, BakBone NetVault (PDF) backup software for mid-sized businesses, and Veritas NetBackUp scalable backup software by Symantec. Get an overview of the features of Sun Storage device software products.

Buy from sellers of Sun Storage devices and systems

Because Sun Storage hardware and software products can be complex and costly, the purchasing process may also have its complexities.

I recommend: Sun.com offers contact information for Sun Storage products sales experts. Get an overview of the process of how to buy Sun Storage devices and applications as well as product services and product training. Get an overview of Sun Systems Packs, a purchase package that couples Sun Storage system products with a Sun Support contract. Before you buy, get a 60-day trial of Sun Storage products. Or you can find a Sun Storage reseller partner located near you.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To participate in the Try and Buy 60-day free trial of Sun Storage products, you must meet specific rules and qualifications.