Refurbished Storages

Buy used storage – inexpensively configured & delivered quickly

Do you need a secure and affordable backup solution for your company? Or would you like to create a central point in your IT landscape to give your employees quick and easy access to important data? Do you require a high degree of reliability and data security? Then rely on refurbished storage systems and storage components from the professional sector. We offer you high-quality hardware from well-known manufacturers such as HPE, DELL, Lenovo, NetApp or Hitachi at favorable conditions.

All of our devices and components go through our rigorous refurbishing process. Unlike new goods, the hardware offered in our shop was rated "Heart & Kidneys” checked – this means that production errors and other “teething troubles” can be ruled out. But "2nd-hand IT" offers another advantage: it does not have to be produced first. All devices and hardware components that we offer in our shop are available in our warehouse in Regenstauf near Regensburg. For you, this means: short delivery times, even for devices that are configured exactly according to your requirements. A main advantage of used devices - in addition to the much cheaper price compared to new goods.

Our wide range of refurbished storage includes both the "heads" of the storage systems, i.e. controller units with logic, as well as simple extension shelves ("disk shelves") and components such as storage HDDs or SSDs, I/O modules, controllers, power supplies, cables and rack rails.

Second-hand storage systems - why rely on refurbished?

Although cloud technology is becoming more and more established, many companies still rely on their own data center with a central storage solution. There are good reasons for this, especially when it comes to security and availability. Your own on-site server room contains all data, documents and the complete "knowledge" of a company that has accumulated over the course of its existence. Losing it would be absolutely fatal. The trend is therefore towards the hybrid model: i.e. storing data both at a central point(s), on site and in the cloud - this way the risk of loss is lower because there are copies.

The implementation sounds easy - but high-quality storage systems and components are often not available very quickly and are usually extremely expensive. Unfortunately, these factors primarily "thwart" SMEs with low IT budgets from acquiring a secure and reliable solution for their sensitive company data. Used storage systems and expansion modules offer an inexpensive and clever alternative.

Delivery bottlenecks and long waiting times (e.g. during production, configuration) are avoided - because our "refurbished storage" is in stock and can therefore be delivered to you immediately. In addition to "available more quickly", "lower costs" and "tested for functionality", there is another aspect that speaks for used goods and which is also becoming increasingly important: sustainability.

Because the hardware is often replaced too early and its possibilities are therefore not fully exploited. And that's bad for our environment: Because it means that the disposal rate increases, just like the CO₂ emissions that arise when new products have to be manufactured. However, high-quality professional hardware is designed for long-term use. Rely on refurbished hardware, so you not only protect your wallet, but also our environment.

Storage evolution and storage types

We often hear criticism that used storage systems are less powerful than new models and that the technologies are outdated - but we have to disagree. Of course it depends on the age of the devices, storage systems that come from the "IT stone age" can of course hardly be compared with today's possibilities and capacities. However, this does not apply to systems that are perhaps 3, 5 or 7 years old. Because common standards and norms, such as "SATA" or "SAS" exist not only for a short time, but over an extremely long period of time.

The "Dinos" in terms of data carriers are currently just as represented in data centers as modern flash disks. Why? In times of "Big Data", the amount of data that a company collects and backs up over time is growing at an extreme pace. If you consider the price per capacity, backing up information – especially in the backup area – on tapes and HDDs currently makes far more sense than storing it on SSDs.

Actually, there are only two storage technologies: mechanical, like hard disk drives (HDDs) or flash memory (SSDs). Although the trend is increasingly towards flash technology, hard drives are still an indispensable storage solution. Only the location seems to change. Whereas HDDs used to be used for dedicated systems that needed to process a high volume of data and allow constant access, SSDs are now more likely to be used for “warm” and “hot” data.

Because there, the speed of the flash memory ensures better access to e.g. B. customer data, product information or stocks. Large companies, authorities, hospitals and call centers whose employees require a constant flow of data and constant access to databases or transaction systems are more likely to rely on flash-based systems than companies that only use their storage as a backup, i.e. for "cold" or archives-data.

Storage memories are divided as follows:

DAS (Direct Attached Storage)

This is a very simple, inexpensive and fast way to expand an existing storage server: A separate hard disk housing (e.g. hard disk shelf or external hard disk) is connected directly to the individual host, thus increasing the storage capacity. This results in a "point-to-point" connection - which brings with it a considerable price and speed advantage, but does not offer any kind of flexibility.

NAS (Network Attached Storage)

With a NAS, independent storage capacities are provided in a computing network. It communicates via the network and a protocol such as e.g. B. iSCSI, NFS or SMB. The advantage: a high level of storage capacity is made available with little effort. Employees can access the data they need quickly and easily - even from outside (e.g. for home office or field staff).

SAN (Storage Area Network)

A SAN system is ideal if large amounts of data are processed and made available in a company. Disk storage and tape libraries ("tape libraries") are connected to the server systems in the network. This is done by the components: cabling, host bus adapter and switches and ensures high availability, flexibility and scalability. Virtual SAN storage can also be implemented with today's technologies (vSAN) in order to obtain even more power and performance from the storage media.

File storage vs. block storage vs. object storage

In addition to the different storage functions, there are also different storage methods that are used for different services. So-called "file storage" is usually used for archiving, "block storage" for database applications and "object storage" includes storage virtualization (cloud storage). Here is a brief overview of the methods:

File-Storage

File storage is often also referred to as "file storage", "file-level storage" or "file-based storage". As you can already clearly read from the different terms, information is stored in the form of files and created in a hierarchical directory structure. We also know this from our own laptop or PC: A super folder with the title "Pictures" is e.g. B. divided into different sub-folders (according to the year, holiday locations, etc.). These in turn contain the files, i.e. our photos.

The file system includes the path information that the computer uses to access the desired files. Since all information is stored completely, i.e. as complete files, classic file storage requires a lot of storage space - but this can be added quickly and easily (e.g. with additional hard drives and shelves).

The oldest type of data backup is one of the most common and simplest types of storage and is used in the PC area as well as for DAS (Direct Attached Storage) and NAS (Network Attached Storage). The communication between the host and the storage takes place via SMB (Server Message Block) for Windows-based computers or NFS (Network File System) for Linux-based computers.

File storage (in German: "data storage") is often also referred to as "file storage", "file-level storage" or "file-based storage". As you can already clearly read from the different terms, information is stored in the form of files and created in a hierarchical directory structure. We also know this from our own laptop or PC: A super folder with the title "Pictures" is e.g. B. divided into different sub-folders (according to the year, holiday locations, etc.). These in turn contain the files, i.e. our photos.

Clear advantages are that this is a simple and understandable storage solution that is relatively inexpensive and optimally scalable. The disadvantage: the more data is stored, the more data paths there are. The complexity of the navigation paths can therefore slow down access.

File storage is mainly used in NAS systems and storage servers that are used for archiving. If the file systems are shared, cloud file sharing is also an option. With this cloud-based file storage, the data is also stored in hierarchical directory structures. But this happens virtually. Although there is no effort to operate a file server (with hardware and software), the information should be backed up regularly on your own hard drives or tapes for security reasons.

Block-Storage

In contrast to file storage, both access and storage of the data takes place in individual "blocks" - hence also called block storage, block-level storage, or block-based storage. The storage software determines where and how the information is distributed. A backup on several storage systems is also possible.

With file storage, the information is retrieved directly from the respective address file. With block storage, the information is divided into equal block units. This means that these cannot be opened or executed directly, but must first be "merged" into a complete file by the server host's operating system.

The blocks are "addressed" via protocols or standards such as Fiber Channel (FC), iSCSI or FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet). Block storage is often used in SAN systems because it brings significant advantages in terms of speed, redundancy and flexibility. One disadvantage is that professional hardware in the SAN area is usually very expensive - but this can be cleverly circumvented by using remanufactured hardware from well-known manufacturers such as HPE, Lenovo, NetApp or DELL/EMC.

NAS systems with block storage technology are particularly suitable for companies that have a very high volume of data and transactions, have large databases and operate their own data center. High performance and low latency ensure top access times and fast, efficient data transport. Block storage is not only used in databases and data storage, but also for virtual machines.

Object-Storage

With "object storage" or "object-based storage", data elements are combined and provided with corresponding metadata. In contrast to file storage, there is no hierarchical structure, but a flat address area, the so-called "storage pool". The various pieces of information and data thus exist on a horizontal line, so the physical storage location is irrelevant.

Of course, this very new technology offers a number of advantages: thanks to the metadata that can be added individually, data analyzes can be carried out quickly and easily and there is unlimited scalability. The latter also reduces costs (horizontal scalability, capacities are easily added in the form of a new storage node) and resources are efficiently optimized.

Object storage is used in clouds / cloud storage solutions. Communication and access to the data takes place via HTTP. A disadvantage of object storage, on the other hand, is that if existing information has to be changed, the respective data cannot be corrected directly, but a new object has to be created each time. The implementation of changes is therefore a rather slow and cumbersome procedure.

Who wins the matches "Object Storage vs. File Storage", "Block Storage vs. File Storage" or "Block Storage vs. Object Storage"? There is only a “winner” in this sense if you include the question of the area of application. Each method has advantages and disadvantages and is therefore a "winner" for different areas of application.

Here is a table for an overview of the individual features and advantages:

Topic data security - How do you protect the most important asset of your company?

The data that a company collects over time has long since included more than just addresses or product information. Data has gained a certain "power" - it is collected, analyzed and evaluated without limits. Huge databases collect the time at which a customer orders, which devices he uses for surfing and shopping on the Internet and from which referrer page he came to a shop or website. Many companies also rely on artificial intelligence to create forecasts as to which target group will buy this product at what point in time. Buying behavior is completely screened. Do special information and details perhaps provide the final impulse to buy? What interests do customers show privately (e.g. via Instagram, Facebook, etc.) and how do these needs and characteristics play into the company's purchasing behavior? What type of campaign received the highest praise from the customer?

Basically anything can be analyzed and evaluated – and a company quickly has a huge arsenal of data and information. But these are only profitable if there is solid data management so that the information and values can be used efficiently. The optimal management of the individual objects is just as important as a reliable data backup and easy recovery in an emergency.

But how can data backup in the company be optimized and the costs kept at a low level? How do you create an efficient and secure backup solution? We have compiled some options for you in our checklist on the subject of data security:

This "data" is still not enough for you and you would like to feed your "internal storage" with more knowledge and tips? In our Serverando blog we regularly post useful information from the world of technology, tips and tricks as well as decision-making aids and purchase advice. If you are fascinated by the topic of data, take a look at our other posts:

• „IT security on vacation: Because hackers don't go on vacation“
• „Workplace 2.0: Data meltdown in the home office?“
• „At least 8 characters, 1x capital letter & 1x special character“

Further input and release information on new blog posts can be found on our Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/serverando.de/

Do you have used hardware that you would like to sell and need a reliable and secure partner for your data deletion? Then take a look at our company website: https://www.quattrom.de/hardware-ankauf/ or get it You can also easily and free of charge use our online form to get a valuation for your used hardware and Microsoft software:https://www.quattrom.de/ankaufsformular/.