Define the workload
Capacity, read/write pattern, latency, endurance and concurrency determine whether HDD, SATA SSD, NVMe, NAS or SAN is appropriate.
Storage guide
How to Choose SSD, HDD, NAS or Enterprise Storage
Select storage by workload, performance, resilience, compatibility and data-protection requirements.
Check the platform and interface
Confirm form factor, interface, carrier, controller support, firmware and sector format for server and array drives.
Plan resilience and backup separately
RAID protects against some drive failures but does not replace independent backup, replication or recovery planning.
Consider lifecycle and expansion
Include growth, spare capacity, support term, replacement availability and migration needs.
Frequently asked questions
Is an enterprise drive required for servers?
Enterprise workloads often need validated firmware, endurance, error handling and platform support.
Does RAID replace backup?
No. Backup and recovery planning should remain separate from local drive redundancy.