To achieve storage efficiency, capacity management is critical. Administrators must ensure that applications, databases and end users are supplied with adequate space in which to store their data. At the same time, given the pace of change in storage technology and the falling cost of disk drives, it makes little sense to inventory large quantities of hardware before they are actually required for use.

This paper examines the role of storage virtualization as an enabler of effective capacity management from an architectural, operational and financial standpoint.