Define: File Virtualization

File Virtualization is an aspect of storage virtualization which operates on a computer file level and involves bringing together multiple storage devices into a single, overarching collection of files. It is an important part of both file area network (FAN) and network file management (NFM). If that sounds like something that might benefit your organization, read on.

Attune Systems, a provider of file management solutions for Windows based storage today announced the availability of Maestro File Manager 3.0. The new release provides reporting capabilities that deliver both file and server statistics and offers administrators a broad view of the storage environment. Adding server statistics ensures that storage administrators can see not only a static view of their capacity across their storage devices, but can now view the throughput and most importantly identify bottlenecks in their storage infrastructure.

To put the need for file virtualization in perspective, consider a company that has thousands of employees at different locations. When you have people travelling and moving in between cities or even areas within the same building you need to have a clear understanding of how data is being stored and utilized as well as the ability to map it to use the resources more effectively. For example, file virtualization might give you the ability to access your files from wherever you are physically located.