Planning data storage

What do we mean by planning data storage?

The process of planning the storage and management of data including files, documents, databases, and other digital content to ensure access and changes are controlled appropriately, data can be retrieved and that it is held efficiently, maximising the use of capacity and minimising costs. 

Due to the significant amount of data generated by councils and held digitally, and the desire to make use of data to drive data led decision making, data storage is an important consideration for any technology enabled transformation. 

Knowledge 

• Understanding of data storage hosting options including on premise and cloud storage. 
• Familiarity with major Cloud platforms – AWS, Azure, Google. 
• Understanding of data centre management (where relevant). 
• Understanding of cloud benefits, risks, optimisation, licensing, and pricing models. 
• Understanding of data replication, backup, and archiving. 
• Knowledge of file systems and data control. 
• Understanding of data migration paths between hosting options. 
• Knowledge of data security and compliance including access controls and encryption. 
• Understanding of data efficiency techniques including de-duplication and compression. 
• Understanding of networks and cloud networking concepts including how data is transferred to and from cloud storage. 
• Knowledge of data storage management software. 

Skills 

Able to:  

• Think strategically: Considering capacity requirements in the context of the needs of the whole organisation. 
• Plan storage capacity: Gathering and planning the capacity requirements of the organisation and effectively forecast needs and associated impacts.
• Advise: On the impacts of potential hosting and storage decisions.  
• Define requirements: Including specifying non-functional requirements for SaaS provision, Cloud requirements or infrastructure requirements for on premise provision. 
• Consider options: In relation to capacity management, aligned to the organisation’s desired outcomes, cost constraints and ICT / Cloud strategy. 
• Manage on premise data (as appropriate): Including designing and overseeing the physical infrastructure, environmental controls, hardware, software, and related processes, including disaster recovery. 
• Manage cloud storage (as appropriate): Including understanding available platforms, planning and forecasting needs, assessing performance, cost, licensing, and security management, enabling monitoring, and logging and automating provisioning and configuration. 
• Manage and liaise with suppliers: In relation to requirements for physical components and / or Cloud provision. 
• Implement effective security controls: Including identity and access management, encryption etc.  
• Apply data efficiency techniques: To maximise performance while minimising costs, including de-duplication and compression. 
• Script and automate repetitive tasks: Enabling efficiency in standard configurations and management of back-ups. 
• Plan for disaster recovery: Including specifying disaster recovery requirements for SaaS solutions and defining and implementing disaster recovery designs and plans for cloud and on-premises solutions.
• Collaborate and communicate: Working as part of cross functional teams to ensure effective organisational input to requirement gathering and planning, and to communicate risks to enable costs to be understood and business continuity to be planned effectively. 
• Solve problems: Identifying and resolving issues relating to storage, performance, access, or security. 
• Manage risk: Identifying, assessing, and managing the risks associated with capacity planning and hosting options, ensuring these are reflected in the risk register appropriately and mitigated within risk appetite. 

Behaviours