Its showtime for Information Classification solutions

Last week, several hundred IT folks headed to San Diego to see the latest and greatest in storage at SNW (Storage Networking World).  While many show-goers listened to pitches about next generation storage systems and a variety of new methods to protect data, this SNW was the first event where information classification technology made its way from 'whisper suites' to the trade show floor.  Information Classification, the process of preparing data for action, is a critical market segment within Intelligent Information Management helping organizations contextually understand their information assets.

Information Classification solutions analyze files, e-mails and databases and group them into predefined categories.  The analysis can be performed against historical data or information that is newly created.  As the likes of Kazeon, FAST, Scentric, StoredIQ and Index Engines touted their unique capabilities to classify information, many attendees appeared to be confused trying to decipher traditional Storage Resource Management (SRM) products with Information Classification solutions.   While both solutions scan information sources and gather insight about the relationship between data, servers and storage, the level of detail is much different between SRM and Information Classification products.  Both solutions provide insight for IT and business users to make very different decisions with their information.

Storage Resource Management software analyzes how much storage capacity is allocated to servers and how much capacity is actually being consumed.  When collecting information, SRM tools can also report on the various file types as well as who (or what application) created the data.  Finally, SRM can provide insight as to how old data is and the last the time it was accessed.  With this information, IT can increase storage system utilization, delete non-business related data (like MP3s), and grasp what storage systems are retaining stale, unchanging data.  Because SRM tools can identify the application or user that creates data, IT can also use SRM tools to 'chargeback' business units for the storage that they are allocated and consume.  Fundamentally, SRM tools use file system and database meta-data (date, creator, etc) to build and map relationships between data, storage systems, and owners / creators.  Meta-data attributes are extremely useful when trying to improve system utilization and hold business units accountable for IT resources.

Information Classification products build comprehensive indexes of both meta-data attributes as well as the contents of files, e-mails and databases.  The ability to index all of the contents of data enables IT to see files that contain specific text like a Credit Card Number or an employee address.  In addition, Information Classification solutions can also build an index of the attributes expanding the intelligence of certain information, like a piece of data's creator.  For example, a basic attribute of a file is its creator, usually identified in a file system by the user's system log on.  Further indexing by a Classification solution can compare a user's log on with an organizational hierarchy that shows that the creator is in the finance department, sits in Tokyo and is a member of the internal audit cross functional team.  This level of intelligence about the creator as well understanding what is within a piece of data, helps IT categorize information and then take action.  An action may be archiving all Excel files created by a finance employee or quarantining Word files created by HR for a legal matter.  These actions are examples of Information Management tasks that can be carried out against a subset of total data that is created by a specific group with a large organization.

Information Classification and SRM solutions serve different purposes.  Before buying one or the other, understand what you are trying to accomplish.  If your IT department is notorious for buying storage without knowing what current system utilization is, SRM is what you need.  If you need to archive, encrypt, quarantine, or take very specific actions against a subset of data, Information Classification tools will help immensely.  In some cases, you may need both.  It is best to understand your objective and goal before buying software that you THINK may help.