Barker sums it up by saying that it is important to look at the totality of the problem. "There are many different objectives. Backup and retrieval are not the same as continuous availability. Don't lock yourself into one technology solution."

And for those who think storage is more work than you really want . . . "It's fraught with failure and false starts but it's getting better. It's getting more exciting and more fun all the time," Barker says.

And it is certainly getting more important.