Competing vendors for the systems you identified in 6.20.2 have offered to allow you to evaluate their systems on site. Identify the benchmarks you will use to determine which system is best for your application. Determine how long it will take you to gather enough data to make your determination.

Data from in 6.20.2

Recommend a backup and data archiving system for the disk array from 6.20.1. Compare and contrast disk, tape, and online backup capabilities. Use Internet and library resources to identify potential servers. Assess cost and suitability for the application using parameters described in Chapter 6. Select parameters for comparison using properties of the application as well as specified requirements.

Day-to-day evaluation and maintenance of operational computer systems involves many of the concepts discussed in Chapter 6. Explore the intricacies of evaluating systems by exploring the following questions.