Figure 3 presents a forecast of the typical capacity per server and the average site server capacity from 1997 to 2003. Because sites are growing in both capacity per server and number of servers, the total site server capacity increases at a faster rate than the average server capacity. Although this number may seem low at first glance, remember that this is an average for all sites, from Fortune 500 to SOHO 3 . As more and more sites turn to enterprise backup schemes, it is important to understand the trends of both site and server capacity. Capacity per site and the number of network administrators managing that capacity will not grow at the same rate.
Companies can neither find nor afford to hire network administrators at that rate.
The growing gap between capacity and number of administrators means significant improvement in storage management tools is a necessity. Increasing deployment of network and systems management tools will allow administrators to handle greater amounts of on-line storage than in the past. When one factors in the workstations for which these administrators are also responsible, the capacity under their control is enormous. Without management tools, handling this much storage would be virtually impossible. The network is a dynamic market that forms the basis for other markets, such as backup, software, connectivity products, etc.