Summary
Retaining any volume of obsolete IT-related files (installers, disk images, application logs, data exports, database backups, etc.) burdens the organization with unnecessary cost and exposes the organization to unnecessary risk. The larger the number of files kept, the greater the costs and risks. Northern’s software solution (NSS) can be quickly configured to identify these files and provide staff with a click-through process to remove them. Very large data footprints can be parsed, across geographical regions, and including multiple platforms (traditional on-premise file storage, SharePoint, SharePoint Online, O365, other cloud platforms, Exchange Online, etc.).
By removing unnecessary IT-related files the organization will:
- Improve information and infrastructure security
- Reduce exposure to regulatory risk
- Improve compliance with internal directives
- Reduce costs and improve resource usage efficiency
- Reduce complexity of migration and transformation initiatives
Northern is currently providing some of the world’s leading organizations with this type of solution, and enabling them to realize these values. Contact your Account Manager or the Professional Services team to schedule configuration in your environment.
Situation
The organization can be exposed to unnecessary and unmanaged risks:
- These files may contain login information or sensitive network details – compromising data and infrastructure security
- These files may contain data subject to laws or internal policies, which is now neglected and left outside of normal governance procedures – leading to compliance and reputational risk
The organization is burdened with unnecessary costs:
- Primary, secondary, disaster recovery, and backup storage is consumed by worthless files
- Staff are unknowingly investing time in protecting and maintaining access to these worthless files
- Migration and transformation projects are, unnecessarily, made more complex and expensive
This situation continues to exist in most organizations due to specific challenges:
- Identifying these files across a large file service can be time-consuming and technically difficult
- Preparing concrete and digestible information to decision makers can also be time-consuming
- It can be very difficult to enable decision makers to act, in a suitably efficient and effective way
- Actions, if taken at all, can be point-in-time and not offer a long-term solution
Northern offers a way to overcome these challenges.
Northern Solution
- NSS Scans the file system to identify obsolete IT-related files (older installers, disk images, application logs, data exports, database backups, etc.), and stores the results in the SQL database.
- IT Admins are notified when the scan is complete.
- IT Admins can view the results in the NSS Console web interface.
- From within NSS’ web interface, obsolete and redundant files are either moved or deleted.
Key Risk Indicators Established
| Action | Time | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import configuration settings | 0.5 hours | Northern |
| 2 | Run analyses in environment and verify results | Varies* | Automated |
| 3 | Determine which files are obsolete (set criteria) | 1-4 hours | Customer and Northern |
| 4 | Configure Quarantine if files will be quarantined | 1-4 hours | Customer and Northern |
| 5 | Delete/quarantine files that are obsolete or suspected to be obsolete | 1-2 hours | Customer |
| 6 | Measure success by calculating volume of deleted or quarantined data and numbers of files | 1 hour | Northern |
The implementation of this solution requires minimal investment by the organization and, by identifying and removing redundant, IT-related files the organization will achieve real value.
- Improved information and infrastructure security by the removal of files that may contain login information or sensitive network details
- Reduced risk of legal non-compliance by the removal data that is beyond its retention period or no longer belongs to the organization
- An improved ability to satisfy internal audits as the files retained are known and properly curated
- Costs are reduced as primary, secondary, disaster recovery, and backup storage is used more efficiently
- Staff are able to focus their attention on data that is of value to the organization
- Complexity and cost of migration and transformation projects are reduced
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| NSS Deployed | Version 9.91 or later |
| SQL Database | SQL Server 2012 or later |
| NSS Solution Area(s) | Centralized File Service Management (CFSM) |
More of what we deliver
Reduce risk
Reduce cost
Increase efficiency
Corporate responsibility
Get started
If you wish to start using NSS to identify and remove redundant, IT-related files, please contact your Account Manager, or the Professional Services team, to schedule the first action: import configuration settings.
