As IT organizations work to maintain application availability while controlling costs, a greater emphasis on operational efficiency is essential. One key area where operational efficiencies can be achieved is in the storage infrastructure. Traditional storage systems are inherently inefficient, with multiple arrays of dedicated storage and various management points. Thin provisioning is now recognized in the industry as a critical approach to simplifying storage management while drastically improving capacity utilization. Additionally, the ability to defer system and capacity purchases results in less frequent and higher utility capital expenditures.