Not too long ago, storage managers were kept company by the sound of spinning disks and whirring tape drives. Today, the din of storage systems is barely audible as business unit folks, application development dudes, compliance officers, network gurus--heck, even corporate lawyers--crowd onto the raised floor. And they all have something to say about how storage should be run.

When life was simple, disk jockeys could enjoy their solitude; now everyone wants to get into the storage act. Not surprising, really, with every company on the planet worrying about exposing their intellectual property, protecting customer info or trying not to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit.