What is a potential challenge when implementing tiered storage?

Implementing tiered storage involves managing data across different types of storage media, which is the essence of what tiered storage aims to achieve. With multiple tiers, such as high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs), traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), and possibly even tape storage, the challenge lies in the effective management of data placement and movement between these tiers based on access patterns, performance needs, and cost efficiency.

The process requires sophisticated algorithms to determine which data should reside on which tier, ensuring that frequently accessed data is quickly available while less critical data is stored in more cost-effective, slower storage. Additionally, maintaining consistency, ensuring data integrity, and implementing policies that optimize performance can complicate the management task.

While increased costs, access speeds, and complexity in data encryption can also pose challenges in a storage environment, the crux of tiered storage is fundamentally about managing diverse storage solutions effectively and ensuring that data is correctly allocated across these different environments. This multifaceted management requirement illustrates why option B is identified as a key challenge in implementing tiered storage.