US Patent 6912482 Data storage analysis mechanism

System and method for data storage management. Embodiments may be used to perform analysis of disk-based data storage. Embodiments may provide a storage analysis mechanism for estimating storage inventory/availability risk tradeoff for data storage media for an application or group of applications. Embodiments may be used to generate storage inventory information and recommendations or requirements for pooled and/or non-pooled storage. Embodiments may be used to compare pooled storage to non-pooled storage for a plurality of applications in a storage system.