Which of the following allows an administrator to predict SAN utilization in order to plan the storage department's capital expenditure target?

Forecasting is the act of making predictions, but trending is a specific method used to achieve that prediction, making 'trending' the more precise answer for the described action.

Baselining establishes a normal or initial state for performance comparison, but it does not directly predict future utilization or growth.

Planning is the overall process of determining actions, and while predicting utilization is an input to planning, it is not the method used for the prediction itself.

Trending is the process of examining past data to identify patterns, growth rates, and shifts in SAN utilization over time. By understanding these trends, administrators can accurately predict future storage requirements and plan capital expenditure targets accordingly.