Table of ContentsEditorial2D or not 2D? That is the questionDisk-to-disk (D2D) backup/recovery is one of the hottest trends, and controversial topics, in the storage industry these days. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous tape backup, or to take arms against this sea of troubles and turn to cheap disksU
News Analysis TrendsAMCC acquires JNIApplied Micro Circuits Corp. is acquiring Fibre Channel host bus adapter (HBA) vendor JNI Corp. for approximately $190 million, or $7 per share of JNI stock. In terms of 2002 revenues, JNI was the fourth-largest vendor of Fibre Channel host adapters, behind Hewlett-Packard (including Compaq HBA revenues), QLogic, and market leader Emulex, according to International Data Corp. (see chart).
Candera controller tackles SAN problemsMilpitas, CA-based start-up Candera claims that users can address key storage area network (SAN) issues (e.g., interoperability, capacity utilization, provisioning, etc.) with a pair of its SCE 510 network storage controllers.
Cisco adds low-end Fibre Channel switchesCisco recently rounded out its Fibre Channel switch line with 20-port and 40-port MDS 9100 series fabric switches. Previously, the MDS 9216 was the company's low-end offering. However, the 9216 can be scaled from 16 to 32 or 48 ports and can handle multiple protocols and add-in line cards.
EMC debuts Windows-based NASThis month, EMC began shipping its first network-attached storage (NAS) device based on Microsoft's Windows Storage Server 2003, which became available last month. Several other OEMs also recently released products based on Microsoft's new operating system.
IBM raises the bar for enterprise tapeWith the release of its TotalStorage Enterprise Tape Drive 3592 last month, IBM has made it possible for its customers to use a single tape technology for both capacity- and access-intensive applications.
LeftHand Networks adds IP SAN optionsLeftHand Networks recently announced support for iSCSI and is shipping a new IP-based storage area network (SAN) and remote IP replication software.
Low cost lures users to IP SANsLeveraging existing Ethernet-IP infrastructure is saving money for users who want the advantages of a storage area network (SAN) but cannot afford a Fibre Channel SAN.
McData squares off against Brocade, CiscoAnalysts say that McData's acquisitions of Nishan Systems and Sanera may level the playing field in the brewing battle among Brocade, Cisco, and McData.
NetApp moves toward blade architectureWith the recent release of its FAS200 "unified storage" system, Network Appliance is moving toward a blade architecture by packaging its operating system, storage controller, and software on a 9-inch card installed in a storage shelf.
SGI stages storage comebackAfter an extended period of silence, SGI last month re-emerged on the storage scene with a new suite of products and expanded services for application developers and distributors, highlighted by a recently inked deal with storage management software provider AppIQ.
Storage Networking World previewThe Storage Networking World (SNW) conference and exhibition, which is endorsed by the Storage Networking Industry Association, opens next week (Oct. 27 to 30) in Orlando.
StoreAge touts snapshot capabilitiesAnalysts say that the way StoreAge Networking Technologies performs snapshots, in conjunction with its out-of-band storage virtualization, is a key differentiator for the three-year-old storage management software vendor.
Business BriefsFeaturesCompliance beyond e-mail: Approaches for structured dataMany IT managers are concerned about the legal and regulatory compliance issues posed by electronic documents and e-mail. However, they may not realize that these risks and requirements also apply to the structured data in their accounting and ERP applications. With the advent of new technology, companies can meet these requirements using approaches that minimize the cost of compliance.
Digital archiving versus backup: They're not the sameMany people use the terms "digital archiving" and "backup" interchangeably since they both relate to electronic data storage. The distinction lies solely in the purpose. Specifically,
Extending storage over WANsMany companies are considering extending storage over long distances using a WAN (100 miles or more) to meet business continuity and disaster-recovery needs. Locating recovery centers closer than that (in the same metro area, for example) may be too risky for some companies.
iSCSI planning: Apps, performance, and initiatorsWhile Fibre Channel storage area networks (SANs) are best-suited for high-end, high-throughput applications that require 100 or 200MBps throughput (such as enterprise-level OLTP, data mining/warehousing, visualization, and video editing), there are a range of low-end and midrange business applications that typically require less than 20% of these throughput rates.
The virtual tape option for D2D backup/recoveryIn the past, IT discussions about backup and recovery of critical data focused primarily on the cost of downtime. Downtime costs are still critical, but the focus now is on the value of data, and a different set of criteria has been established for assessing risk.
OpinionDisk-to-disk backup will not replace tapeMagnetic tape technology debuted as a data storage medium 50 years ago, and ever since then alternative technologies claiming to be a better solution than tape have appeared.
Special ReportEvaluating options for disk-to-disk backupTape has been a fixture in corporate data centers over the last fifty years as a data backup-and-restore media. However, backup windows are shrinking, or disappearing, and enterprises are demanding that restores for critical applications complete within minutes.
Business Continuity PlanningMapping technologies to business needs for business continuityOne of the biggest mistakes companies can make when it comes to disaster recovery or business continuity is doing nothing because of budget constraints.
The importance of a multi-tiered DR strategyWhen IT managers prioritize upcoming projects, implementing or improving disaster-recovery plans is always high on the agenda. However, because of the high cost of monolithic storage systems and shrinking IT budgets most organizations do little more than make minor updates to disaster-recovery plans, if they're able to do anything at all.
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This IssueNo Image Available Volume 7
Issue issue-10
October 2003
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