: Archive: January 2002

Trio demonstrates 'wire-speed' iSCSI SAN
In an effort to prove the viability of storage area networks (SANs) based on the emerging iSCSI standard, three vendors demonstrated a configuration running at "wire speed" over Gigabit Ethernet. Participating in the demo were Alacritech, Hitachi Data Systems, and Nishan Systems.

Software turns PC servers into NAS
One-year-old San Francisco-based Mountain View Data (MVD) has created a software kit that allows OEMs to turn a standard PC server into a network-attached storage (NAS) appliance that supports Windows, Unix, and Macintosh files in addition to offering high-end features such as snapshots.

Will WideSky help EMC morph from caterpillar to butterfly?
If other storage vendors cooperate with the WideSky initiative, it would let EMC software manage other vendors' hardware. If so, virtualization and IP storage would flip from threats to opportunities--if EMC can morph into a software company, that is.

NDMP acceptance grows, vendors target 4.0 spec
The Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) is expected to gain a stronger foothold in the end-user community as several vendors plan to ship products compliant with the latest Version 4.0 specification over the next few months.

PennWell's InfoStor Magazine Acquires Circulation Database From Server Workstation Expert Magazine
TULSA, OK--JANUARY 4, 2002--PennWell's InfoStor magazine, the leading information source for enterprise storage professionals, announced that it has acquired the 80,000+ circulation database of Server Workstation Expert magazine, a leading worldwide IT publication that ceased publication with its December 2001 issue.

NetApp announces NAS backup device
In further evidence of a developing trend toward backup to disk (as part of a disk-to-disk-to-tape scheme), Network Appliance last month announced the NearStore family of network-attached storage (NAS) devices for backup consolidation

User case studies: TCO and ROI benefits of SANs
Now that the hype has faded, how are organizations successfully deploying storage area networks to lower total cost of ownership and maximize return on investment?

Testing Super DLTtape drives and a 'virtual library'
Our lab combines Quantum's Super DLT drives, Overland Data's Neo Series libraries, and BRU-Pro backup software. The results follow

Tape library vendors embrace iSCSI
A number of tape library vendors recently outlined their plans for supporting iSCSI, and each is going about it a different way.

Strong growth for SAN and NAS, despite stalled economy
Networked storage will account for 67% of disk storage systems by 2005, according to a recent report by International Data Corp. (IDC)

Storage and blade servers: Planning the nuptials
Requirements for blade-server storage could include a SAN, virtualization, and support for multiple boot sectors, mirroring, point-in-time copying, and continuous uptime.

SPC releases 'standard' benchmark for disk arrays
The Storage Performance Council (SPC) recently announced the SPC-1 benchmark, a standardized test to measure the performance of disk subsystems

SANs heighten storage security requirements
Not making security part of your storage strategy can be a costly and time-consuming oversight

New Products
This month, Crossroads Systems announced the Model 10000 router, the high-end member of its multi-protocol router family

Networking and storage converge on IS-NICs
With the onset of iSCSI, a new breed of interface cards is evolving to support block-file transfers over TCP/IP networks

iSCSI adapter vendors jockeying for position
A number of network interface card (NIC) and host bus adapter (HBA) vendors are poised to enter the iSCSI market in the first half of 2002 with cards that offload TCP/IP and iSCSI protocol processing from host servers

LANs, MANs, SANs, and WANs to converge at 10Gbps
A look at the competing (or complementary) protocols for networking, storage networking, and inter-processor communications

iSCSI SANs inch closer to reality
End users are aware of the potential benefits of building storage networks based on the emerging iSCSI protocol, which enables block-level storage traffic over standard IP networks (IP SANs), but a number of gating factors have delayed adoption

Introducing the Storage Networking Industry Association
The first in a series of articles from SNIA focuses on current activities and future initiatives

Inside the SPC-1 benchmark
The SPC Benchmark-1 (SPC-1), a standard performance measurement workload for enterprise network storage, produces both performance and price/performance results.

Fibre Channel and IP SANs: An independent view
Four possible scenarios regarding FC and IP SANs exist, and the stakes are huge for both end users and vendors

Consortium to develop Serial SCSI spec
In November, Compaq, IBM, LSI Logic, Maxtor, and Seagate formed a consortium to develop a serial-attached point-to-point SCSI (Serial SCSI) specification that the group says will complement Serial ATA in entry-level server markets

Business Briefs
Veritas Software is teaming with IBM to deliver storage management solutions for complex multi-vendor environments. IBM will add Veritas' products to its data infrastructure services for platforms including AIX, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, and Windows

BlueArc boosts NAS-SAN architecture
Relative newcomer BlueArc is adding new features and functionality via silicon updates to its architecture over the next two quarters.

ATA puts the squeeze on SCSI
Analysts say it is no longer a question of if, but when and just how much market share Serial ATA will take from SCSI over the next four years

Part II iSNS: Technical overview of discovery in IP SANs
Our second installment delves into the details of the Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) specification for device discovery in IP storage area networks

When good terms go bad
Storage virtualization hit the scene a few years ago, initially from a small group of start-ups. At first, the concept seemed straightforward, provided you took the time for a few demos

Industry News and Analysis