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| by Dave Cotter |
iSCSI Options Proliferate - by Dave Simpson
InfoStor has published dozens of case studies over
the last couple of years that have focused on why and
how end users are using iSCSI-based IP SANs. In
general, it all boils down to the old mantra: "iSCSI is
less expensive and easier to manage than Fibre
Channel SANs." In addition, iSCSI is "good enough"
for most applications, at least for relatively small
Windows configurations in small to medium-sized
business (SMB) environments.
Regardless, end-user adoption is picking up rapidly.
In an InfoStor QuickVote reader poll, almost a third
(31%) of the respondents said they have already
implemented iSCSI and another 28% plan to do so
within the next year, while 41% have no plans to
deploy iSCSI.
According to Gartner Inc., the iSCSI market will hit $2
billion in 2010. And according to IDC, the compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) for iSCSI revenues will
exceed 74% through 2010.
According to analysts, virtual servers are the primary
driver behind end-user adoption of iSCSI. (For more
information, see "How server virtualization affects
storage" and "Benefits of iSCSI and virtual servers" at
www.infostor.com.)
The good news for end users and systems/storage integrators is that there are a plethora of products to choose from, ranging from iSCSI software initiators to target devices loaded with storage applications such as point-in-time copy, remote copy, LUN cloning, iSCSI boot, mirroring, snapshots, replication, and other backup/recovery and disaster-recovery applications. Although most iSCSI sites use initiator software from Microsoft, there are plenty of other free software initiators available for non-Windows operating systems from vendors such as Atto Technology (Mac OS), Cisco (Solaris), Hewlett-Packard (HP-UX), IBM (AIX), Novell (NetWare), Open-E (Linux), and VMware (VMware). The most recent additions to LeftHand Networks' iSCSI system lineup are the NSM 2060 and NSM 4150, both of which are based on the company's SAN/iQ clustered storage software. Applications included at no additional charge are thin provisioning, snapshots, distributed clustering, synchronous and asynchronous replication, and volume migration and cloning. SAN/iQ runs on x86 platforms and virtual servers. The 2U NSM 2060 is available in three six-drive configurations: a 1.8TB version with 15,000rpm SAS drives, and 3TB and 4.5TB configurations with SATA drives. The 4U NSM 4150 is available in three 15-drive configurations: a 4.5TB version with 15,000rpm SAS drives, and 7.5TB and 11.25TB versions with SATA drives. |
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| by Dave Cotter |
Offers Summer Exclusive Trade-Up Promotion
From July 1 to August 31, 2008, Lefthand Networks is
offering a promotion where customers with NSM100,
NSM150, NSM160, NSM200 or DL380 G4 can save up
to $3,000 on a new, faster and higher capacity
NSM2060.
- For each unit retired, the end users are entitled to 1 NSM2060 (1.8TB SAS or 3.0TB SATA) at the promotion price. - The promotion price is valid from July 1 to Aug 31, 2008. - With the purchase of an extended warranty on the new equipment, any remaining support contract on the old equipment is transferred and extends the duration of your new warranty. |
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| by Dave Cotter |
Disk-Based Backup System with Data De-Duplication
Product Enhancements Deliver Multi-site
Backup Capability, Backup-Job-Aware Reporting and
Expanded Backup Capacities
Westborough, - Mass. July 21, 2008- ExaGridŽ
Systems, Inc. (http://www.exagrid.com), the leader in
cost-effective and scalable disk-based backup
solutions with data de-duplication, today announced
that it has enhanced its Disk-based Backup System by
adding the ability to cross-protect up to 9 major data
center locations (multi-site backup capabilities),
advanced backup-job-aware reporting and expanded
backup capacities. These product enhancements
allow customers to significantly improve the way they
manage their backups by allowing major data centers
in multiple locations to backup to disk with de-
duplication and then cross protect one another, and by
providing unprecedented visibility into the true status
of backup data throughout its lifecycle within the
system.
The latest version of the ExaGrid Disk-based Backup
system includes the following important
enhancements and customer benefits:
Multi-site Data Center Cross Protection: - ExaGrid supports two-site or multi-site cross protection for up to 9 data center locations. - Because ExaGrid only moves the byte-level changes from the local site to offsite systems, only about 1/50th of the data has to traverse the WAN. - Eliminates or supplements off-site tape with live disk- based repositories for long-term off-site retention or disaster recovery. - Simplified multi-site management -- a user with appropriate privileges can manage the entire multi- site environment via a single web-based user interface, versus products that require each site or device to be managed separately. Backup-Job-Aware Reporting: - Advanced reporting correlates backup jobs stored on the ExaGrid with the backup application providing unprecedented visibility into the true status of the backup data. - ExaGrid's disk-based backup system is the only product that shows de-duplication ratio by backup job, allowing organizations to optimize the results of byte- level data de-duplication. - The ExaGrid system is the only product that shows replication status by backup job, ensuring that any remote site restores are executed from complete backup jobs, and that the most recent data possible is being used versus resorting to a guessing game during a critical recovery scenario. High Capacity, Scalable Virtualized GRID Architecture: - Store a 30TB full backup, plus weeks or months backup history/retention, in a single GRID system with a single management console (6 x 5TB ExaGrid servers = 30TB Virtualized GRID system). - Plug-and-play growth -- new systems virtualize together automatically -- no splitting data or losing de- duplication efficiency across separate systems. - Performance scales with data growth since processing power, memory and bandwidth are added along with storage capacity. - Automatic data load balancing across all servers in the GRID. - Multiple 30TB GRID systems can be installed for increased capacity. |
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| by Dave Cotter |
On TLS4000 Tape Libraries with AIT-5
Qualstar TLS + AIT Libraries are the Best
Storage Deal on the Planet
Starting in July 24th and running through September
30, 2008, Qualstar has slashed the cost of this
winning combination by at much a 50%.
Did You Know.... * Qualstar TLS-412600 with AIT-5 is 66% lower Cost per Terabyte than TLS-88264 with LTO-4. * Qualstar TLS-412360 with AIT-5 is 69% lower Cost per Terabyte than TLS-89132 with LTO-4. * Qualstar TLS-46120 with AIT-5 is 31% lower Cost per Terabytes than TLS-8466 with LTO-4 As always, there are a few rules. Please contact Dave Cotter @ IoDynamix for additional information |
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| by Dave Cotter |
In iSCSI SANs Worldwide
ROUND ROCK, Texas, July 10, 2008 - Dell is the
worldwide leader for iSCSI storage area networks
(SANs), with more than double the share of its nearest
competitor in the first quarter 2008 according to
industry analyst firm Gartner. In addition, Dell
EqualLogic storage solutions received a "Strong
Positive" the highest possible rating in
Gartner's "MarketScope for iSCSI SAN Integrated
Solutions."
New Business Models, Massive Storage
Needs
Burgeoning new Internet-based businesses including
application service providers and hosted services,
proliferating social networking sites such as
Facebook and LinkedIn and handheld mobile devices
such as the BlackBerry are generating an
unprecedented amount of digital content.
IDC reported in March 2008 that the digital universe is
expected to grow to nearly 1,800 exabytes by 2011, a
ten-fold increase over the next three years.
According to McKinsey & Company, demand for
storage capacity has grown by more than 50 percent
annually in recent years.
This explosion of digital information is not only
creating a monumental data storage challenge for IT
managers as people continue to consume, create and
store more information, but also it demands new
storage solutions that move beyond the limitations of
traditional solutions. The storage needs to be
accessible, flexible, automated, easy-to-manage, and
have the ability to scale on demand without disrupting
ongoing operations.
New Business Models, Massive Storage Needs iSCSI, or Internet SCSI, is a simple communications protocol that employs the Internet Protocol (IP) to connect servers with external storage devices. iSCSI's advantages are that it runs over ubiquitous Ethernet networks and switches, can communicate over wide area as well as local area networks, and, because it runs on top of IP, it is an extremely flexible routed protocol that facilitates virtualization. Dell has invested in a broad range of iSCSI solutions ranging from entry- level PowerVault products to powerful Dell Equallogic solutions to massively scalable Dell/EMC products. According to Forrester, there are both hard economic benefits as well as soft benefits in adopting iSCSI storage. "Given the hardware acquisition cost benefits as well as synergies in network staff and infrastructure, significant benefits can be gained from the use of iSCSI-based SAN architectures." Among the soft benefits is "more virtualization within the protocol. iSCSI is inherently more virtualized than Fibre Channel allowing for more granular addressing, especially important for virtual server environments." (Forrester Research, Inc., February 2008, "Cost Comparison of iSCSI Versus Fibre Channel SAN Components") But iSCSI alone is not the answer. In the case of Dell EqualLogic, iSCSI is the enabling technology for the patented virtualization architecture at the heart of the Dell EqualLogic product line. "We are seeing a tremendous opportunity for our storage systems across the board including our Dell/EMC, PowerVault and Dell/EqualLogic lines - especially with customers building virtual infrastructures and Internet-based businesses," said Darren Thomas, vice president and general manager of Dell Enterprise Storage. "These applications require not only the inherent ease of use and accessibility of the iSCSI protocol, but the intelligent automation and dynamic virtualization such as those in the Dell EqualLogic architecture." |
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| by Dave Cotter |
Companies Like Microsoft & Virtual Iron Moving In
TheStreet.com
SAN FRANCISCO - VMware must walk a fine line
between revenue growth and price cuts to remain the
market leader in virtualization.
A report released Wednesday shows the company's
market share is eroding quickly as competitors close
the technology gap with lower-priced products. But the
report's author says new leadership at VMware may
help stem the trend.
Virtualization software helps corporate data centers
drastically cut hardware, energy and cooling costs by
making more efficient use of servers and desktops.
Yankee Group analyst Laura DiDio estimates the
entire virtualization market will take in about $12 billion
to $14 billion in 2009, growing at a 25% to 30%
compounded annual rate over the next three years. In
2011, the worldwide market will be worth about $20
billion in revenue, she says.
VMware has 75% of the market, but lowered its growth forecast at its most recent earnings call, in part due to Microsoft's early release of its virtualization hypervisor technology in late June. The Hyper-V is loaded onto Windows Server 2008 -- a move that is expected to make deal closure more difficult for VMware. Oracle, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Virtual Iron and niche player Parallels are all chipping away at VMware's dominance, according to DiDio. "In the past year, all the other virtualization vendors charged between $700 and $800 per socket for their commercial server products, while VMware's product retailed for a whopping $3,000 per socket, a 75% premium," DiDio wrote. VMware is adjusting its pricing and package bundles to hang onto market share, she added. Without price cuts, VMware risks a backlash from current customers who will demand bigger discounts once their current contracts expire. At least 50% of the businesses surveyed indicated they might switch vendors over price, the report concludes. |
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