InfoStor articles from June 2002

InfoStor archives from June 2002

No big storage surprises in HP-Compaq merger.
June 1, 2002... After eight months of often less-than-friendly banter between pro-and anti-merger groups, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq united without a hitch last month. And true to its word, the new company emerged with a three-year road map that clearly...

Cisco enables low-end IP SANs: iSCSI router targets FC switches.(Cisco Systems SN 5428 Storage Router)
June 1, 2002... In a move that may signal the beginning of end-user adoption of IP storage area networks (SANs) and the iSCSI standard, Cisco last month began shipping a router that combines IP and Fibre Channel switching. According to analysts, the SN 5428...

SNIA builds two end-user councils.(Storage Networking Industry Association)
June 1, 2002... The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is recruiting end users to be part of its Consumer Advisory Council (CAC), one of two councils providing feedback to SNIA's vendor membership. By this summer, SNIA hopes to attract 30 to 50...

EMC targets 'content addressable storage'.
June 1, 2002... EMC last month rattled storage markets with the announcement of Centera--a purpose-built online storage system for fixed content--a partner list of more than 30 vendors, and a new division devoted to Centera development. Based largely on...

N + I attendees weigh in on storage networking. (Editorial).(Statistical Data Included)(Editorial)
June 1, 2002... I was anxious to see the results from a storage networking survey conducted at last month's Networld+Interop show, primarily because it polled networking professionals who may or may not be involved with the storage side of their businesses. In...

Brocade Communications Systems and Nortel Networks announced several joint initiatives. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Brocade Communications Systems and Nortel Networks announced several joint initiatives, including completion of extensive inreroperability testing; expansion of their current relationship to accelerate deployment of optical SAN solutions to...

TidalWire and Crossroads Systems have expanded their distribution and support partnership. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... TidalWire and Crossroads Systems have expanded their distribution and support partnership, whereby TidalWire becomes a North American distributor for the entire line of Crossroads storage router products and will provide 24x7 technical support...

Spinnaker Networks. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Spinnaker Networks has completed a $31 million round of Series B funding, bringing total investment to more than $51.4 million. This round was led by Mellon Ventures, with GIC Special Investments also joining as a new investor. Series A...

Legato Systems' acquisition of OTG Software has closed after being formally approved by their respective shareholders. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Legato Systems' acquisition of OTG Software has closed after being formally approved by their respective shareholders. As per the merger agreement, each share of OTG common stock will be converted into the right to receive 0.6876 of a share of...

Rave Computer Association and UniTrends Software have forged an alliance to deliver disaster-recovery solutions for industries that require high availability and fast data recovery. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Rave Computer Association and UniTrends Software have forged an alliance to deliver disaster-recovery solutions for industries that require high availability and fast data recovery. Rave will carry UniTrend's suite of backup; restore, and...

Forsythe Solutions has become a member of the EMC Authorized Services Network. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Forsythe Solutions has become a member of the EMC Authorized Services Network, having been trained and qualified by EMC to provide networked storage services for EMC products.

NEC has selected the Emulex 2Gbps LP952L Fibre Channel HBA for integration into its Express5800 Series of Windows NT/2000-based servers. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... NEC has selected the Emulex 2Gbps LP952L Fibre Channel HBA for integration into its Express5800 Series of Windows NT/2000-based servers, which will purportedly help lower customers' total cost of ownership and reduce management complexity.

Arkeia Corp., a Carlsbad, CA-based supplier of Arkeia network backup solutions, is partnering with Consensys Ltd. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Arkeia Corp., a Carlsbad, CA-based supplier of Arkeia network backup solutions, is partnering with Consensys Ltd., the European supplier of Raidzone OpenNAS terabyte file servers for enterprise network configurations. The two firms concluded a...

JNI and Lane15 Software have a strategic alliance covering the use of Lane 15 technology with JNI HCA Modules and future InfiniBand software products. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... JNI and Lane15 Software have a strategic alliance covering the use of Lane 15 technology with JNI HCA Modules and future InfiniBand software products. The strategic alliance covers Lane15 Fabric. Management Suite on JNI HCA modules and...

FileTek's StorHouse software will now support Sony Electronics' new AIT drives that incorporate WORM features. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... FileTek's StorHouse software will now support Sony Electronics' new AIT drives that incorporate WORM features. General availability for both StorHouse support and the enhanced AIT drives and media is expected next month.

IBM. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... IBM has recorded 1TB of data to a linear digital tape cartridge, storing nearly 10 times more data than any linear tape cartridge currently available, according to company claims One tetabyte is equal to 16 days of continuously running DVD...

CommVault Systems. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... CommVault Systems has entered into a technology agreement with EMC to integrate CommVault Galaxy data management and protection software with the newly announced EMC Centera content addressed storage (CAS) solution.

Adaptec has signed an OEM purchase agreement with IBM. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Adaptec has signed an OEM purchase agreement with IBM to become a global supplier of 1 Gb and 10Gb iSCSI host bus adapter cards and related chips.

Is ASA Veritas' answer to EMC's Auto IS? (News Analysis & Trends).(Adaptive Software Architecture)
June 1, 2002... At its recent Vision conference, Veritas Software took the wraps off its new software strategy, and in doing so, raised more than a few industry eyebrows. Bearing a resemblance to EMC's Auto IS, Veritas' Adaptive Software Architecture may be...

Alacritech, HP boost NAS performance. (News Analysis & Trends).
June 1, 2002... A testing lab recently proved a significant increase in network-attached storage (NAS) performance using Alacritech's "integrated storage network interface card" (IS-NIC)--a derivative of the TCP/IP offload engine--and an unreleased Microsoft...

What's IBM up to with virtualization? (News Analysis & Trends).
June 1, 2002... If you're wondering what IBM is up to with virtualization and "Storage Tank," you're not alone. Until recently, Big Blue has shared few details about its software strategy, leaving many to speculate about its plans, the nature of its...

Fujitsu Technology Solutions has launched ETERNUS, which incorporates enterprise storage systems, software, and services from Fujitsu and its partners. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Fujitsu Technology Solutions has launched ETERNUS, which incorporates enterprise storage systems, software, and services from Fujitsu and its partners. ETERNUS will deliver high-availability storage solutions that solve business issues such as...

FalconStor Software. (Business Briefs).(IPStor 3.0)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... FalconStor Software announced the general availability of IPStor Version 3 to its worldwide customer base. IPStor Version 3 adds features that enhance the retrieval, safety, and accessibility of data for businesses with a low tolerance for...

Hitachi, IBM consolidate disk-drive operations. (News Analysis & Trends).
June 1, 2002... In April, Hitachi Ltd. and IBM announced the intent to combine their hard-disk-drive operations into a stand-alone, joint venture company that may become the third-largest drive manufacturer in the world, according to analysts. Separate...

Quantum bets on Linux for midrange NAS. (News Analysis & Trends).
June 1, 2002... Almost nine months after acquiring Connex's assets, including its Linux development team, Quantum has incorporated a Linux-based operating system into its new Guardian 14000 midrange network-attached storage (NAS) server. Quantum credits...

SPC releases benchmark results. (News Analysis & Trends).
June 1, 2002... The Storage Performance Council has begun posting results of the SPC Benchmark 1 (SPC-1) tests, which are designed to test performance of disk subsystems. Full test results, as well as an explanation of test methodology, are available at...

StoneFly virtualizes IP SANs. (News Analysis & trends).
June 1, 2002... Last week, start-up StoneFly Networks began shipments of storage virtualization appliances designed specifically for IP storage area networks (SANs) based on the emerging iSCSI protocol. IP SANs enable users to build block-level storage...

To collocate or not to collocate. (Reader-Expert I/O).
June 1, 2002... I need to arrange for off-site data storage for a small data center with three servers (e-mail, database, and file server) and roughly 500GB. I cannot cost-justify a pair of replicated storage area network (SAN) storage arrays, nor can I swing...

Infinity I/O will offer InfiniBand technical training through a partnership with I/O Authority. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Infinity I/O will offer InfiniBand technical training through a partnership with I/O Authority. Infinity I/O will initially offer I/O Authority InfiniBand curriculum, including a one-day course designed for IT and product managers, and sales...

Atempo and Quantum have designed a dedicated version of Atempo's Time Navigator backup-and-restore platform. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Atempo and Quantum have designed a dedicated version of Atempo's Time Navigator backup-and-restore platform for the Quantum DX30 enhanced backup system that offers data-management features optimized for disk and tape.

Sun Microsystems. (Business Briefs).(Sun Microsystems StorEdge 9970 and 9980)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... Sun Microsystems has added, new high-end Sun StorEdge 9970 and 9980 systems and a Sun StorEdge L5500 tape library to its arsenal of storage solutions. These products, combined with the Sun StorEdge Performance and Utilization Software Suites...

SAN management using CIM and WBEM: two standards may alleviate management headaches for both end users and management software developers. (SNIA on Storage).
June 1, 2002... One of the most daunting problems facing the storage industry is the management of multi-vendor heterogeneous storage network environments. It is a key concern for end users, integrators, and vendors. In the absence of any prevalent standards...

Software versus hardware replication for disaster recovery: replication is the key to a solid disaster-recovery plan, but there are a wide variety of options. (Disaster Recovery).
June 1, 2002... IT managers are placing renewed emphasis on protecting their companies from any type of disaster. With the realization that a disaster can affect anyone at any time, you have to ask yourself how a substantial outage would affect your business....

Storage virtualization: classifications and benefits. (Special Report).
June 1, 2002... Virtualization can be confusing because it can be applied to four different areas: storage space, files, networks, and device types. Any presentation of a thing, action, or concept through a level of abstraction is virtualization. Because...

The case for 'storage network appliances': simplified management and increased performance are catalysts for reducing total cost of ownership.
June 1, 2002... One of the biggest IT challenges is managing information. Solving the problems of information delivery by adding more hardware, software, and personnel is like swimming through a tidal wave: You're going to drown. IT professionals require...

Serial ATA: the truth behind the hype; beyond being a replacement for Parallel ATA (and an alternative to SCSI and Fibre Channel), Serial ATA will provide benefits in NAS/SAN configurations.
June 1, 2002... The major PC/server drive interfaces today include IDE/ATA, SCSI, and Fibre Channel. The predominant interface is IDE -- also referred to as ATA--which is available in a variety of implementations, including ATA/ATAPI, EIDE, ATA-2, Fast ATA,...

Roll-your-own RAID test results: our lab builds a RAID subsystem based on a high-availability, Ultra160 SCSI controller. (Labs Review).
June 1, 2002... xAs more and more companies move Linux into mainstream, mission-critical IT processing roles, no CIO can afford to dismiss this operating system as a toy for geeks or simply a cheap way to host a Website. As Linux moves into key IT roles, the...

NAS versus SAN all over again: some end users are bucking conventional wisdom and using NAS filers for RDBMS-based applications. The appeal: simplicity and cost. (Aanalyst View).
June 1, 2002... It has happened twice. Flash back to April 2001. It's Storage Networking World (SNW), Palm Desert, and a well-known analyst has just concluded a presentation. Time for Q&A. An audience member grabs the microphone and asks, "So, what should I...

Why hasn't storage virtualization taken off? The problems may lie in the management, reporting, monitoring, and delivery systems. (Opinion).
June 1, 2002... What is hindering the adoption of storage virtualization? Possibilities include end users' deployment concerns, scalability issues, reliability fears, or something as simple as unfamiliarity with some virtualization vendors. According to...

Vixel ships embedded storage switch for 'SBOD'. (New Products).
June 1, 2002... Vixel has begun shipping to CEMs embedded Fibre Channel switches that, in the case of disk array subsystems, would be integrated behind the RAID controller (see figure). OEMs that are evaluating the backend embedded switches include Avid...

PCI-X FC HBAs due from Emulex, JNI. (New Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Emulex and JNI recently began shipments of PCI-X Fibre Channel host bus adapters (HBAs). Emulex's 2Gbps midrange Light-Pulse LP982 and high-end LP9802 are the company's first to implement PCI-X (64bit, 133MHz) in core silicon and to use...

Low-end NAS options expanding. (New Products).(FIA Storage Systems POPnetserver 4500)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... FIA Storage Systems is shipping the POPnetserver 4500 NAS device for small to mid-sized companies. The 4500 has RAID support and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity in capacities ranging from 160GB ($1,899) to 480GB ($3,499). The NAS device has...

SanDisk debuts flash storage. (New Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... This month, SanDisk introduced a new line of solid-state flash storage products that includes CompactFlash cards (16MB to 51 2MB), PCMCIA PC cards (16MB to 2GB), and 2.5-inch FlashDrives (32MB to 2GB). Suggested OEM pricing is $445 for a 51 2MB...

StorageTek library scales to 132,000 slots. (New Products).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... At the Networld+lnterop show last month, StorageTek unveiled the L5500 tape library, which supports a variety of drives, including STK's T9840 and T9940, as well as LTO Ultrium drives. The L5500 scales from 1,500 to 132,000 slots and features...

Sony introduces 1U AIT library. (Tape).(StorStation LIB-81)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... StorStation LIB-81 library is Sony Electronics' slimmest and densest tape library. The device houses one AIT-1, AIT-2, or AIT-3 tape drive and up to eight media cartridges in an internal carousel design. It can be rack-mounted and has a storage...

Calendar.
June 1, 2002... Send brochure/conference information to Marcy Koff, marcyk@pennwell.com or fax: (603) 891-9297. August 20-21 Storage World Conference 2002--San Jose, CA This one-day event focuses on what's ahead for the storage industry. The...

Benchmark offers IU tape enclosure. (New Products).(Benchmark Storage Innovation ValuSmart Rack 1)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... Benchmark Storage Innovations this month began shipping the ValuSmart Rack 1, a 1U-high rack-optimized tape enclosure. The company is positioning the product as an alternative to autoloaders or libraries. The rack provides space for two...

OnStream adds USB 2.0 interface. (New Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 1, 2002... OnStream Data last month began shipping its ADR2.6usb tape drive, a hot-pluggable drive with a USB 2.0 interface. The drive has a 30GB native capacity and a data transfer rate to 5MBps. It lists for $729, which includes Yosemite Software's...