Interoperability Issues: The Hot Spots for 2002

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Interoperability IssuesThe Hot Spots for 2002

• John Webster
• Senior Analyst
• Illuminata, Inc.

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You cant always get what you want

• But if you try sometime
• (You just might find)
• You get what you need

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Interoperability 2002 The Hot Spots

• Fibre Channel SAN
• Hardware
• Operating System
• Management Software
• Support
• NAS
• Backup/restore
• RDBMS
• iSCSI
• Version control out of control
• The role of users

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DAS vs. Networked Storage
Attribute DAS NAS
Ease of data management Harder Easier
Cost to manage equivalent amounts of data Higher Lower
Total utilization of storage assets Lower Higher
Risk of unavailability of data Higher Lower
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Fibre Channel Hardware Hot Spots

• Nirvana
• My SAN components come from multiple vendors,
  work together out of the box (plug and play) and
  my SAN works with everything in my shop that I
  want it to.
• Fall-back position 1
• I can make best of breed components work
  together somehow and make my SAN work with the
  important stuff in my shop.

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Fibre Channel Hot Spots

• I can make it work provided that. . .
• I have the resources (time, )
• I have the expertise
• I can identify and use information support
  sources
• . . . And then Go.

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Operating Systems Hot Spots

• Nirvana
• My SAN is operating system agnostic Day 1
• Fall-back Position 1
• I can support all of the present and planned
  operating systems in my shop
• Fall-back Position 2
• I can choose one from column A, and maybe one
  from column B
• Fall-back Position 3
• One Operating System only

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SAN Management Software Hot Spots

• Nirvana
• I can buy a package that gives me a single
  console, unified view of my SAN
• Fall-Back Position 1
• I can patch things together
• Fall-Back Position 2
• A console here, a console there

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SAN Management Software Hot Spots SAN management
state of the state

• No unified console view
• Because. . .
• No common DB for reporting
• Some proprietary APIs, but no open standards

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SAN Support Hot Spots

• Nirvana
• OTTC (One Throat To Choke) from Day 1 and Day 1
  Year 1, Day 1 Year 2 . . .
• Fall Back Position 1
• I can point with two fingers at once at two
  vendors
• Fall Back Position 2
• Im not exactly sure where to point

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Make my SAN Vendor X

• Vendor X The vendor-specific solution
  Hardware
• Day 1 plug and play multi-vendor interop with
  legacy possible
• Operating System Support
• One from column A, maybe one from column B
• Management Software
• Patchwork possible
• Support
• OTTC possible

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Make My SAN SIs and SSPs

• Storage Integrators and Storage Service Providers
  Hardware
• Day 1 plug and play multi-vendor interop with
  legacy possible
• Operating Support
• Best chance for One from column A, one from
  column B
• Management Software
• Patchwork possible or single multifunction
  console possible with SSPs
• Support
• OTTC Possible

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Make My SAN DIY (do it yourself)

• Hardware
• Day 1 plug and play interop with legacy
  impossible
• Management Software
• Patchwork possible but more likely console here,
  console there
• Support
• OTTC possible with SSF. Otherwise, impossible

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IP Alternatives NAS

• Its plug and play so no interop issues here. .
  .right?
• Areas to research
• Interoperability with other management software
  applications
• Backup and restore software integration NDMP
  here?
• RDBMS (yes, RDBMS) support and certification
• Microsoft certification (NOT. . .yet)

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IP Alternatives iSCSI

• The iSCSI value proposition is no interop
• issues here either . . .right?
• Developments to monitor and research
• The IETF standard whats in Version 1
• To IP Sec or not to IP Sec
• Two variants of iSCSI now probable

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Can Virtualization Help?

• Interop and Virtualization
• Masking operating systems differences in the way
  they handle storage
• Bridging management software interop gaps But
• Architectural change means that getting to
  simplicity is not necessarily simple
• Adds one more layer of overhead that must be
  understood

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Interoperability Challenges 2002

• Change the connotation of Interoperability from
  negative to positive
• Link CO-operability with INTER-operability
• Use the RFP and dont be shy
• Can you become more directly involved in the
  process?

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John Websterjwebster_at_illuminata.com

• www.illuminata.com