Transcript Interoperability Issues: The Hot Spots for 2002

Interoperability Issues:
The Hot Spots for 2002
John Webster
Senior Analyst
Illuminata, Inc.
You can’t always get
what you want
But if you try sometime
(You just might find)
You get what you need
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
DAS vs. Networked Storage
Attribute
DAS
NAS
Ease of data management
Harder
Easier
Cost to manage equivalent
amounts of data
Total utilization of storage
assets
Risk of unavailability of
data
Higher
Lower
Lower
Higher
Higher
Lower
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
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.
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
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
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
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:
– I’m not exactly sure where to point
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
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
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
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)
IP Alternatives — iSCSI
The iSCSI value proposition is no interop
issues here either . . .right?
• Developments to monitor and research
– The IETF standard — what’s in Version 1
– To IP Sec or not to IP Sec
– Two variants of iSCSI now probable
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
Interoperability Challenges
2002
• Change the connotation of “Interoperability”
from negative to positive
• Link CO-operability with INTER-operability
• Use the RFP and don’t be shy
• Can you become more directly involved in the
process?
John Webster
[email protected]
www.illuminata.com