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
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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