Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

My SAN's Bigger than Your SAN: Page 2 of 2

Sources say both demos also raise other questions. For one thing, they are based on prestandard technology. Compaq's network is based on the Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) protocol; Nishan's demonstration uses iSCSI to network storage devices. Both approaches are still being hammered out in the standards groups (see FCIA Completes Group Test) and IP Storage Test Draws Crowd).

As well, in Compaq's case, there are questions about how closely the demo mirrors reality. Compaq says it uses one text file in its demonstration, claiming this proves that its SANworks storage network management software can query SAN-connected devices situated across continents and replicate data using integral data replication management software.

Can one text file be sufficient proof of these kinds of storage capabilities in real-life networks?

A further question is whether any enterprise would be willing to take a chance on any one vendor's prestandard approach, however great it seems, locking in a customer to a SAN managed by Compaq or Nishan and its partners.

— Jo Maitland, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch http://www.byteandswitch.com