Separately, Veritas this week also showed a preview version of its volume management software running on the Brocade SilkWorm Fabric Application Platform switch (from its acquisition of Rhapsody Networks), but the companies didn't say when it would be available (see Brocade Teams Up With Veritas).
Those developments follow the announcement by EMC and Cisco last week to develop EMC's software for the MDS platform box and also to submit a standard set of APIs to the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) that would let software interface with virtualization switches. EMC previously said that it intends to work with Brocade on the Rhapsody switch. HP has also engaged with both switch vendors for its Continuous Access Storage Appliance (CASA) (see EMC, Cisco Do the Deed, Brocade Loads Code, Signs EMC, and HP Opens Doors to CASA).
So, who's in the lead?
Chris Gahagan, senior VP of storage infrastructure software at EMC, says Brocade and Cisco are roughly in the same place right now. Which is to say, they're still months away from actually shipping anything.
"They're both pretty close in terms of functionality and performance," he says. But, he notes, "You can't buy hardware that's GA [general availability] today. And the interfaces are still in flux." Brocade expects to deliver its switch to OEMs in the fourth quarter; Cisco is also looking to ship in the latter part of the year.
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