Cisco and CNT also claim they can run Ficon directly over IP networks -- and Cisco, in a jab at McData, says it's the first fabric switch vendor to do this without using a separate channel extender. Currently, McData's switches don't feature integral Ficon-over-IP support, though McData director of strategic marketing Bob Williams says this feature is in the works and should be available by the middle of this year.
Does anyone really care about Ficon over IP? Yes, says Cisco product manager Tom Harrington, particularly for backup and remote connectivity in metro networks. He says the ability to offer IP transport for Ficon and Fibre Channel in its MDS 9000, without resorting to extra hardware, helped sell Cisco's solution to at least one customer, First American Corp.
Expect more Ficon announcements, as vendors catch on to the idea that the way to enterprise SAN customers' wallets is through their mainframe channels.
"If you are a switch vendor... having Ficon means you can can establish a
'preferred' position with big customers, as they tend not to change mainframe architectures often," writes Rick Villars, VP of storage systems at research firm IDC in an email. What's more, since Ficon is limited to IBM environments, vendors like to develop Ficon gear because they don't face the same price challenges they do in the more competitive Fibre Channel market.
"Ficon is the new mainframe channel protocol," CNT's Ingraham says. As customers move away from islands of SANs, he notes, it's getting more important to include Ficon in the mix with IP and other protocols. CNT, he adds, is planning new Ficon announcements in the next couple of months.
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