For example, he says assigning logical unit numbers (LUNs) is far too complicated a process for the company. "Often we want to assign some storage to a server that's in a cluster, but we can't easily see what storage is already attached to each server," Smith says. "It involves going onto the host and doing research, then going onto the array and doing more research, but it never matches up just perfect." He says it's a manual effort that involves creating reams of Excel spreadsheets. "Then these have to be massaged so they make sense for management... which takes forever."
The upshot? Cox is taking a slice of its IT budget and spending it on software that provides better SAN reporting capabilities. How much, exactly, Smith was not at liberty to say.
Cox spent at least 18 months checking out the market to see what was on offer, before finally settling with Storability Inc. The company evaluated EMC's StorageScope reporting software, BMC Software Inc.'s (NYSE: BMC) Patrol Storage Manager [ed. note: whew! just as well they didn't go for that one! See BMC Folds Storage Unit], and Veritas Software Corp.'s (Nasdaq: VRTS) SANpoint Control, as well as software from Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) (NYSE: CA) and CreekPath Systems Inc.
"The strongest competition to Storability was CreekPath," Smith says. "But we didn't look at [CreekPath] until late in the game, so they didn't have much of a chance." He says all the others were too expensive. "It came down to how much functionality we could get for the lowest price, and Storability came out ahead."
But what about the risks associated with relying on a startup? Smith says the risk is far outweighed by better pricing and more cooperation. "Smaller companies have a vested interest in using our name and getting good PR. To BMC and EMC, we are just another number." He says smaller companies are also more flexible and willing to add new features when a customer needs them, rather than when the vendor's next software release is scheduled.
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