I have no need for iSCSI, 4-gig, or 10-gig now, but I know I will, said Swartz, the only one on the panel to use switches from a startup, Sandial Systems Inc. You grow into whatever is available. Its like your paycheck -- no matter how much you make, you spend your paycheck.
As for intelligence, the four said it is good to move it away from the SAN system.
Intelligence is an exciting concept, said Carucci, who uses Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD)
switches with IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) storage systems. If you can put it in the fabric and avoid having to pay storage vendors for that, Im all for it. Id prefer intelligence as a blade on a switch. Its not a make-or-break decision when it comes to selecting a vendor, but we at least need a roadmap.
The others agreed on the need for intelligence that's not part of the storage system, but not all think the switch is the ideal place for it. Intelligence doesnt have to be in the switch, said Coca-Cola's Marani. We see a need for virtualization, but we want switches to do switching, and [we'd like to] put the virtualization on a separate platform.
When it comes to buying from a startup, three admins gave emphatic thumbs down. Theres no incentive, Carucci said. Even if Sandial came in and offered a price incentive, Brocade wouldnt stand for that. Theyd come in with a competitive offer.
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