We liked McData's response to our question about the purported security advantages of FC over iSCSI, especially the doublespeak about FC security being linked to the lack of familiarity with the protocol among attackers. Its answer: "Some people will try anything to sell their products."
While McData struck us as overly optimistic about Fibre Channel switch interoperability issues having finally been put to rest, we couldn't help admiring its moxie.
McData Corp., (720) 558-8000. www.mcdata.com
Microsoft
Big goings-on at Microsoft around storage these days. Redmond was among the first to release (and distribute for free) a software initiator for iSCSI, breathing new life into a standard that was delayed for two years. Our sense is that Microsoft doesn't particularly care whether iSCSI, FC or EIEIO becomes the dominant interconnect. It does care about making sure that everything is tested and certified to work with its server OS. This approach is certainly contributing value to iSCSI, as Microsoft's Designed for Windows test-qualification program demonstrates. According to its response to our questionnaire, more than 23 storage targets have passed through the program since its inception, ensuring that the arrays and other devices will work with the initiator software and with Microsoft's growing suite of OS storage services, such as Flexible Volume Mounting, VDS (Virtual Disk Service) and Microsoft MPIO (Multipath I/O).
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