Hello barry,
> I'm wondering what NOVL has on MTIC -- both are into data storage.
Novell actually provides "higher layer" services ... file, print, directory, and caching.
From a quick look at the MTI web site, it appears that an Intel machine, running Novell's NetWare Operating System, could use the NTI products for storage. Remember, Novell is a software operating systems company ... they develop "transparent" client-server services primarily for the Windows OS clients.
> NOVL has a background as a network company, is teamed up with 2
> capital firms and other companies. However, what fault tolerant
> storage technology do they use? MTIC has the RAID patents.
This is actually an area that Novell has led for a long time. In the mid 80's Novell opened up their disk and LAN support so that they could operate over almost any LAN/WAN technology, and support almost any disk technology. So a server that is running the NetWare Operating System could be running almost any disk channel (they support IDE, SCSI, SSA, Fibre Channel, etc.) and almost any disk technology off of that. But NetWare itself provides minimal RAID support in software ...
> However, MTIC is a data storage place. They also lay claim to about
> 40+ RAID patents.
Interesting read ... as I went through their web site, I liked the marketing in their press releases. It does *not* appear that they have patents on "RAID" itself ... but merely some specific implementations that they have developed. Still valuable, but nowhere near a "lock" on RAID itself ...
> Would NOVL have to pay royalties to use RAID?
Nope ... nothing that I can find related to generic RAID 0,1. And since any other RAID support in NetWare would involve a third-party who would provide the RAID capabilities, it still would not be Novell involved in any patent issues ...
Scott C. Lemon |
