from briefing.com:
Storage I: An Introduction
18-Dec-00 14:02 ET
[BRIEFING.COM - Robert J. Reid] Undoubtedly, we have all read how explosive the market for storage will be over the next few years. It's difficult to make an argument against that outcome given the tremendous need for companies as a result of the explosion of Internet traffic that has created a boom for both dot-coms and traditional corporations to preserve tremendous amounts of data. And data requires storage capacity.
Many of the current research/articles on the subject focus on figuring out which technology will win out: storage area network (SAN) or network-attached storage (NAS). We believe the debate is becoming irrelevant as the differences will blur and will likely converge into a single market. The FC/SoIP debate which we discuss below is the more interesting debate in our view. It is important to note, however, that these technologies are still very new in the storage market but there is tremendous opportunity.
Background
Until recently, storage had not been considered a sexy sector. As technology shifts away from the old computer-vendor storage boxes which incorporate unreliable small computer system interfaces (SCSIs), companies are demanding more than simple boxes, but rather storage area networks. As a result, this shift has led to a need for new boxes, new switches, new network protocols, new software and even a new type of storage service provider (SSPs) which will be examined more closely in later Stock Briefs. With this Stock Brief, our goal is to introduce our readers to the storage space and list the players. In future pieces, we will examine the various aspects of the storage sector in more detail.
Storage Area Networks (SANs)
Essentially what you're doing with a storage area network, or SAN, is putting a network between the servers and the storage. The benefits of this configuration as opposed to simply attaching the storage to the servers are many. A network provides greater scalability, availability and manageability. This system allows you to easily add storage to the network without having to take down currently operating servers or storage. Also, attaching the storage to the servers has proven to be very inefficient. With a network, you can pool the available data storage space allowing data to be stored wherever there is space. Imagine having ten floppy diskettes on which you wish to save 35 files. You would save the large files on disks by themselves and bunch a number of the smaller files on the same disks. But regardless of how you allocate the diskettes, there is always wasted space. Whereas a SAN would be one huge diskette with available space for additional files.
While SANs are the preferred storage solution in very large computing environments with particular data access characteristics, they have a number of disadvantages. First, SAN installations require significant upfront costs, and SAN systems are expensive to maintain. Also, they require the implementation and maintenance of a separate and proprietary Fibre Channel network, which is not compatible with the Fibre Channel networks of other SAN vendors.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
Think of network-attached storage, or NAS, as Lego building blocks where you add storage on a smaller scale as you need it. NAS appliances can be easily connected to an existing computer network with additional appliances added over time as storage needs grow. NAS appliances can also complement a SAN deployment. These characteristics make NAS appliances a scalable, versatile and cost-effective data storage solution. Because storage appliances are designed to perform a few dedicated functions, NAS appliances are ideal for companies seeking a storage solution that is easy to install, use and administer; while also easy to integrate with existing infrastructure components. Also, NAS has a relatively low acquisition price and low total cost of ownership.
Wiring Companies
The excitement of the sector is not limited to the storage providers as there are a number of wiring companies that offer perhaps even more intriguing opportunities. Wiring refers to the physical connection of cables and equipment between computer systems and storage subsystems. There are three principal categories of wiring companies: Fibre Channel (FC), Storage Over IP (SoIP) and Infiniband. A technology battle is underway as FC is the current protocol for SANs, however, SoIP is being viewed as taking over. IP is the standard protocol of the Internet, which means that it is much more widely understood than the more complex FC technology and IP equipment is generally cheaper than FC. Also, SoIP could provide speeds up to 10Gb whereas current FC technology is still striving toward only 2Gb.
The problem with SoIP is that it is not yet a protocol at all, which makes a comparison of FC and SoIP difficult. However, there is a much larger knowledge base for IP in the world than there is for FC, which could lead to greater acceptance of SoIP. It's too early to tell if SoIP will efficiently and reliably meet the needs of SANs. Unlike network connectivity in general, SAN users will demand near perfect reliability when it comes to moving sensitive company and customer information around a wide area network. It is far from clear that SoIP will deliver this at a lower cost, but if SoIP replaces FC, expect companies such as Nishan Systems to flourish.
Storage Service Providers (SSPs)
SSPs are similar to application service providers, or ASP's, where customers connect their computer systems, or plug in, to STOR's network to store and access their data as opposed to having storage appliances on site. It's analogous to the way customers use electricity or telephone service. Customers sign long-term subscription-based contracts, on average three years, and rent storage capacity. The model is not proven as it is yet to be seen if enough companies will feel comfortable with data stored off site. StorageNetworks is the leading SSP, but they are now popping up like daisies many of which are waiting to go public. While the big players such as Hewlett-Packard (HWP) are getting involved, there are at least 16 independent SSPs currently.
The following is a list of the major players in each area. Please e-mail any comments to rreid@briefing.com.
Storage
EMC (EMC)
IBM (IBM)
Sun Mircosystems (SUNW)
Hewlett Packard (HWP)
Compaq (CPQ)
LSI Logic (LSI)
Filing
Network Appliance (NTAP)
EMC (EMC)
Sun Microsystems (SUNW)
Procom (PRCM)
Auspex (ASPX)
Tricord (TRCD)
Wiring - Fibre Channel
Brocade (BRCD)
QLogic (QLGC - bought Ancor)
McData (MCDT)
Emulex (EMLX)
JNI Corp. (JNIC)
Gadzoox (ZOOX)
Crossroads (CRDS)
Wiring - Ethernet/SoIP
Nishan Systems (Private)
Giganet (Private - bought by Emulex)
Wiring - InfiniBrand
Intel (INTC)
QLogic (QLGC)
Crossroads (CRDS)
Storage Service Provider
StorageNetworks (STOR)
Conxion (Private)
HP Storage (HWP)
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