__EMC Debuts Enterprise Storage Networks Initiative__
EMC Corp. this week will debut an initiative to help
companies maximize the value of their corporate data. Along
with a cadre of partners, the leading enterprise storage
vendor plans to deliver the tools IT managers need to build
high-performance, high-capacity, secure, and platform-
independent Enterprise Storage Networks. Based on the
existing storage area network concept, EMC's Enterprise
Storage Networks bypass current network and SCSI connections
to move data among pools of servers and storage devices at
speeds of at least 100 Mbytes per second over a dedicated
Fibre Channel interconnect.
EMC's new offerings, which ship this week, include the first
storage system to use 36-Gbyte drives for a total single
system capacity of 9.3 terabytes; a switch enabling
virtually limitless connections among storage and servers;
software to guarantee data access; and professional services
to help customers implement networks based on best practices
standards. Also this week, vendors such as Gadzoox Networks
Inc. and Legato Systems Inc.--partners with EMC in the
FibreAlliance group creating management specs for storage
devices--will reaffirm plans to deliver in the next quarter
components and software that interact across Enterprise
Storage Networks.
Recent InformationWeek research shows that nearly 85% of IT
executives at large companies are interested in deploying
storage area networks. But while other vendors also offer
their own versions of SANs, only EMC now has the pieces to
deliver a networked storage architecture across all major
servers and operating systems. There's one caveat, though:
It still doesn't support external storage products from
competing vendors. To provide anywhere, anytime access to
information, IT managers must consolidate all their OS/390,
Unix, and Windows NT data onto EMC Symmetrix systems--an
expensive proposition since these devices can cost as much
as $6 million. --Martin J. Garvey with Mary Hayes
For the full version of this story, see:
informationweek.com
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