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What's New In SAN Solutions
Jan Stafford
One-stop shopping is coming to the storage area network (SAN) market, including the SAN-in-a-box variety and packages that offer VARs the option of choosing from a number of pretested components. Here's a sampling of new bundles and end-to-end solutions that give VARs a piece of the SAN action:
- NetStorM, Exabyte Corp.'s SAN backup solution, is considered a bundle, says Steve Georgis, Exabyte's director of technology and business development. Yet, NetStorM is a complete SAN system, comprising Exabyte's SAN-ready tape library and Fibre Channel-to-SCSI routers and third-party Fibre Channel networking hardware. Although this is a multivendor solution, Exabyte will offer a single-point-of-contact service option for NetStorM SANs.
- Compaq Computer Corp. has three packaged SAN solutions in its StorageWorks family. Tailored to cover the gamut of businesses, the family includes the $199,995, 200-GB business critical system for 1,000 users, the $99,995, 100-GB departmental solution for 400 users and the $49,995, 50-GB workgroup package for 150 users.
- SANbackup, an end-to-end SAN solution, was introduced May 18 by Data General Corp.'s CLARiiON Storage Division. Components include CLARiiON Backup NT Server and tape library; Legato Systems Inc.'s NetWorker Power Edition backup software and database modules for Oracle, SQL and Microsoft Exchange; hub connectors; and disk storage for backup software.
- Storage Technology Corp. plans to roll out several SANaps-turnkey SAN application suites-during the next year. The applications include storage management software, tape and/or disk hardware, connectivity devices and Fibre Channel adapters, and professional services and support. Later this year, StorageTek will offer a partner certification program for VARs that want to sell SANaps.
- A true SAN in a box is Magnitude from XIOtech Corp. This solution puts a high-performance RAID controller, eight-port Fibre Channel switch and logical volume management software into a centralized configuration.
- Hitachi Data Systems Corp. has created configuration templates for its family of Freedom Data Network SANs. Suggested packages cover storage/server consolidation, LANless backup and LANless data migration applications.
techweb.com
The best news for VARs is that margins will be good on bundled SAN solutions for some time. "That's the beauty of a new, highly complex technology," says ADIC's Whitner. "SANs are years away from being commoditized." |
