Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Gorilla and King Portfolio Candidates -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GuinnessGuy who wrote (3402)	7/4/1999 9:30:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 54805

Craig, Cha2, Thread, Re: Storage Area Networks (SANs) and associated communications techs - I recently posted the following article in the Gilder thread for those threadsters there who were discussing storage area networks (SANs) and Fiber Channel prospects: Message 10025829 Today, very large flows between SAN nodes (Servers, Hosts, hubs, switches, disc arrays, silos, etc.) are limited by very short in house distance constraints. This is about to change through the enabling properties of optically-based systems using DWDM, and a number of discreet protocols that have been developed in recent years to overcome those distance limitations. Effectively, for those whose needs justify it, and who can afford it, distances will be neutralized, effectively. It's called transparency, as Mr. Fun has alluded to it in the past, and as I mentioned here several weeks ago. Some of the other emerging protocols and emerging operating considerations to be aware of in this space are found in the links below. ------------------- The "Future I/O Alliance" home page: futureio.org Future I/O Alliance participants page: futureio.org An Intel White Paper on Next Generation I/O (NGIO): intel.dk ...and a rather interesting web-based presentation from Intel on NGIO Servers: http://www.intel.dk/design/servers/future_server_io/documents/serverio/slide001.htm This last one, the NGIO Server presentation, is done rather well, I thought. It serves as a good refresher, or primer for those who do not delve into this sort of thing every day. It demonstrates the various platform shifts and their attendant storage requirements beginning with the Main Frames back in 1980, right up through the PC revolution, then into today, and then out into the Year 2003 time frame. Enjoy! Regards, Frank Coluccio

To: GuinnessGuy who wrote (3402)	7/5/1999 10:49:00 AM
From: Alex MG	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 54805

re Ancor,, It may indeed be a teething gorilla as you suggest. ANCR current market cap $829 mill,, BRCD market cap $2.7 billion. July 5th NY times article on FC SANs industry explosion... Message 10383758 Also, believe it or not, yahoo msg board for ANCR has excellent DD, some very knowledgeable posters regarding SANs industry... one of the best msg boards I've read. by: aftbaz (40/F/Hightstown, NJ) In the entire market, who's in the sweetest of the sweet spots? I think its Ancor and Brocade. What's the sweet spot of all tech-land? It's Storage Area Network (SAN), and its projected to be the place to be for at least the next 3-5 years. Everyone wants SAN, big massive SAN, and they can't get it fast enough. Science and Technology funds are rotating into the SAN sector and the trend is accelerating. What's the sweet spot of SAN? It's fibre channel. This mind-boggling newly emergent technology is the clear winner in the SAN space. Without a doubt, a tech-land zeitgeist shift is now taking place. Out with Ultra SCSI, in with fibre channel. Information Technology VPs want it installed and running yesterday. What's the sweet spot of FC? Up to now (1st inning) its been the makers of adapter cards (QLGC and EMLX) to get workstations and servers running on fibre-channel. It's now the end of the first, and the start of the 2nd. Coming to bat are the FC switches manufacturers (ANCR and BRCD). They offer the product that's needed to integrate the individual components into the FC fabric of the SAN. Why is the FC switch spot so especially sweet? It's the economic law of supply and demand. On the demand side, there are projections for huge explosive demand for switches due to deployment of new FC fabrics in SANs and replacement of aging FC hubs in existing SANs. On the supply side, there's Ancor and Brocade (including McDATA). Newcomers face significant barriers to entry. Estimated lead time for switch development is 2-3 years. So, those who stand to gain the most are those who are there already (read ANCR and BRCD). Who are the others who will likely try to join the party? VIXEL and GADZOOKS are FC hub guys now developing FC switches, but, these new switches are said to be far behind in many crucial respects, including asic design, switch architecture, and software support. Besides, Information Technology VPs are loathe to risk their huge SAN investment on an unproven product. Why should they? That's totally crazy. Bottom line: In all of tech-land, ANCR and BRCD are sitting in the sweetest of the sweet spots. more... messages.yahoo.com