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Technology Stocks : Network Appliance -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DownSouth who wrote (2801)	3/23/2000 10:47:00 AM
From: Lynn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 10934

Dear DS: Here's some more from the extended version of Steven Milunovich's research report on EMC: A Combined NAS/SAN World A layered model of server-to-storage communication starts with the application (the source of the data) and continues down through the layers to the wire. Once on the wire the data moves over to the storage unit, where its gets repackaged and stored on the raw spinning cylinders (the destination of the data). Today we have two worlds, NAS and SAN. In a typical NAS installation, HTTP and email applications issue file level commands because they are inherently dealing with files. These commands are then converted into IP packets that Ethernet transports over the copper wire. [snip diagrams] The typical SAN installation does away with the protocol layer and issues block level commands directly into the Fibre Channel. Database and OLTP applications work with small pieces of data that are part of a large database file. Generally, it is better to work with block level commands for these applications (this may not be true for databases that journal every transaction in a separate file). For large sequential data applications, such as streaming video, block level commands are efficient and large amounts of data can be moved with little overhead. In the future, the ability to effectively run both file and block level commands over IP will give users more flexibility. They will be able to run HTTP, email, database, video, and OLTP applications over an increasingly fast IP network. In this combined world, every storage device is attached to the network. Some devices, however, will take in file commands (e.g., NetApp filers) and some will accept block commands (e.g., new EMC Symmetrix). We believe this combined world will significantly accelerate the growth of the NAS/SAN market. What makes this combined world attractive is that: 1. Customers already know how to operate an Ethernet network. 2. The network environment is good at file level commands and block level commands. 3. There can be one network that is used for everything. 4. Filers from different vendors can operate on the same network. 5. Any vendor?s IP accepting block level devices ("blockers") will also run on the same network. 6. Ultra high-speed D-WDM-based IP networks of the future can be exploited as soon as they become available. [snip to end] Regards, Lynn