Compaq's clustering.
http:// www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?CRN19980302S0106
ÿ
ÿ
March 02, 1998, Issue: 778
Section: Hardware
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Compaq outlines cluster strategy as windfall from acquisitions
Joe Wilcox
Houston -- Compaq Computer Corp. quietly introduced its E2000 clustering architecture as it launched its $9 billion bid for Digital Equipment Corp.
E2000 is seen as significant because it is the culmination of Compaq's integration of Tandem Computers Inc. and the first effort to significantly merge the product lines, said Bob Fernander, Compaq's vice president of enterprise marketing.
Compaq's ProLiant server is at the heart of the architecture, which VARs will be able to configure as single-node, two-, four- or eight-processor SMP systems; two-node fail-over; or System Area Network (SAN)-based clustered servers using Tandem's ServerNet interconnect technology.
Tandem originally developed ServerNet for its high-end parallel systems. ASIC-based switches move data between cluster components, freeing clustered servers to concentrate more resources on data processing.
The Fibre Channel-dependent solution is Houston-based Compaq's blueprint for driving Windows NT into the enterprise on a scale previously only available from RISC/Unix systems or mainframes. Compaq's approach recognizes the importance of bolstering NT with robust storage subsystems that deliver multiple terabytes of primary and secondary storage.
E2000's success is tied to Compaq's aggressive partnering with enterprise-level ISVs, such as SAP America Inc., that typically have delivered applications in scalable Unix or mainframe environments. According to Compaq, 72 percent of all enterprise applications purchased are from enterprise ISVs, including The Baan Co., Oracle Corp. and PeopleSoft Inc.
The future of Compaq's enterprise Windows NT strategy is tied to convincing these developers to run Windows NT applications on clustered ProLiant servers. The new architecture seeks to take the best from Tandem's clustering technology and scale up the ProLiant server line. Before announcing E2000, Compaq said 48 percent of SAP's NT installations are on ProLiant servers, as are 50 percent of PeopleSoft's and 60 percent of Baan's.
While Compaq declined to comment on the impact of the Digital acquisition on its clustering strategy, industry experts said it will use Digital's services organization to support E2000. Pearse Flynn, Compaq vice president of service and support, said the company has "been telling our channel that at the high end, the customers are demanding manufacturer accountability in those areas."
"Compaq's market share is changing, especially when you factor in Windows NT," said Bob Bailey, vice president of marketing for Pioneer Standard Electronics Inc., Cleveland. "The IT people at this level expect the services to work flawlessly. If they're going to compete in the enterprise area, they need to have those kind of services areas; that is, if they're going to compete with the other computer players."
ÿ
ÿ
Data backup adds FC support
http:// www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?INW19980302S0084
P, Veritas Heat Up Backup Products
Chuck Moozakis
Storage backup and restore applications are taking center stage this week as Hewlett-Packard and Veritas Software Corp. unveil enhancements to their enterprise backup and disaster recovery suites.
Windows NT and Unix data administrators can use its forthcoming OpenView OmniBack II 3.0 to recoup costs from backup and restore activities, according to HP.
Veritas Software, meanwhile, is taking the wraps off a new replication application that will let managers mirror data at remote locations without restricting user accessibility. The vendor also is announcing new versions of its Volume Manager and File System management software for Sun Microsystems' Solaris.
Service management is a major enhancement to OmniBack II, which will be released in June, according to Juergen Ketterer, marketing communications manager of HP's OpenView software unit.
"IT managers are being asked to monitor and manage the quality and cost of service delivery," he said. OmniBack's built-in reporting, monitoring and financial reporting interfaces will let managers create backup models with specific cost and performance objectives, Ketterer said.
OmniBack II 3.0 will combine current NT and HP-UX versions of the software, creating a single product geared to heterogeneous environments, as well as enterprises with branch locations. As part of its NT support, OmniBack II integrates with Microsoft Cluster Server for data sharing.
"This integration is a fairly important step for HP," said analyst Farid Neema, president of Peripheral Concepts Inc., letting HP aim at workstations as well as servers.
For Unix users, OmniBack II adds support for Solaris, Fibre Channel for HP 9000 servers and Oracle8 within EMC Corp.'s remote mirroring software, Symmetrix Remote Data Facility.
OmniBack II 3.0 is $995 for NT and $3,900 for HP-UX. Sun Solaris prices weren't disclosed.
The Veritas Storage Replicator for File Systems (SRFS) will provide an alternative to hardware-based remote mirroring, said Mindy Anderson, senior product manager. For greater availability, SRFS lets users access data while it is being duplicated.
SRFS also can be used to redistribute data to multiple locations to reduce bottlenecks, as is the case with Excite Inc., which tested SRFS for its Web search engine. Eric Anderson, system administrator for Excite, said SRFS will help streamline its "tedious and time-consuming" duplication of files.
"We hope to greatly simplify the task and save several days in migrating data to multiple machines," he said. "The mirroring process will let us architect a hands-free approach to file-system replication."
SRFS, which will support Solaris, uses a synchronous replicating scheme, which updates all servers simultaneously. Future versions will support asynchronous replication, which offers faster performance with slightly lower data integrity.
SRFS, which is shipping, is $10,000 to $45,000, depending upon the server.
Veritas Volume Manager 2.5.2 features a dynamic multipathing component that distributes I/O demands across two paths between the disk and the storage subsystem, according to Gary Lyng, group product manager. A new Java-enabled module, Veritas Volume Optimizer 1.0, will provide additional monitoring and online maintenance via "plain English," he said.
File Manager 3.2.2 doubles the performance of previous versions in large database environments, according to Veritas. The product also can store and recover large image and data files that exceed the 2-gigabyte file limit of Unix systems. An access-control feature gives specific file access rights to individual users.
Volume Manager and File Manager are priced from $3,000 to $43,000. |
