Md3000i

Managing data storage is just as much of a task (or greater) as managing the servers themselves. It makes sense to centralise management in larger organisations wherever possible. Storage area network (SAN) technology enables a network of physical storage devices to be managed as a single unit. They can then be readily divided into a number of logical drives. Basic SANs use either Fibre Channel (FC) or iSCSI technology. iSCSI runs over standard gigabit Ethernet networks using software to support the SAN infrastructure, whereas FC devices are much faster but require specialised hardware such as optical fibre cabling and FC switches.   iSCSI Fibre Channel Positive Works over current Ethernet network Don't need expensive FC switches or hosts FC HBA Can remotely access storage via TCP/IP Up to 4Gbps transfer speed Better redundant performance Negative Transfer speed is only up to 1Gbps In some cases there may be the need to share bandwidth with a host's general TCP/IP Needs … [Read more...] about Six SAN shoot-out

EMC and Dell's relationship is rosy today but Dell's US$1.4 billion gamble on EqualLogic's iSCSI-protocol networked storage technology might change all that before too long. Today, Dell's OEM (original equipment manufacturer) deal with EMC for its Clariion and Symmentrix storage area network devices is a boon to both companies. Neither company wants to rock the billion dollar boat but with the OEM contract set to end in 2011, the stage could be set for rivalry. Last year Dell re-signed the five-year contract with EMC, which has delivered 16 percent of EMC's quarterly global revenue in 2007 and 30 percent of its Clariion CX sales, according to IDC. It's not therefore surprising to hear EMC Australia's managing director, David Webster, say that Dell's acquisition of EqualLogic does not impact its relationship with EMC. "EqualLogic doesn't overlap with EMC at a storage level. EMC and Dell's relationship is around the top of the low end, plus the mid range such as Clariion," Webster … [Read more...] about EMC vs Dell: Bed of roses today, but war looms

On Monday, Dell hosted a worldwide launch for a new storage server that it hopes will be the key to the small- and medium-sized business market. Dell — like its peers, IBM, HP and Sun, among others — has been desperately courting the SME market. Chief executive Michael Dell believes his company's storage server, known as the MD3000i, might be just the system to bring success. "We are committed to IT simplification for our customers and changing the economics of storage," said the chief executive on Tuesday. "The MD3000i is a perfect example of how we drive out costs, drive up functionality and drive industry adoption of technologies and standards to meet customer needs." According to the vice president for global commercial marketing at Dell, Todd Forsythe, the product is a "breakthrough technology that will change the small-business market". The idea is that the MD3000i will fit seamlessly into Dell's product line, offering a low-end entry point … [Read more...] about Dell targets SME market with storage server

As the New York Times' Steve Lohr reported recently, Dell has suffered a series of setbacks in recent months, from HP overtaking the company as the largest PC seller to an SEC investigation involving falsified quarterly results. In the article, Dell said, “We’re moving the needle in terms of getting focused on the right long-term issues.” During a press conference after the introduction of a new storage device, Michael Dell was asked about how he can focus on long-term issues and satisfy the shorter-term expectations of Wall Street. "What you see emerging is a bit of a different focus," Dell said. "We are pointing the company in new areas--enterprise, servers, storage and services. We are making a lot of longer term investment like this project [the MD3000i] and the Silverback investment [a service delivery platform acquired earlier this year]. We are building capability for all customers all around simplifying IT. It's a unique position for Dell and resonates well … [Read more...] about Michael Dell’s new focus

Company founder and CEO Michael Dell was in San Francisco today, conducting a global Webcast "town hall meeting" focused on how his company is removing cost and complexity from storage solutions for the "under-served" market of small- and medium-sized businesses. He warned that SMBs, with a large IT budget or in-house expertise, will start losing their data if something isn't done to bring down the cost and complexity of storage. Last year an estimated 161 exabytes were managed on storage devices, he said, which equates to 12 stacks of books between here and the moon. "This year the amount of digital data will surpass the digital storage capacity available. If we don't do something, we are going to lose that data." After his "the sky is falling" warning, he stated that Dell was the fastest growing tier one storage vendor in the second quarter, and drove down the cost-per-gigabyte 36 percent faster than last year. Then, as a proof statement, Dell introduced the PowerVault MD3000i, … [Read more...] about Michael Dell: Changing the economics of SMB storage