In a broad sense, EMC's support for iSCSI is hardly surprising. The company has maintained that it would adopt the technology once "customer demand" was there [ed. note: even, apparently, if such demand is limited]. Moreover, David Black, a senior technologist at EMC, is also the co-chair of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)'s IP Storage working group (see iSCSI Spec Set and EMC Joins iSCSI Party).
It's possible that EMC is offering iSCSI for the Symmetrix now in order to forestall customers from deploying an alternative approach that could cut it out of the equation: iSCSI-to-FC connectivity in the SAN itself.
For example, Cisco's IP Storage Services module for the MDS 9000 family of Fibre Channel switches allows Ethernet-attached servers access to any existing FC storage. IP switch startups like Nishan Systems Inc., StoneFly Networks Inc., and Sanrad, offer similar capabilities. By offering native iSCSI connections on Symmetrix, EMC seems to be trying to obviate the need to install an additional IP storage networking device in front of the SAN -- and therefore minimize the chance that customers will migrate away from EMC storage.
EMC, which markets itself as a storage technology leader, may also have wanted to close the mindshare gap with NetApp -- which charged out of the gate with iSCSI support immediately after the IETF ratified the spec. Whether or not many users will actually find an iSCSI-enabled Symmetrix useful at this point, EMC wants to assure the market that it's ready to start the IP SAN engine.
Todd Spangler, US Editor, Byte and Switch
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