There were other backup breakthroughs that our magic storage 8-ball failed to divulge. While it already had momentum going into 2005, continuous data protection (CDP) really caught fire as IBM and Microsoft got into the game, dragging a reluctant EMC along. (See IBM Hops CDP Bus, Microsoft and Symantec Cut SMB Tape and EMC Pulls Forward With Backup.)
WAN backups were also big news on CDPs heels, with vendors like Availl, Brocade, and Cisco pushing wide area file services (WAFS). (See Availl Touts WAFS System, Brocade Busts an IT Move, and Cisco Chomps FineGround.) Cheap, high-capacity Serial ATA (SATA) disks fueled this trendb -- and it shows no signs of slowing.
While it's not the most scientific measure out there, WAFS also had the dubious distinction of being the most widely searched phrase or acronym on B&S in 2005. Take that, EMC, HDS, HP, and IBM.
In just a few short days, we'll all have a tabula rasa in the form of 2006. From everyone here at Byte and Switch, here's to a healthy, propserous new year for you and yours.
Terry Sweeney, Editor in Chief, Byte and Switch
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