FC Slowdown Not Caused By iSCSI

The FC versus iSCSI debate is still raging. FC proponents say iSCSI is designed for a different market, but iSCSI vendors are anxiously counting up the dollars they could gain by replacing FC SANs.

After watching similar technology debates--token ring versus Ethernet, for example--run to their bitter conclusions, we can say confidently that your SAN will be iSCSI eventually--the only question is when. The technologies that are easiest to use and offer the best synergy with the rest of the IT environment always win--it doesn't matter whether they are "better" or not.

Despite iSCSI's inevitability, we don't believe the recent dip in the FC market is due to iSCSI sales. The iSCSI technology hasn't penetrated most SAN environments yet. It's more likely that organizations are just delaying their FC purchases, giving priority to more urgent needs. When budgets are tight, as they are today, SAN investments frequently are put on hold.