The NSM 100 does not have a Fibre Channel interface, although it can be hooked into an FC SAN. We will only support FC natively if we get a big customer that really demands it, says Chambers. FC is dying as far as we can see." (He's not alone in this sentiment -- see The Fall of Fibre Channel.)
Chambers says the advantages of Ethernet from a cost perspective massively outweigh the advantages of FC. Existing technicians know how to deploy Ethernet, so those considering moving to a network-based infrastructure can simply extend their Ethernet networks to incorporate storage, Chambers maintains. And he says an estimated 90 percent of the installed base of storage is still direct-attached, making it a prime candidate for migration to Ethernet. Its a no-brainer, he says.
NSMs can be clustered in parallel on the network, avoiding bottlenecks and increasing flexibility, according to company officials. The devices can be managed as a single volume of storage via LeftHands Storage Control Console software. Data also can be mirrored within and among devices, regardless of geographic distance.
The NSM 100 has a 1U form factor with four hot-swappable drives, an 866-MHz Pentium III Processor, redundant power supplies, and up to 1 gigabyte of cache per device. Prices for a 160-gigabyte NSM system, inclusive of hardware, software, and a three-year service and remote support warranty, begin at $15,000.
"LeftHand is an early leader in the new frontier of storage, says Steve Duplessie, senior analyst at Enterprise Storage Group Inc.. From initial customer response, it is something the market has been waiting for."
Bob Friday, Chief AI Officer for Juniper Networks, explains how the advanced technology is transforming operations.
Contact center leaders from 8x8, Awaken Intelligence, and 360insight discuss the importance of agent experience.
AI may force enterprises to rewire parts of their data centers so they are fully optimized to run such workloads. The question is do you use Ethernet or InfiniBand?
