EMC mentioned this schedule on their public earnings call, repeated it in discussions with Enterprise Storage Forum, and corporate PR confirmed it to me this morning. FAST is, if you will excuse the pun, fast-approaching!

There’s actually a very-significant difference between FAST versions 1 and 2:

• FAST version 1 (coming in December 2009) can automatically migrate an entire LUN between tiers of storage on the Symmetrix V-Max based on access patterns. This is a nice-to-have feature, but does not yet live up to the promise of automated tiered storage, as pioneered by Compellent and offered in various forms by many other storage companies. I am told that FAST version 1 also does not support virtually-provisioned (thin) volumes. Although FAST will make it much easier to take advantage of solid state flash drives (EFDs to EMC), it will do nothing to improve utilization.
• FAST version 2 (coming in May mid-2010?) will automatically move smaller sub-LUN pieces of storage between tiers of storage, and will reportedly support virtual provisioning. It is likely that FAST would use the same extent size supported by virtual provisioning, which is 12 tracks or 768 KB. The combination of virtual provisioning and fully-automated storage tiering will finally EMC the ammunition they need to defend their turf against smaller challengers when it comes to these sticky technical features.

So there you have it. EMC V-Max gets FAST in December 2009 and May mid-2010! Now how about a schedule for geo-distributed clustering?

Update: Fixed two typos above. I wrote “May 2009″ instead of “May 2010″. You should see my checkbook!

Note: Although Lou Przystas told Enterprise Storage Forum that FAST V2 would come in May, EMC has apparently not set a hard date and are saying “mid-2010″ at this point. Even this is an aggressive ship date, but I won’t say EMC missed it unless we haven’t got it by the end of summer!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2009. | EMC V-Max FAST: Coming in December … And 2010!
This post was categorized as Enterprise storage, Everything, Gestalt IT, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

Apple

• MacBook Users: Turn off This Bluetooth Default Setting Now – Now I know what turned on my MacBook Pro in the bag: My BlueTooth mouse!

Enterprise Computing

• Windows Storage Server-Based Systems Step Into 2008 – My Gestalt IT coverage of the features of WSS08.
• EMC Symmetrix V-Max: When Does It Get FAST and Virtual? – Another Gestalt IT piece, pointing out that the V-Max isn’t going to be fully realized for a very long time
• Microsoft Unveils Final Windows Storage Server – Paul Shread runs with the “Windows Storage Server 2008″ theme, quoting yours truly extensively.
• What is a best practice and Are Best Practices Just Shared Opinions? – W. Curtis Preston and I pickup an old conversation about the definition of “best practice”.
• Infosmack Episode 2 – EMC, David Donatelli and Non-Compete Agreements – Tony Asaro and I join Marc Farley and Greg Knieriemen on the Storage Monkeys podcast!
• The US Federal Government defines Cloud Computing - Ruven Cohen covers the US Federal Government’s cloud computing meetings and gives us a sneak peek at the new definition of cloud computing from the world’s number one IT user.
• Support and Q&A for Solid-State Drives – Lots of great info on how Windows 7 (and probably Server 2008 R2) deals with solid state drives.
• VMware Slaps Enterprise and Cisco In Face, Opens Door For Competitors – More on the VMware vSphere 4 licensing changes, and what it might mean.

Misc

• Non-competes are evil – Robin Harris lays it out. I happen to agree.
• Five Technologies Our Kids Won’t Even Recognize – Wired’s Gadget Lab makes us all feel old!
• Chrysler HQ Designed To Convert Into Shopping Mall - Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me says it’s true, so I believe it!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2009. | Back From the Pile: Interesting Content From the Week of May 9, 2009
This post was categorized as Everything. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

The podcast is now available on iTunes!

Although the topic is an open roundtable, I thought I might give my readers a peek into the areas I plan to bring up:

• Why storage is so critical to VMware admins: It’s all about the IOPS!
• EMC’s new Symmetrix V-Max and why it’s important to VMware shops
• The great FCoE/CNA debate and Cisco’s UCS home run
• Super low-end storage for the small business or lab

Of course, what will actually get discussed is anyone’s guess, but it’s good to go in with a list of topics to avoid dead air!

So dial in or listen online, and let the discussion start!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2009. | Interested in VMware and Storage? Tune In to the VMware Communities Podcast!
This post was categorized as Enterprise storage, Gestalt IT, Personal, Terabyte home, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.

This news is so fresh you would leave footprints if you step in it, but here’s a collection of my favorite links and coverage so far. I’ll be updating this list throughout the next few days:

• Let’s start with independents:
  • My first post on the topic can be found over at Gestalt IT: EMC Symmetrix V-Max Is Neither Monolithic Nor Midrange
  • Chris Evans was first but promises more than Enterprise Computing: EMC Announced Next Generation V-Max Architecture
  • Storagebod supposes that there will be No DMX5
  • Duncan Epping is watching from a server virtualization perspective: EMC announced the Symmetrix V-Max!
  • Jerome Wendt: EMC Symmetrix V-Max – It’s About Time
• And the press:
  • Beth Pariseau is always smart, as her SearchStorage piece shows: EMC clusters Symmetrix high-end disk arrays
  • And Beth on StorageSoup: EMC launches Symmetrix V-Max, may add spin-down
  • Chris Mellor is dead on in his piece for The Register, Symmetrix and the death of monolithic arrays
  • Lucas Mearian of Computerworld focused his piece on the private cloud: EMC introduces x86-based Symmetrix array for cloud storage
  • Dave Raffo at StorageSoup: EMC V-Max: V stands for bigger
  • Paul Travis at Byte and Switch: EMC Clusters New Storage Systems for Virtual Data Centers
  • And Dave Simpson brings up the rear on his personal blog, but still no word from InfoStor: EMC V-Max: Locked (in) and loaded
• EMC’s bloggers are first out of the gate:
  • Barry Burke has typically prolific and detailed coverage: 
  • • 1.055: symmetrix v-max – a revolutionary evolution
    • 1.056: inside the virtual matrix architecture (my favorite)
    • 1.057: symmetrix v-max – scale up, scale out, scale away!
    • 1.058: v-max does what hi-star can’t?
    • 1.059: fully automated storage tiering (fast)
  • Chuck Hollis’ Symmetrix V-Max: Storage Architecture Redefined is a solid overview
  • Chad Sakac is always good, and his EMC’s VMware Storage Strategy – The 3rd Shoe Drops is a must-read on V-Max, though I’m still left wondering about EMC’s VMware strategy!
  • Mark Twomey’s there with three posts and counting:
    • V-Max: The Scale Out Symmetrix
    • VMax: Auto-provisioning Groups
    • V-Max: SRDF Evolves
  • Dick Sullivan promises You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
  • Steve Todd:
    • V-Max Quality
    • Managing V-Max at Scale
  • Len Devanna comments on the Social Launch
• The opposition is moving fast, too!
  • Marc Farley preempted the announcement with a hilarious must-watch video, EMC insider interview is a fake, and an expose on What’s a tigon anyway?
  • Val Bercovici from NetApp observes that the world might have moved past the need for a Symmetrix, noting “Frames are so 90’s”
  • Hu Yoshida focuses on what the V-Max is not: A storage virtualization platform. Don’t Confuse Symmetrix V-Max with Storage Virtualization
  • Claus Mikkelsen of HDS was also predictably underwhelmed, asking why EMC introduced this roadmap now? EMC – Catching Up With the Past
  • Tony Asaro blogs for HDS about 10 Questions on V-Max

That’s the news that’s fit to print so far! Stick with this post and Gestalt IT’s continuing coverage of the V-Max!

© sfoskett for Stephen Foskett, Pack Rat, 2009. | Tracking EMC’s Symmetrix V-Max Launch
This post was categorized as Enterprise storage, Virtual Storage. Each of my categories has its own feed if you'd like to filter out or focus on posts like this.