Software Defined Networking (SDN) has always looked a bit like a solution in search of a problem, at least in the enterprise data center. But there are lots of potential applications that need a dynamic and scalable network. In my mind, storage is chief among these, since scalability and flexibility has always been extremely difficult to achieve. As I have written before, … [Read more...] about Is Storage the Killer App for Software-Defined Networking?
storage area network
Changes in Technology Drive Changes in IT Organizations and Roles
Lots of my IT infrastructure management clients are talking about how the advent of Ethernet/IP and virtualization is changing the roles of storage, server, and network administrators. The evolution of the storage role in particular in enterprise IT organizations has been a topic of particular interest to me for a while: I definitely remember thinking about this as iSCSI and … [Read more...] about Changes in Technology Drive Changes in IT Organizations and Roles
Granularity: The Hidden Challenge of Storage Management
Many storage challenges focus on correlating high-level uses of data (such as applications) with the nuts and bolts of storage infrastructure. These discussions often revolve around the conflict between data management, which demands an ever-smaller unit of management, and storage management, which benefits most from consolidation. Developing data management capability that is … [Read more...] about Granularity: The Hidden Challenge of Storage Management
Interested in VMware and Storage? Tune In to the VMware Communities Podcast!
I'll be joining I joined John Troyer's VMware Communities Podcast #44 tomorrow, April 14, and will be leading a segment focused on the changing storage landscape. I'm really looking forward to talking with John and the rest, since this is such a solid, fair, and content-rich podcast series! The podcast is now available on iTunes! Although the topic is an open … [Read more...] about Interested in VMware and Storage? Tune In to the VMware Communities Podcast!
10 GbE, iSCSI, FCoE, Microsoft, and the Future
In case you didn't notice the earth move, I have a wake-up call for you: 10 gigabit Ethernet is here. It's real. It's in use. Last year, we were all wondering when the 10 GbE wave would hit and what impact it would have. That's not worth pondering anymore. Sure, prices remain high, but they're falling fast and many folks are already implementing 10 GbE in their data centers. … [Read more...] about 10 GbE, iSCSI, FCoE, Microsoft, and the Future