Thin provisioning is a topic that is interesting to me. Now, I have to warn you ahead of time that I've been a critic of thin provisioning for a long, long time. So, you're really not going to get a big cheer leader "rah rah" session here. I feel like too many people use technologies like thin provisioning more for political and management problems than technical problems. … [Read more...] about Storage is Not Getting Cheaper
storage
The Four Horsemen of Storage System Performance: Never Enough Cache
Why do some data storage solutions perform better than others? What tradeoffs are made for economy and how do they affect the system as a whole? These questions can be puzzling, but there are core truths that are difficult to avoid. Mechanical disk drives can only move a certain amount of data. RAM caching can improve performance, but only until it runs out. I/O channels can be … [Read more...] about The Four Horsemen of Storage System Performance: Never Enough Cache
Could Oracle’s Next Acquisition Be HP or NetApp?
Oracle has its sights set very high. Although the company is best-known for its namesake database software, a steady string of acquisitions has transformed the company (and its colorful leader, Larry Ellison) into an industry powerhouse. Much speculation revolves around Oracle's next move, and a surprising meme is developing, suggesting that the company is looking at making … [Read more...] about Could Oracle’s Next Acquisition Be HP or NetApp?
The Enterprise IT Acquisition Game
Today is the (a?) day of reckoning in the 3Par saga, with Dell widely expected to make a counter-offer higher than HP's bid. But this mega deal, like the Data Domain war before it, sends a strong signal to the enterprise IT world: It's open season on data storage companies! But the rising superpowers are also likely looking at networking as an area of expansion. The game is … [Read more...] about The Enterprise IT Acquisition Game
Microsoft’s Overlooked Innovation
It's fun to bash Microsoft. It's easy, too, with Apple solidly conquering the high end of the PC and mobile markets and Google's command of the Internet. But how fair are these articles skewering Microsoft, such as "Microsoft's chronic lack of innovation" published today at Techworld? I suggest that Microsoft innovates as well as, if not better than, any other massive company. … [Read more...] about Microsoft’s Overlooked Innovation