Storage Management Strategies for the CIOI was recently told by someone that the EMC 8530 Symmetrix SAN series is a rather old technology and close to EOL. It's difficult to acquire parts. Is it worthwhile investing on such a product if the product is close to four years of life span?
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It is safe to say that the EMC 8530 Symmetrix is neither the youngest (that would be the DMX series) nor the oldest storage system on the market. EMC, like many other tier-1 storage vendors, provides very good software and hardware support for their installed base of products over long periods of time. You could certainly still make use of an 8530 Symmetrix; however, with the good deals and buying opportunities in the current market, you would also be wise to look at upgrading to a newer model. Besides the age of the technology and availability of parts and software support, take a look at your maintenance and other associated costs. If a vendor wants you to migrate to a new platform, then they should provide you and your employer with a good business value proposition in it for you. It is a buyer's market for storage, but you should be aware and shop wisely. If you are interested, take a look at www.evaluatorgroup.com/workbooks for free copies of selection and evaluation criteria for storage hardware and software.
This was first published in September 2004