Home > Ask the Storage Technology Experts > Questions & Answers > Will application functionality move to the switch?
Ask The Storage Expert: Questions & Answers
EMAIL THIS

Will application functionality move to the switch?

Brendan Reilly EXPERT RESPONSE FROM: Brendan Reilly

Pose a Question
Other Storage Categories
Meet all Storage Experts
Become an Expert for this site


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


>
QUESTION POSED ON: 27 February 2004
Do you think that application functionality will increasingly be incorporated into or reside on the Fibre Channel switch rather than on the server or storage array? If so, where are we on that landscape? Is anyone ahead at this point?


BROWSE BY TAG
Fibre Channel,   Bus/Interconnect,   Hardware,   General,   Data storage management,   SAN switch,   SAN (storage area network),   VIEW ALL TAGS

Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us   


RELATED CONTENT
Fibre Channel
Making it a simple transition from NAS to SAN
What will it be, iSCSI or iFCP?
Switched fabric topology
Serverless backup isn't the only solution for a SAN
Creating an iSCSI SAN using only Ethernet switches
Load balancing with Fibre Channel
What switches to use when implementing an iSCSI SAN
iSCSI vs. Fibre Channel

General
Still searching for the Holy Grail of management software
Where to find testing tools
What hard and soft port zoning means
Storage Hardware

Data storage management
Choosing a storage system for data archiving
Green storage best practices control costs, increase energy efficiency
Best practices for using server virtualization in your storage environment
Best practices for effective thin provisioning
Three tips for ensuring a user-friendly email archiving system
Top tips when evaluating a storage automation product
Guidelines for implementing virtualization in your storage infrastructure
The value of easy-to-use SAN storage
Pros and cons of storage capacity management tools
What are the differences between SATA II vs. SATA I?

RELATED RESOURCES
2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems
Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts
Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary


Do I think that application functionality will move to the switch? Yes. But, how far that functionality goes is still yet to be determined.

There have been a number of technology start-ups in the last few years that have tried to take the idea of virtualization and put it at the switch level. One of the companies moving in the right direction was Rhapsody Networks. Rhapsody Networks was able to take functionality like tape virtualization, NAS functionality and LUN management and move the management into the now "intelligent" switch. Rhapsody was bought by Brocade last year. Another manufacturer to watch in this space is Maxxan.

Recently, both Brocade and McData have spelled out there vision of putting more functionality at the switch layer. These visions both look to take the value/functionality out of storage. Should EMC be worried? Not yet. I think we're a few years away from having truly viable options from a switch vendor. Keep an eye on it.

Editor's note: Do you agree with this expert's response? If you have more to share, post it in one of our discussion forums.




Search and Browse the Expert Answer Center
Search and browse more than 25,000 question and answer pairs from more than 250 TechTarget industry experts.
Browse our Expert Advice



Search for Data Management Tools and Tiered Storage Reseller Solutions
TechTarget Storage Media
Storage Magazine View this month\\'s issue and subscribe today.
Storage Decisions Apply online for free conference admission.
SearchStorage.com
HomeNewsMagazineTopicsLearningMultimediaWhite PapersBlogsEventsAbout Us

About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations' technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000 - 2009, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts