Compaq offers interoperability "innovations" and "test-drive" of SAN product

Promises, promises. Does a third-party solution really work on your vendor's hardware? When it comes to software interoperability, there's often a large gray area between 100 percent compatible and "sort of" compatible. Maybe it's a matter of some additional configuration work at install. Or maybe the vendor just has to come up with a minor patch or two. But at the minimum, it can often throw off budgets and schedules.

Addressing this problem, Compaq has initiated a new "partnership" program, which it claims to be an industry first. The program enables independent software vendors (ISVs) to partner with Compaq StorageWorks, by self-certifying their backup applications (at their site with Compaq StorageWorks hardware and SANworks? software in SAN, NAS and DAS environments). Compaq says it provides ISVs with the requirements and acceptance test procedures for qualifying their application as part of a Compaq data protection solution. The test procedures provided for Value Partners meet the same standards of integration testing that Compaq uses with its Compaq StorageWorks Premier Partners. Compaq says it will audit the Value Partner's test results before announcing certification. The two month old program currently includes fewer than a dozen vendors but is expected to grow rapidly.

Separately, in another move that a company spokesperson says is unique in the industry, Compaq added SANworks to its "TestDrive" web site . The free program allows visitors to remotely test drive Compaq hardware and operating systems as well as SANworks? Storage Resource Manager via the Web. According to Compaq, Storage Resource Manager is a Web-based reporting solution that provides IT managers with storage data analysis to detect trends, foresee problems, and balance resources by providing automated reporting on storage capacity, consumption, and availability.

Additional resources:

* Ready to pull your hair out over interoperability issues? Don't despair. Pose your question to our storage/Unix expert .

* Browse through our searchEnterpriseServers Best Web Links on storage.

* Check out our Sound off forum where you can discuss interoperability issues with your peers.

About the author: Alan Earls is a freelance writer in Franklin, MA.

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