NetApp is not designed to compete with SAN - and yes, you cannot say that 100mb ethernet will compete with fiber channel.
However, direct attach has limitations in the number of servers it can connect to. At last check, EMC can connect with 32 systems. Hitachi can connect to a large number with a channel box (I don't know the high end limit). But you are limited by the length of cable between the SAN and the server.
Basically we approached using NetApp as a replacement for all of our NFS servers, and to some extent our data servers. For direct attach, we will probably go with Hitachi.
I think in any environment, both SAN and NetApp can be used effectively. It is not really an argument of which one is better, but what is your functional requirement and how will those needs be met.
Jeff
-----Original Message----- From: Yael Hellmann [mailto:yael_hellmann@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 11:59 AM To: michael.alvarado@netapp.com; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: nas storage
You are still limitted by the network and netapp will not be able to compete with products which provide direct disk attachment. Products in mind are SANergy and CXFS. Below is a message from a user who supports my assumtion that you cannot get local performance over a network link.
"From: Michael S. Keller [mailto:mkeller@mail.wcg.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2000 10:56 AM To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Re: nas storage
I do not get performance on par with my perception of local disk storage. Would you care to elaborate on what you mean by "on par with local disk storage"?
When I run Usenet news spools from Solaris 2.6 on a NetApp filer, I must throttle NFS to get it to work reliably. "
--- "Alvarado, Michael" michael.alvarado@netapp.com wrote:
Network Appliance's current customer experience is that they do get performance on par with local disk storage already.
Our current plans do not include any interoperation with the SANenergy products.
-----Original Message----- From: Yael Hellmann [mailto:yael_hellmann@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, March 20, 2000 6:02 PM To: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: nas storage
I am currently investigating the market for nas storage. What is netapp plans in providing a solution which will deliver local disk performance for nas storage? Does netapp have plans for products with SANergy functionality or performance?
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