Guys,
I have no intention of vendor slamming or trying to sell anything. However, once again, for the sake of posterity (and accurate technical knowledge) I am compelled to set the record straight. This unsolicited slam on VFM, DFS, or whoever the intended target was is very inaccurate. I will only respond to the inaccuracies. Please see my responses below.
1.==================================================================== [Original] VFM or NuView StorageX (they are the exact same product) is an enhanced management GUI for Microsoft DFS with some additional hooks for automating failover in a NetApp(and other?) environment. [Response] Actually, StorageX is an integrated set of applications that enables enterprises to build unified, global namespaces across CIFS and NFS protocols and enables administrators to perform policy-based heterogeneous data management activities without interrupting end user access to data. These policies automate data and storage services, such as: heterogeneous network data management, data migration and consolidation, business continuity, storage optimization, data lifecycle management, remote site data management, and data classification and reporting. Yes, VFM/StorageX supports Microsoft DFS, as well as NFS. It is used to manage data on platforms such as Windows, NetApp, Linux, Unix, Netware and much more from a single, easy-to-use GUI.
2.==================================================================== [Original] If there is anything Microsoft hates more than anything else, it is telling a customer that they need to purchase a third party product to manage a Microsoft service.
This means that either A) Microsoft is going to purchase technology so that they can give it to you for free or B) they are going to develop technology so that they can give it to you for free. Either way a commercial third party product for managing DFS has a relatively short shelf life with a fairly steep price tag if you have significant amount of storage.
[Response] What backup software do you use and why aren't you using the built-in Windows backup software? Using VFM/StorageX reaps many benefits for organizations, including those that are currently running Microsoft DFS. The truth is that VFM/StorageX is not limited to managing only DFS, nor does it come with a steep price tag, despite the author's assertions.
We have many advocates at Microsoft that like us because we make DFS scalable and offer an alternative to FRS (which caused their field much pain). Microsoft likes anyone who promotes their technologies.
3.==================================================================== [Original] NuView knows this and has started bundling additional "modules" with their StorageX/VFM product to make it a more attractive solution.
[Response] We never set out to be a DFS management tool. VFM/StorageX is an integrated suite of applications, which are not bundled modules, rather they are included as part of the product as a whole. There are instances of customers who initially purchased VFM/StorageX for a migration project and later found that they didn't have to purchase additional software for archiving, or to create global namespaces for uninterrupted user access to their data, since it was already in StorageX. The reality is that hundreds of customers love the integrated applications and continue to leverage it, while managing and moving multiple terabytes of data.
4.==================================================================== [Original] All I can say is that you need to take a close look at where it has been installed and ask to talk to customers that have implemented the add-on modules to see what level of success they have seen.
[Response] There are numerous cases studies and customers who freely talk about the immediate and long-term benefits that their organizations have gained, since implementing VFM/StorageX. Another aspect that one needs to look at is how long a vendor has been providing these solutions, as well as what the industry says about them. Finally, one only needs to look at the recent industry awards that VFM/StorageX have received to see that VFM/StorageX is a cost-effective, scalable solution that can manage the unstructured CIFS and NFS data of medium and enterprise customers.
5a.==================================================================== [Original] If you are considering a 3rd party tool to configure and manage your DFS environment you should understand a couple of things.
1) You MUST be running MS Server 2003 for your DFS root. Win200 is missing some key functionality and stability enhancements which will create a less than stable and less than scaleable DFS environment. Even VFM/StorageX require a Windows 2003 Server./ Their GUI is just that, a "better" GUI for administering DFS. It still requires MS Windows DFS.
[Response] The author would do well to familiarize himself with chapter 17 of the 2000 resource kit before making assertions about DFS.
Most of our 300+ customers are running DFS on 2000. 2003 lets you host more than one root on a single box and improves site referrals. I don't know how it is more stable. DFS is stable. It is part of the CIFS protocol.
5b.===================================================================== [Original] 2) Your DFS root will either need a Active Directory Domain Controller(s) or a dedicated DFS root server (cluster) depending upon the size and complexity of your environment and the level of authority you want to assign to your DFS administrators.
[Response] DFS roots are stored in the Active Directory (domain-based roots) or in the registry of a server (stand-alone roots). This does not mean the roots are on DCs.
The benefit is that VFM/SX is software and therefore you can leverage resources you already own, rather than purchase additional hardware or an appliance. The other benefit is that you can adjust the configuration and storage of your resource as you see fit and without affecting your CIFS/NFS management. VFM/StorageX supports and can leverage Active Directory, but it isn't required.
5c.====================================================================== [Original] 3) If you want to delegate the administration of DFS to less than domain administrators, you cannot install your DFS root on your AD domain controllers. You will be implementing distributed domain DFS. This means you need one or more clusters of DFS root servers to insure the availability of your DFS resources.
[Response] It is not best practice to load a DFS root on a DC as field experience has shown. You can grant a user rights to the DFS configuration bucket in AD without making that user an admin. But most of our customers are domain admins so that seldomly comes up anyway.
It is common to use one domain admin-like account to run the VFM service under and then delegate authorities through VFM. (pretty cool as MS did not provide this granularity.)
5.d====================================================================== [Original] 4) If you install DFS on your domain controllers, you must create a domain administrator account to administer DFS.
[Response] Not a true statement although it does make things easier. We have customers not using domain admin accounts to manage DFS. See the above response.
5.e====================================================================== [Original] 5) DFS R2 is currently in beta. Patches have been released in December and again in 2005 (March?) which have significantly improved the Microsoft tools for configuring and managing DFS. If you are seriously looking gat DFS, contact Microsoft and ask them to come in and show you what they have currently available for free before you spend any significant time or $$ or a tool you will have to pay for.
[Response] Since R2 is still in beta we can't discuss specifics, but we agree that customers should evaluate R2 and they'll find that VFM/StorageX fully supports and enhances R2. It's important to recognize the environments that R2 supports and for those that aren't supported under R2 or those that desire additional value-add can leverage VFM/StorageX. Finally, benefits have been realized by customers who initially chose DFS and realized that they could immediately and seamlessly manage their roots after installing VFM/StorageX.
6.======================================================================== [Original] If what you are really looking for is a tool to transparently monitor, manage and optimize your storage environment, both CIFS and NFS and support multiple vendors without having to install software on your filers or clients, without having to install Windows servers and 3rd party software to manage your heterogeneous environment, there are significantly more robust solutions which integrate into industry standard global name spaces and which ELIMINATE downtime, not just reduce it.
[Response] A final thought regarding product viability is further evidenced by the recent industry awards that StorageX/VFM has received in the past couple of months, including:
* Network Magazine - 2005 Innovation Award for the "Most Influential" solution in the storage product category (April, 2005) * Redmond Magazine - Redmond Most Valuable Product award (May, 2005) * TechTarget's Storage Magazine and SearchStorage.com - 2004 "Product of the Year" Silver Medal in the category of storage management (December, 2004)
You can download a copy of StorageX/VFM and test it out immediately in your environment.
Sorry I had to do this, Louis