I've got two things to say about these points:
(a) Testing.
(b) Testing.
(insert standard joke about 'it's so important I mention it twice')
Seriously though, we've been bitten a once or twice by component failures on our NetApp's but compared to the DOA's we get from Sun, SGI and the rest, I'm quite happy for NetApp to spend more on their factory space, power, personnel and so forth, AND charge a little more.
Maybe amortising the RnD costs of NetApp's over the whole range of components isn't as off-putting to users as dumping it all in the base price of the strictly NetApp-designed-and-built hardware and software. Plus it means that NetApp engineers can reasonably expect problems with hardware and software to be NetApp-owned because they were NetApp supplied.
NetApp seem to want to make owning their boxes as painless and fruitful as they can. How often do you see Rolls-Royce's in the shop being fitted with parts that aren't approved by RR? Likewise Ferrari?
I betcha parts for econoboxes would be cheaper, and might even come from the same basic supplier, but the added scrutiny means added reassurance, which is worth money.
Maybe NetApp could introduce a poor-man's NetApp (called something more tactful and market-savvy of course)... But I think that would be more trouble than it's worth no matter which side you're on.
On Jan 14, 22:33, Jonah Yokubaitis wrote:
Subject: Re: Shortcomings of current NetApps? On Wed, 14 Jan 1998, Chris Caputo wrote:
|>I'm interested to hear what others think the shortcomings of the current |>crop of NetApps are. From my experience: | |My biggest beef is that the upgradability of these things is low. It |seems that when you buy a unit you are buying a capacity and improvements |in disk technology don't raise it. For example, our unit uses 4 gig |drives. Its max capacity is 14 4 gig drives. We'd love to put 9 or 18 |gig drives in it, but the software doesn't support it. I realize 9 or 18 |gig drives would raise rebuild time, but that risk should be up to us.
Amen to that.
A paste from a sysconfig -r on an F630
1: SEAGATE ST15150W 9107 Size=3.9GB (8388315 blocks)
The ST15150W is an *OLD* drive that Seagate doesn't even list as a current product.....
Some newer drives please? 18gig drives please? It *can't* be that hard to allow 18gig drives...if it is your programmers didn't do their job correctly.
|I also consider the high price per meg to be a shortcoming and because of |it we are researching and developing alternatives.
Just negotiate hard with Netapp. I still feel screwed everytime I want an upgrade from netapp. The above drive model is $355 through disribution...netapp quoted me $1700/drive.
Their NVRAM pricing is LUDICRIOUS considering its 3rd party NVRAM bought from Dallas semiconductor. Ditto for DRAM.
Netapp:
Make your money on your wonderful software, and stop trying to price gouge your customers on *off the shelf* items like Seagate Hard DRives, Samsung DRAM, and Dallas Semiconductor NVRAM.
We really aren't that stupid I promise.
Jonah
Jonah Barron Yokubaitis | Austin|San Antonio|Houston President | Dallas|Fort Worth|Boerne Texas.Net | Georgetown|Dripping Springs http://www.texas.net | Making 56k affordable
-- End of excerpt from Jonah Yokubaitis