At 17:54 25.01.2004 +0800, you wrote:
So that you understand where I am coming from, I am 2nd hand equipment dealer who has paid and tried to get things work out with distributors and had no help. I've tried to work with NetApps distritibutors to stop an account not to migrate to EMC....
I absolutely agree with your opinion on many of these issues. The lisencing policies that Network Appliances use are totally horrid. My former employee chose EMC over netapp just for this cause. Once installed the value of the equipment is none, because it has no aftermarket whatsoever.
It's a crying shame, because NetApp is so simple and functional, and hosts so much power.
There was a discussion on this a while back, but I think that the Network Appliances administration are horrified that changing their lisencing policies will result in massive pritating of their software.
So they choose to serve the few who are willing to pay the horrid prices of new licenced equipment, and forget about the masses who chose EMC and other solutions for economical safety, and the aftermaket.
I think this is a pretty narrowminded way of thinking. Think of all the 2.hand equipment, and the ability for this to create a second revenue. I've seen netapps sell off ebay for just a couple of hundred bucks. I think they will be running pirated Data ontap versions. Just what Network Appliances seem to fear the most. The software are pirated in a big way, both by netadmins for private use and by small companies, because the alternative of getting a legal version is finacially synonymous with buying a new storagesystem.
Thanks for your time
J.