Storage wise-guy readers respond to recent newsletters

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MIKE KARP ON STORAGE IN THE ENTERPRISE
09/29/05
Today's focus: Storage wise-guy readers respond to recent
newsletters

Dear %%fullname%%,

In this issue:

* Delving into Karp's mailbag
* Links related to Storage in the Enterprise
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Free White Paper: Best Practices for Networks for Storage
Replications over Any Distance

Learn how the right storage extension implementation can enable
strategic competitive and cost advantages with high-performance,
low-cost data center connectivity--supporting virtually all
time-sensitive, mission-critical applications enterprise-wide.
Free white paper courtesy of Ciena.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115885
_______________________________________________________________
IS IT THE NETWORK OR THE STORAGE THAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Midsize and larger businesses often find their IT topology has
become a complex mix of servers, networks and storage systems.
Many of these companies also route long-haul traffic over
fiber-based networks - metropolitan-area networks, WANs and
private optical networks. Who's responsible when a
storage-related problem occurs on a fiber network? For more,
click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115698
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: Storage wise-guy readers respond to recent
newsletters

By Mike Karp

E-mail from readers is often interesting. Typically, what I get
falls within one of three categories, which I tend to refer to
as "screamers," "askers" and "wise guys."

"Screamers" - mostly, marketing managers from some vendor I did
NOT mention in this column - spend most of their time pointing
fingers at me and accusing me of only covering my clients and my
friends. I point out to them that this is not the case (sure,
sure), and that I often go to some length to ensure that all
companies are fairly represented - vendors are always listed
alphabetically (really? Yup, check it out); if I mention a
client I also try to mention a non-client and give them the same
amount of space (wow, he really is a good guy!), and so forth
(but he still can't date my sister).

Screamers are rarely convinced, however. The truth of the matter
is that most of the companies I don't talk about are companies
that have never gotten around to briefing me. Lacking any effort
on their part to provide information ...

Group 2, the "askers" - usually IT folks with legitimate
questions. These often spawn some terrific e-mail exchanges, and
I have many pen pals from all over the world (due to
translations, it turns out that I have become eloquent in
languages I never even knew I spoke). I typically give over a
large part of Friday mornings to this correspondence.

And then there are the "wise guys" - a group of readers who, if
truth be told (as on occasion it is), really have some wisdom to
share. They suggest interesting topics for me to write about,
offer interesting commentary (and sometimes suggestions for my
readers, which I often publish), and on many occasions catch me
when I have erred. Over the past four years, my readers have
really benefited from many of their contributions.

R., in California caught me making a misleading comment last
week when I talked about Serial-attached SCSI and Serial ATA
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstorage7695>. He quoted my
statement that with SATA and SAS, resellers will be building
systems that move data on and off disks at twice the speed of
the previous generation of machines that used parallel I/O. R.,
wrote: "My question is in regards to the speed you quoted. My
understanding is that SAS drives operate at 300M byte/sec and
current SCSI parallel technology is at 320M byte/sec. Am I in
error? How does this result in off-disk rates for SAS at twice
the rate of SCSI?"

R, unlike many Californians, was quite right, of course. The
reference to doubled speed only applies to SATA right now, which
goes from 1.5G-bit I/O to 3G-bit. The current 3 G-bit rate for
SAS doesn't get bumped up to 6G-bit until 2006 or 2007. I should
have been clearer on that.

Correspondent Kasey, also a wise guy, liked the stories I did on
the $400 storage-area network
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstorage7696>, but pointed out
important issues that I completely neglected to mention. Given
that many users of this equipment will be somewhat inexperienced
in the ways of storage, Kasey's issues were:

* Low-end storage usually requires host-based back-up software
to complete a backup, which means that consumers will need to
upgrade networks to Gigabit Ethernet to allow for a decent
back-up window of under 20 hours. (I am not sure about this, but
the back-up issue is not one to be taken lightly.)
* As small and midsize businesses store more data, it is
important to impress on them the need for storage management -
carve the storage into small sizes that fit their backup
solution, apply good data policies that are enforced by
management.

Two small points, but also rules to live by. And yes, Kasey, I
will be writing much more on the data lifecycle.

You will note that members of the "wise guy" category are very
much appreciated by this writer. Feel free to join them if the
spirit moves you.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. How to solve Windows system crashes in minutes
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstoragealert7669>
2. IPTV will trip up Bells, analysts say
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstorage7887>
3. McAfee, Omniquad top anti-spyware test
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstoragealert6931>
4. Skype: Hazardous to network health?
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstorage7888>
5. The rise of the IT architect
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlstoragealert7268>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Mike Karp

Mike Karp is senior analyst with Enterprise Management
Associates, focusing on storage, storage management and the
methodology that brings these issues into the marketplace. He
has spent more than 20 years in storage, systems management and
telecommunications. Mike can be reached via e-mail
<mailto:mkarp@enterprisemanagement.com>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Free White Paper: Best Practices for Networks for Storage
Replications over Any Distance

Learn how the right storage extension implementation can enable
strategic competitive and cost advantages with high-performance,
low-cost data center connectivity--supporting virtually all
time-sensitive, mission-critical applications enterprise-wide.
Free white paper courtesy of Ciena.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115884
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Storage newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/stor/index.html

Breaking storage news and analysis:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/storage.html
_______________________________________________________________
The dynamic world of application acceleration technologies

Companies are undergoing a shift in the way they structure their
internal IT departments and external service components. Find
out about the changing market for application acceleration
technologies.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=115743
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE

The Trend Micro Threat Map

The Trend Micro Threat Map dynamically displays real-time data
to show worldwide trends in virus and content security threats
as they happen. Collected from actual computer infections, the
Threat Map can be used to help determine appropriate security
policies, based on the prevalence of threats that can adversely
affect your business.

<http://www.networkworld.com/go/trendmicro/trend_frr>
_______________________________________________________________
May We Send You a Free Print Subscription?
You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered
at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by
receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply
today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2

International subscribers click here :
http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html
_______________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail
newsletters, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx>

To change your e-mail address, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx>

Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to
this message.

This message was sent to: %%emailaddr%%
Please use this address when modifying your subscription.
_______________________________________________________________

Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor,
at: <mailto:jcaruso@nww.com>

Inquiries to: NL Customer Service, Network World, Inc., 118
Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772

For advertising information, write Kevin Normandeau, V.P. of
Online Development, at: <mailto:sponsorships@nwfusion.com>

Copyright Network World, Inc., 2005