Is EMC developing storage super-stack? The future of EMC's VNX line, currently a work in progress, is presaged by this week's launch of the VNXe - a more integrated system with a new operating system, VNOX, and very much simpler set up, provisioning, management and support facilities than the CLARiiON and Celerra source technologies. A key background idea here is …
Imagine if EMC - 10 years from now - ships one unified product? Essentially one product line, enclosed in uniform hardware - that combines multiple I/O protocols, varying application access for block, file, and object? Then they customize each box with software that the customer chooses with regard to their replication, data protection, and other EMC software products.
Sound like an EMC competitor? Crystal ball says yes.
It sounds like more than one of their competitors... Single expandable systems are the way forward, EMC would be nuts to keep producing the Clariion, Centera and Symmetrix systems as separate products, it would reduce costs and simplify their products to have everything in one box and have the box scalable from workgroup to uber enterprise size. With switching of different functions by software licencing.
By definition a stack of technology adds complexity and does not simplify it. Clever tools and updated GUI's have to bring it together but does not remove the inefficiencies that exists when multiple layers have to work together.
Modern devices have built these capabilities natively into their product and don't, like EMC, have to rehash existing technology and create a massive storage strap-on.
Every recent announcement from EMC has stolen concepts from other more progressive tech and presented it as their own. These same vendors are the ones EMC refuse to acknowledge when they discuss their competition.
Mr author, how about a frank and reg-style analysis of EMC? The constant rim-jobs must be wearing you out!
More than NetApp though... EMC knew it had a management problem, and not one that is easy to solve. You have three different platforms running three different O/S. Flare/Win Server, DART/Linux, and Enginuity/other. That's a lot to manage for any shop! By using Unisphere and modular components things are finally headed in the right direction.
I don't see Enginuity and FLARE merging anytime soon. Yes there on the same H/W, but the software is very different. Think about it this way... Enginuity is very lightweight, about 1/4 of FLARE. It also contains a static bin file. So when data is sent to the VMAX, the bin logic knows what to do with the data immediately. With FLARE, it has to go through layers of management. Speed through simplicity vs. Simplicity of management. It's a choice.
That's not to say they can't 'borrow' from each other. In fact they have! (Access Logix comes to mind) However, the two will remain discrete and separate.
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