NetApp brings agility to the Cisco Unified Datacenter (w/Dan Warmenhoven)
NetApp CEO Dan Warmenhoven on the Cisco Unified DataCenter
The future will be a Unified one, and Cisco will be there
Welcome to the Future! Strangely the future hasn’t ever felt so much like “Now” than ever before. If you haven’t been following all of the chatter leading up to these major announcements we’re on the threshhold of these major breaking points like never before.
The Data center has spoken and it’s answer is True unification.
Cisco has had this same story with their Switch line and with the purely unified solution with the Nexus line and the future of FCoE. This is not just another story of “Let’s produce another server” which is akin to the type of “battles” you tend to see occur between Dell, HP and IBM. No this is something much more and much bigger. So, while this definitely is an introduction of Blade Servers, this is more than just “another blade”. This is an entirely new way to think about, to manage and to interoperate within your datacenter.
If you haven’t seen some of the snippets of the new blades coming, here are a few pictures.
This is more than just pretty pictures. Never before have we had such a consolidated solution to a Network Fabric akin to the consolidated SAN solutions which NetApp has Pioneered and still stands unopposed in delivering. Add to that the pure play with VMware and other virtualization and what we have here is a marriage of Servers with the Networks and the Storage; what you end up with an end-to-end virtualization and delivery solution which will comprehensively change the way the datacenter operates.
So, what does this mean for the future? The landscape has gotten a bit wider and narrower at the same time. Everyone will have their toe dipped in this pool, or wanting to be a part of it, but those who will stand strong are the ones who speak to this same story of Unity. Doing more with less (Less Operating Systems, Less Platforms, Less Management required)
Even with the Cloud looming over our heads, the Datacenter isn’t getting any smaller, it is simply getting better at doing what it’s supposed to do. Either you become better with it, or start working on that resume.
NetApp System Manager – I can almost talk about it!
So seriously, if you haven’t seen this post by Steve or Val, well.. until things are released I cannot say much more than them! But once I can, you’ll get the motherload of it!
What can I say, which has already been said though…
For those of you who manage NetApp filers, you likely are familiar with the Command Line (CLI) or FilerView. I’d like to say “Welcome to the change to that experience” and that change comes in the form of an MMC snap-in which looks a bit like this!
Believe me, if I didn’t fear for my own disclosure, I’d say more!
One of my favorite bits of this, is the fact that I can manage multiple filers from this single interface – Add them in and they’re ready to go. The same can be said for multiple members of a cluster. What? It knows who its cluster pairs are and can tell you about issues? no that’s far too cool to be true.
There’s so much more… which I look forward to disclosing when this officially launches, but just do know that it is really-cool and will improve your management experience even more-so than you currently have today!
I will say nothing more on this! :)
Who the What The?! Storage Rap Off?
This isn’t the notorious fluffy G, but instead is an (honestly) very well produced piece on Deduplication as it stands with the competition – Or as described in the YouTube release:
So, my personal and honest assessment? Which I’m sure you’re waiting to see ;)
I have to say, it’s very well produced, orchestrated and organized. It didn’t look tacky (like those EMC dating videos I’ve seen, or Virtualization Girl) The filming quality, audio representation, and the dynamic of the event – started off in a very emotional context. For some reason, e-Squared reminded me a bit of Chuck Hollis (The beast from the east :)) .. I’m not sure why that is, but I think that’s kind of cute in my own mind ;)
I don’t really have an impression of double-D as to who they’re really giving me an impression of, I guess that’s just par for the course though. ;)
What really gets me is the “my technology crunch data anywhere” near the end, which really speaks well to the deduplication in primary as well as secondary, instead of some other methods in which it’s done.. But I won’t enter into that religious debate solely on this video alone, but those of you out there know exactly what I mean ;)
Final Assessment: Very well done, I don’t feel like it’s a 1990’s dating video recorded in someone’s basement, real cred, value and rocking ;)
Erk, Who is on Twitter again? (Consolidated lists!)
Every now and then the discussion comes up “Where do I find ‘x’ people on twitter?” I usually resort to random google searches, sometimes finding what I’m looking for, sometimes not quite so much! So here is my repository for you, me and my cat to find people easier.
Virtual Twits including a script which will auto-add them for you!
PowerShell Twitterers, including a script which will auto-add them for you!
December: Newspapers that use Twitter (Thousands of accts on Twitter!)
60 New York Times profiles on Twitter
And that’s all I have for a repository right now – if you have a list which should be added here, or you think I should include some specific grouping, make it known :)