LSI Corp. is finally supporting
iSCSI connectivity on all of its disk arrays, though native
support is still only available in its low-end Simplicity product
line.
LSI's first native iSCSI system is its entry level 1532 array,
which is also being
rebranded by IBM as the DS3300. The DS3300
began shipping on Sept. 7. With Fibre Channel and SAS disks on
the back end, the 1532 is nearly identical to the 1932 (IBM's
DS3400), except for the iSCSI connectivity.
The 1532 is also the second enterprise disk array to announced
support for SAS/SATA intermix. Network Appliance Inc. (NetApp)
announced that its new FAS2000 products that it gets through an OEM
deal with Dot Hill Systems Corp. will also support the feature.
The problem with SAS/SATA intermix is SATA has a far lower
tolerance for shock and rotational vibration than SAS drives, and
putting them too close together in a densely packed array can cause
SATA drives to fail at a higher rate. According to LSI product
marketing manager Rip Wilson, the 1532 avoids this problem with
small shock absorbers in each disk container.
LSI's higher end SANtricity products, which IBM sells as its
midrange DS4000 series, will support connectivity through a
meet-in-the-channel qualification of its systems with QLogic
Corp.'s iSCSI storage area network (SAN) routers. The routers must
be managed separately from the SANtricity arrays, and a 512-port
device costs $10,000.
"Basically, they're making an interoperability announcement,"
said analyst John Webster, principal IT advisor with Illuminata
Inc. "OK, so they've announced you can put a QLogic router in front
of one of their boxes. Their OEMs could have done the same
thing."
LSI's main OEM partner IBM already has iSCSI midrange systems
that it resells through its partnership with NetApp. And NetApp
systems offer Fibre Channel and iSCSI native connectivity along
with block- and file-level access in the same box.
LSI argues that for now, the router is more scalable than
putting native iSCSI ports on the box, particularly for larger
customers. Each 512-port router can be stacked and clustered with
others to expand the port count.
LSI director of product management Steve Gardner points out that
the router gives existing customers iSCSI connectivity without
having to buy new systems.
"The router is not just for new customers," Gardner wrote in an
email to SearchStorage.com. "There are many thousands of SANtricity
systems installed in the field already, so the router is also
designed to help these customers get the most out of the iSCSI
interface."
All the major Fibre Channel SAN vendors offer at least iSCI
connectivity, if not dedicated iSCSI systems. According to market
research firm IDC, the
iSCSI SAN grew 57.2% to $191 million from
the second quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of this
year.
So it makes sense that LSI officials say native iSCSI is on the
roadmap, but Webster wonders how much demand LSI sees in its
midrange sweet spot. "Obviously, they're seeing some since they
feel they need some play in the iSCSI space," he said. "But they
must have come to the conclusion that it's not a big enough market
yet among higher end customers to warrant completely rejiggering
the design of their box."