Some words about IBM DS8800

Two weeks ago IBM announced high end disk system DS8800 - the fourth generation of DS8000 family. I will not describe new features, all of them you can find here. What's interesting to notice is that comparing  competitors IBM has chosen right approach to build high-end family. Less than one year was enough to build the new generation of disk storage high-end. Of course, looking at announcement dates of the some features, it is possible to think that this product was announced as a response to HDS VSP and now could be a little unripe, but IBM doesn't need to create the new core of the system since DS8100. DS8800 consists of components almost all of which are not unique, what allows to quickly react on market conditions and more effective create the next generation.
On the other hand, IBM is integrating and unifying components of different storage systems (SVC, DS8000, V7000), and I hope that it might be possible in the near future to build a solution from different midrange and high-end bricks, which would be fully compatible on the firmware level.

Banal notice for Thin Provisioning volumes

Use only "quick format" options when formatting OS file systems that are hosted by thin provisioned
volumes.

IBM Storwize V7000 and SVC. What is about interoperability?

October 7th 2010 IBM has announced a new midrange disk systemIBM® Storwize V7000 with strong virtualization and tiering functions . The IBM V7000 has its own internal disks and is based on the same software as the IBM SAN Volume Controller - IBM site has the same reference to the software for both products. The picture below helps to understand better the relationship between this two products (very useful review about IBM V7000 is published here)

     
Interestingly, when IBM is going to make interconnection between V7000 and SVC? Unfortunately I haven't found any information about this possibility in IBM V7000 HCL. But usage of the IBM V7000 together with IBM SVC, where IBM V7000 is used as inexpensive system on remote site for disaster recovery, could be looking very attractive.   

Just opened

I'm going to publish here some news related with a storage technology and other related things. Hope, it wouldn't be useless for you.