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IBM recently announced that it halted the
sale of its TotalStorage IP Storage 200i. Is this a case of the
product not doing well, or of the iSCSI technology not performing?
Zamer: IBM is the best party to comment on
this subject. In general, vendors are always evaluating their
product and technology road maps and will revise them from time to
time. Since iSCSI is a technology with potential, it will find its
way into iSCSI product lines as well as "iSCSI-capable"
products that will be enhanced with iSCSI features. iSCSI products
are expected to continue to improve their performance and address
any shortcomings.
Analysts have said that iSCSI technology
is the technology of the future, but that larger vendors such as
Cisco, Intel, EMC and HDS are not pushing it heavily. Do you think
this is due to low user-adoption rates or other factors?
Zamer: The momentum that the storage and
networking industry leaders have shown so far in support of iSCSI is
unprecedented. That support [has] exemplified itself in strong
participation from industry leaders [such as] SNIA, IETF, the iSCSI
Consortium. Recent iSCSI product releases from these companies are
clear indications of their commitment to enhancing the customer's
experience using IP Storage and iSCSI.
How easy or difficult is it to implement
an iSCSI dedicated network if you do not have one already? What kind
of investment in hardware will it take?
Zamer: It is very easy to set up an iSCSI SAN
since all you need is to connect your iSCSI devices to the network.
Since iSCSI uses Ethernet, IT staffs already know how to plug that
familiar Ethernet cable. It is important to note that iSCSI has one
type of port as opposed to the many types found in many storage
technologies. In the unlikely event that a user does not have an
Ethernet-based network, then getting one up and running would take
significantly less time than attempting to create a SAN using an
alternative technology. In general, the duration of time will depend
on the user's experience with networks.
What are the security concerns users need
to consider with iSCSI?
Zamer: The much debated security concerns are
network-related and are not iSCSI-specific. The iSCSI draft standard
addresses the security concerns of users and requires that IPSec
protocol be supported in tunneling mode. Users should look at their
own security requirements before getting too concerned about
security. If the iSCSI portion of the network is installed on a
trusted segment of the enterprise network, then users need not worry
about security beyond what their network provides. In the event that
the iSCSI segment of the network is accessible across un-trusted
segments, then users should consider utilizing security gateways or
firewalls that ensure the security of the iSCSI portion in a way
that is consistent with the user's security needs. Users considering
security solutions should ensure that the solutions they use can
deliver security while preserving the performance of the network.
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About Ahmad Zamer:
Ahmad Zamer is a senior product line
marketing engineer at the LAN Access Division of Intel Corp. He
joined Intel in 2000 and has responsibility for network storage and
iSCSI products. Zamer has more than 17 years of computer industry
experience as a product and business development manager. He is the
chairman of the iSCSI subgroup of SNIA.
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