Vendors map virtualization strategies IBM ratcheted up its commitment to storage virtualization last week with the announcement of third-party support for its TotalStorage SVC (SAN Volume Controller) for the Cisco MDS 9000 family of switches. The announcement is just the beginning of a wave of storage virtualization announcements expected during the next 12 months.The enhancements mean TotalStorage SVC will be capable of managing storage on IBM systems, as well as EMC’s Clariion, Hitachi Data Systems’ Thunder and Lightning, and Hewlett-Packard’s EMA and MA systems.Using TotalStorage SVC, IT managers will be able to administer such applications as volume management and data replication and to make point-in-time copies directly from the network. IBM plans to add support for EMC’s DMX (Direct Matrix Architecture) and HP’s EVA (Enterprise Virtual Array) in the near future. IBM also announced support for iSCSI (Internet SCSI) connectivity to better serve low-cost environments. Previously, the product only supported devices that use the more expensive Fibre Channel protocol. Although the announcement is a big move for IBM, it is hardly the final word on storage virtualization for IBM or other big players in storage such as EMC and HP. Storage virtualization purports to make management easier and to allow IT departments to utilize various degrees of storage depending on the importance of the data being stored. It is a concept that has proved easier to discuss than to implement.“It has been difficult to carry out effectively, but we’re starting to see products that are beginning to deliver on the promise of virtualization,” said Mike Kahn, an analyst at The Clipper Group.EMC officials believe that customers do not want a separate device to manage their storage, such as the one IBM offers. They believe customers instead want to integrate storage virtualization with products they currently have, particularly products from switch vendors such as Brocade Communications Systems, Cisco Systems, and McData. “We believe customers want to manage their storage from products they already have, not by adding another black box, which is essentially what IBM is doing,” said Chuck Hollis, vice president of storage platform marketing at EMC.EMC plans to combine storage virtualization with server virtualization in the future. That is part of the strategy behind EMC’s purchase of VMware earlier this year. VMware’s software allows multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on the same Intel-based server, allowing users to dynamically shift applications from server to server as corporate needs change.Brocade has already announced its SilkWork Fabric Application Platform, which allows Brocade, as well as ISVs, to write applications for volume management, data migration, and data replication over multiple SANs and multiple networks. EMC, HP, and Veritas Software have said they plan to develop applications for Brocade’s platform. Products supporting SilkWorm are expected to arrive shortly, according to Brocade officials. IBM, however, believes its latest product is giving a shot in the arm to the virtualization concept and can be used immediately by IT departments. “It can be a real cost- and time-saver for IT departments by pooling storage, adding availability, and simplifying management,” said Jeff Barnett, manager of storage software strategy at IBM.One early user of the TotalStorage SVC said he has seen beneficial changes using the virtualization model. “We are able to make the paradigm shift today from managing storage on different servers to a switch-based vendor-independent management model,” said Claus Kalle, manager of the systems department at the University of Cologne in Germany.“There is going to be more than one choice for IT departments in the near future,” Clipper Group’s Kahn said. “We’re just seeing the beginnings of storage virtualization.”