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STORAGE ARCHITECTURE/ MASTER : Where FC is Headed

Explore the evolution of Fibre Channel (FC) technology in storage architecture with insights from industry expert Marc Staimer. Learn about market trends, scalability challenges, and the shift towards simplicity and cost efficiency. Discover the benefits of automated change management solutions to reduce complexity and streamline operations in FC networks.

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STORAGE ARCHITECTURE/ MASTER : Where FC is Headed

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  1. STORAGE ARCHITECTURE/MASTER: Where FC is Headed Dragon Slayer Consulting Marc Staimer, President & CDS marcstaimer@earthlink.net 20 September 2004

  2. 7 yrs sales 7 yrs sales mgt 10 yrs mktg & bus dev Storage & SANs 6 years consulting Launched or participated 20 products Paid Consulting > 70 vendors Unpaid Consulting > 200 end users Known Industry Expert Speak ~ 5 events/yr Write ~ 3 trade articles/yr Dragon Slayer background Where FC is Headed

  3. Agenda • Conventional wisdom • FC health • Market stratification • Down-market = > simplicity & < cost • Up-market = > scalability & > storage services • The need for speed • Increasing intelligence • Summary Where FC is Headed

  4. Conventional wisdom • FC SANs have a very high value proposition • >500% ROI/year • Studies from: Merrill Lynch, DSC, McKinsey, KPMG • Storage consolidation • AND FC SANs have a history of • > Cost • > Complexity • > Specialized knowledge • > Difficult problematic change management • > Difficult problematic scalability Where FC is Headed

  5. Market perception • FC SAN market growth has stalled • FC SAN pain has opened opportunity for GigE/iSCSI Where FC is Headed

  6. 0/0 Does conventional wisdom match your perception? • Yes • No Where FC is Headed

  7. FC health: Alive & wellContrary to reports of its demise • Fibre Channel market is growing rapidly • HBAs, switches, & arrays = > double digit growth • Unit CAGRs all > 40% • < Prices Where FC is Headed

  8. FC market stratification Where FC is Headed

  9. HBA port growth by server class CAGR = 41.6% Source: IDC 2004 Where FC is Headed

  10. HBA total revenue CAGR = 6.8% Source: IDC 2004 Where FC is Headed

  11. Data connotations • Prices are declining…on a steep curve • Partially from threat of iSCSI • Partially from competition • Mix of HBAs shifting to lower cost markets • Volume servers & embedded blade servers Where FC is Headed

  12. Declining end user HBA ASP/port Source: Dragon Slayer Consulting Where FC is Headed

  13. 0/0 Have you seen a significant drop in FC HBA prices? • Yes • No Where FC is Headed

  14. FC switch polarization CAGR = 40.8% Source: IDC 2004 Where FC is Headed

  15. Declining FC switch pricing CAGR = 16.6% Source: IDC 2004 Where FC is Headed

  16. Switch data connotations • Prices are declining…on a steep curve • Market polarization • Low end: entry level & embedded • High end: chassis switching • Top end & bottom line maintained • By software value add Where FC is Headed

  17. Declining end user switch ASP/port Source: Dragon Slayer Consulting Where FC is Headed

  18. 0/0 Have you seen a significant drop in FC switch prices? • Yes • No Where FC is Headed

  19. Perception versus current reality • High complexity? • Specialized knowledge? • Difficult problematic change mgt pain? • Difficult problematic scalability pain? Where FC is Headed

  20. Complexity • History = High • Current = Very low • Wizards for • Setup • Zoning • Management • Diagnostics • Troubleshooting Where FC is Headed

  21. FC complexity conclusion • Configuration & mgt intuitive • Limited specialized knowledge req’ts • Not as significant of an issue • Depends of the vendor Much Reduced Complexity Where FC is Headed

  22. Change managementdifficult & problematic? • Historically: yes • Lot of coordination • Servers, storage, SAN, cables & facilities • Re-architecting • Switch ports have to be reallocated for ISLs • Zones, cabling, and LUN masking must be redone • Followed up with shakedown & troubleshooting • Sometimes requiring back out of the change Where FC is Headed

  23. Change mgtrequirements? • Market requirements include • Automation • Negative impact minimization • Audit trail • Change simulation, planning, & validation • Correlation of LUN maps, zones, pathing policies • Work plans for all of the departments involved • Simple, “brain dead” trouble shooting Where FC is Headed

  24. Plan changes Predicts impact Implements change Validates change Logs change history Correlates Storage & SAN changes LUNs Zones Pathing Policies Vendors include Onaro Newly available auto change mgt SW Where FC is Headed

  25. I will use auto change mgt SW I will use auto change mgt SW I will use auto change mgt SW I will use auto change mgt SW I will use auto change mgt SW FC change mgt conclusion • Automated software is available • It eliminates change management pain • Change mgt doesn’t have to be: • Problematic nor difficult Where FC is Headed

  26. FC SAN scalability:Difficult & problematic? • Historically a definitive yes: • Fabric disruption propagation • Large fabrics increase latency • More intra-fabric switch ASIC hops • Databases bloat • QoS has been nominal • Change mgt problems exacerbate as fabrics grow • Troubleshooting can take a very long time Where FC is Headed

  27. Fabric disruption propagation • Fabric disruptions anywhere… • …propagate throughout the fabric everywhere • RSCNs • Zone changes, add switches or HBAs Salud! Ah choo! Where FC is Headed

  28. Traditional approaches have led to Urban sprawl, a.k.a SAN Islands • IT is dynamic • Most organizations do not plan well • Minimizes disruption effects of change • Doesn’t eliminate disruptions …this This becomes… Where FC is Headed

  29. Issues with SAN Islands • Limits SAN benefits • Storage consolidation limited by island • Management touches expand Where FC is Headed

  30. Large fabrics = > Inter-switch ASIC hops • Hop number affects latency • Latency is cumulative • Affects end user response times • Users demand predictability • Mesh and/or SAN islands = unpredictable • Locality = predictability again • Core-edge = predictable Where FC is Headed

  31. SAN database bloat • As fabrics get larger • FSPF databases get larger…and slower • Name services get larger…and slower • SAN performance degrades Where FC is Headed

  32. Lack of effective QoS • Reduced application throughput • Manual SAN tuning • Very difficult for larger SANs Where FC is Headed

  33. Manual change mgt = > $OpEx • Larger SANs mean • > complexity • > % for human error • > time troubleshooting • < less uptime Where FC is Headed

  34. Lengthy troubleshooting • Increases $OpEx • Reduces SAN flexibility, growth & changes • Increased application downtime Where FC is Headed

  35. 0/0 Which is your worst SAN scaling pain? • Fabric disruptions • Large fabric latency • Database bloat • QoS • Change management • Storage, SANs, policies correlation • Troubleshooting Where FC is Headed

  36. SAN scaling pain is being eliminated • HBA RSCN switch suppression • Automated change mgt software • SAN Masking-a.k.a. SAN routing • Chassis switch segmentation • Switch-based QoS • SAM • Troubleshooting tools Where FC is Headed

  37. HBA RSCN switch suppression • Stops unimportant HBA RSCN disruptions • From disrupting other HBAs • Significantly < zoning requirements • Vendors include • QLogic • McDATA RSCN RSCN RSCN Where FC is Headed

  38. Analogous to LUN masking Routes specific data Between SAN islands Visibility between specific WWNs Eliminates disruptions Between SAN islands Increases SAN scalability > switches from 239 to 57,121 Simplifies management Both ongoing & change mgt. Heterogeneous SANs Address translation (domain & WWN) Eliminates ATL forced fabric merges Increases availability SAN Fabric B SAN Fabric A VSAN 2 VSAN 1 SAN Fabric C SAN routing, a.k.a. SAN masking Where FC is Headed

  39. Works over FC And IP networks iFCP and FCIP Vendors include McDATA Eclipse SAN Router Cisco MDS:VSAN Routing Brocade Multiprotocol Router LightSand 8100 SAN Fabric B SAN Fabric A VSAN 2 VSAN 1 SAN Fabric C SAN routing/masking continued Where FC is Headed

  40. Analogous to large storage controller Start large & subdivide One physical fabric Many logical ones Vendors include Cisco MDS:VSANs McDATA I10K: Dynamic Partitioning CNT UMD: Logical Domains MaXXan SAN segmentation, a.k.a. Planned communities Where FC is Headed

  41. 2Gig ports 10Gig ISLs New concept:Zero/low cost ISLs • Virtual ISLs • Connects multiple switch domains across backplane • Cisco, CNT, McDATA, MaXXan • Stackable ISLs • Utilizes 10Gbps copper ISLs to stack switches • QLogic • Zero/low cost ISLs eliminate • Recabling & wasted user ports Where FC is Headed

  42. SAN throughput allocation Based on IT priorities Policy based Recognizes App performance Requirements differ OLTP > than data migration, etc. Vendors include Cisco: MDS Intra-switch CNT UMD McDATA I10K(Q4 04) Quality of Service (QoS) QoS Where FC is Headed

  43. SRM + SAN mgt Storage Provisioning Block & File Heterogeneous Policy based mgt Policy enforcement tools One look & feel App performance mgt Optimizes ecosystem Vendors include EMC Softek AppIQ HP IBM Creekpath VERITAS Storability TekTools CA System Area Management (SAM) Where FC is Headed

  44. Simplified Problem isolation Problem resolution Performance issues Vendors include Cisco SPAN, rSPAN McDATA SANavigator CNT Performance VSN Easier troubleshooting tools Where FC is Headed

  45. Switches Currently up to 256 ports Up to 1024 2H 2004 Fabrics Traditional 239 switches 239 x 256 = > 61K ports Theoretical (new technologies) 239 switch domains 239 switches/domain 256 ports/switch = > 14M ports How big can SANs grow? Where FC is Headed

  46. FC Scalability FC scalability conclusion • Infinitely easier • Multiple solutions • High flexibility • FC SAN scaling no longer has to be: • Problematic or difficult Where FC is Headed

  47. 4Gbps = Yes Compatible with 1 & 2Gbps Optics = slightly > ~ same ASP as 2Gbps is today Initial products Q4 04 Market migration=2H 05 8Gbps = Yes Compatible with 2 & 4Gbps Optics = slightly > ~ same ASP as 2Gbps is today Initial products Q4 07 Market migration=2H 08 10Gbps = Partially Yes 64b/66b encoding Primarily ISL Not backwards compatible Optics = Much > Available today 4 vendors by Q4 04 FC speed prognostications Where FC is Headed

  48. Other FC prognostications • Intelligence creep • Into FC switches • Into FC HBAs • Into FC servers • Into FC appliances • Market jury still out • Evolving market Where FC is Headed

  49. Conclusion • FC SAN value props are well documented • Value increases as: • Costs decrease significantly • Pain is decreased or eliminated • FC is the key SAN technology • For the foreseeable future Where FC is Headed

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