Storage Today and Oracle Tomorrow

 

Hitachi Data Systems Corp. (HDS) introduced its cloud-based archive solution while IBM Corp. unveiled its DB2 PureScale clustering technology, an upgrade to the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller, and IBM Systems Director VMControl. Meanwhile, Oracle Corp. disclosed its BEA WebLogic roadmap and the plans for long-delayed Fusion applications.

Focal Points:

• HDS announced the new portfolio of agile cloud technologies designed to accelerate and simplify the adoption of enterprise cloud computing environments. The portfolio delivers an integrated set of computing resources that will allow users to create a single pool of virtualized block, file and content storage in the cloud. Hitachi Universal Storage Platform V (USP-V) and Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage (AMS) systems provide a single, virtual pool of storage with a host of key cloud attributes which can be provisioned against all types of IT services on demand. HDS also renamed and refreshed its Content Archive Platform, now called Hitachi Content Platform (HCP 3.0), as a cloud-focused platform with multi-tenancy features, which scales out to a 96-node cluster. A single HPC environment can be segregated for different customers and departments, with each having their own logical HCP. The default limit is 100 logical HCPs with capacity scaling to 40PB, with 1TB drives. A minimum configuration has four nodes; whereas at the top end, a total of 40 billion objects can be stored in an HCP cluster.
• IBM launched its DB2 PureScale clustering technology, which runs on Power Systems, to deliver continuous availability and virtually unlimited computing power, company officials stated. In the new environment capacity can easily be added or removed according to user needs. IBM claimed that in a system performance test with more than 100 Power servers, DB2 PureScale achieved a total system productivity of more than 80 percent. DB2 PureScale will initially be available on Power 550 Express and Power 595 systems in December of this year. IBM introduced the IBM System Storage SAN Volume Controller, SVC 5.0, which supports solid state drives (SSDs), is faster and more scalable. The new unit can handle throughputs of up to 800,000 operations per second with response times of approximately one millisecond, using nearly one-tenth of traditional disk storage. Additional enhancements include 8GB/sec Fibre Channel support, maximum cache of 24GB per engine, support for consolidated DR configurations, and attachment to servers using iSCSI protocols over IP networks. The U.S. starting list price for SVC 5.0 is $40,000. Lastly, IBM unveiled System Director VMControl Enterprise Edition, which is designed to simplify the management of network, server, and storage virtual pools. The software, which is integrated with the IBM System Director Dashboard, enables non-disruptive system updates and virtual machine mobility as well as dynamic virtual machine placement. VMControl supports the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) industry standard formats. VMControl for system pools will be available on Power Systems later this quarter and on System x and System Z in 2010.
• Oracle used its OpenWorld 09 conference to announce a two-year roadmap for BEA WebLogic and to hint at the delivery of Fusion applications in 2010. Oracle plans to roll out lightweight WebLogic modules, using the OSGI Alliance framework. The concept is to break up WebLogic's monolithic Java Enterprise Edition code base into a series of modules that shrink the footprint and let developers use just the features they want. Oracle has also promised to start customer deployments of BEA's WebLogic Server Virtual Edition in the next six months. Oracle will group planned features in to three broad buckets: a "just enough application server", high-end shared-services infrastructure, and WebLogic serving as a foundation for Oracle's Fusion Middleware and Fusion Applications, according to an Oracle product development executive. Support for OSGI will go in the "just enough" bucket. There will be releases in both 2010 and 2011. On the Fusion front, Oracle expects to deliver the first Fusion applications next year. The set of applications will include software for financial management, human resources, sales and marketing, supply chain management, and other areas, according to Oracle officials. Moreover, for the next 10 years, according to Larry Ellison, Oracle CEO, Oracle will continue to develop and enhance older software from PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems, and other brands of the almost 60 companies it acquired in the past half-decade.

Experton Group believes the tier 1 storage providers – EMC Corp., HDS and IBM – are aggressively pursuing traditional on-premise and cloud storage solutions that will address customer requirements for availability, performance, scalability, and security. IT executives can expect the vendors to construct solutions that incorporate all categories of storage so that companies can archive and tier data based on user-defined policies and/or vendor-based algorithms. On the other hand, Oracle continues to pursue multiple divergent paths, as it struggles to build a common architecture that its customers will accept and adopt. The 2010 delivery timetables are vague enough that Oracle might even be able to meet them. Fortunately for its customer base, the current applications will be enhanced so that users are not stranded without an Oracle alternative. IT executives should evaluate the cloud and storage offerings for availability, functionality, integration, performance, scalability, security, and standards and should remain cautious about using first generation products and services that have yet to be tested under rigorous conditions. Additionally, IT executives using Oracle applications and middleware should be wary of Oracle's ability to deliver timely, well-tested software and develop software development and delivery plans that have limited exposure to Oracle's timetables.