3 Paths to Network Convergence
3 Paths to Network Convergence
When it comes to data center networks, the maxim "two are better than one" is being flipped on its head. After decades of divergent evolutionary tracks, technology has put data and storage networks on a collision course. While it remains to be seen if the result will be the extinction of the weaker species (Fibre Channel) or the emergence of a hybrid offspring, there are valid arguments for either outcome.
In the near term, whether organizations choose the survival of the fittest--pure Ethernet--or a hybridized co-existence--Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)—largely depends on their existing storage investments. In this report, we’ll outline the various convergence scenarios and the situations in which one is preferable to the others. (R3701111)
Survey Name InformationWeek 2012 Data Center Convergence Survey
Survey Date October 2011
Region North America
Number of Respondents 298 business technology professionals
Purpose To determine the state of enterprise interest in and adoption of data center convergence technologies
Methodology InformationWeek surveyed business technology decision-makers at North American companies. The survey was conducted online, and respondents were recruited via an email invitation containing an embedded link to the survey. The email invitation was sent to qualified InformationWeek subscribers.
Table of Contents
3 Author's Bio
4 Executive Summary
5 Research Synopsis
6 Convergence: A Slow Start
7 Convergence Headwinds
9 Why Convergence?
12 The Ethernet Juggernaut
13 Networking and Storage
15 Unified Computing Platforms
16 The Road to Convergence
19 FCoE Architectures
21 Alternative Convergence Approaches
23 Where Do We Go From Here?
26 Appendix
35 Related Reports
About the Author
Kurt Marko is an InformationWeek and Network Computing contributor and IT industry veteran, pursuing his passion for communications after a varied career that has spanned virtually the entire high-tech food chain from chips to systems. Upon graduating from Stanford University with a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering, Kurt spent several years as a semiconductor device physicist, doing process design, modeling and testing. He then joined AT&T Bell Laboratories as a memory chip designer and CAD and simulation developer.
Moving to Hewlett-Packard, Kurt started in the laser printer R&D lab doing electrophotography development, for which he earned a patent, but his love of computers eventually led him to join HP’s nascent technical IT group. He spent 15 years as an IT engineer and was a lead architect for several enterprisewide infrastructure projects at HP, including the Windows domain infrastructure, remote access service, Exchange e-mail infrastructure and managed Web services.
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