Re: Data deduplication / disaster recovery

Well, normally we have more than one Wintel type server. Once you start
to propagate those we end up with a blade center and a SAN. So a HA
solution to address a single server in Wintel doesn't tickle us. Back
when we thought about it though we were looking at a Mimix type solution.

But back to your question. You're wondering if the i has stuff built in
without using a SAN like a SystemMirror solution would require. I don't
think so. I think, for the SANless environment you're looking at
something like iTera or Mimix. Hey, I would love to have a HA solution
come from IBM itself. Something that critical would give me a warm fuzzy
if it was from the OS vendor (especially IBM). And for a long time I
hoped that IBM would buy Mimix. Well, they bought a HA vendor but
concentrated on the SystemMirror type of solution.

Maybe IBM's just a little futuristic than some of us. SAN's may be the
way to go. We had already committed to NetApp and Cisco type SAN's for
our PC environment and, due to performance gagging, had to rush in before
considering a SAN that would handle both Wintel and Power based systems.

The big downside is that once you mention SAN everyone thinks your pockets
are limitlessly deep. Hey IBM can you help me with hooking up my IBM 3576
tape drive to my IBM fiber cards on my IBM Power equipment running IBM i
via this IBM SAN? Yes, if you buy a $10K/year SAN contract. Hey IBM F...
you! (Real PMR discussion.)
Reminded me of the price difference between a rack mounted twinax-to-balun
device and a stand alone. "Rack" to those people apparently meant you had
no problem paying $1000 extra for an extra piece of sheet metal.


Rob Berendt