Fujitsu Tests Virtualization Waters

Fujitsu Computer Systems is providing another option for users who say intelligent switches are the best places to virtualize storage. (See Fujitsu Virtualizes on Brocade and Users Wait for Switch Virtualization .)

Fujitsu today said its Eternus VS900 virtualization software that runs in conjunction with a Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD) SilkWorm intelligent switch will be available in North America in December. The product has been available on a limited basis in Japan since June.

The Eternus VS900 will compete with EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) Invista and intelligent switches from startups MaXXan Systems Inc. and Troika Networks Inc. for users who deem that method the best for storage virtualization.

Other approaches include the IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) SAN Volume Controller (SVC) appliance and the Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) TagmaStore controller-based virtualization. FalconStor Software Inc. (Nasdaq: FALC) and startups StoreAge Networking Technologies Ltd. and Cloverleaf Communications Inc. also sell virtualization appliances, each of which allows users to manage storage on various devices as one common pool.

But it is Invista that Eternus VS900 most closely resembles. Both do data migration, local replication, and synchronous mirroring. Invista also works with intelligent switches from Brocade and Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), and will run with a McData Corp. (Nasdaq: MCDTA) switch by early next year.Fujitsu is working with Cisco, and McData and will likely add support for at least one before its Dec. 1 launch date.Fujitsu product senior VP Richard McCormack says the big difference between Invista and Eternus VS900 is that the Fujitsu software virtualizes servers as well as storage. EMC sells VMware for server virtualization, but it is a separate product from Invista.

This isn't just storage management but server management," McCormack says. “"We virtualize compute power and storage space from an application viewpoint, from one central console."

Although they are competitors, EMC and Fujitsu come down on the same side of the argument as to where storage virtualization should take place. They both use intelligent switches that sit out of the data path, while IBM’s SVC sits in the network data path and Hitachi’s TagmaStore virtualizes data in the array. Naturally, all the vendors argue they are performing virtualization in the best place, but no consensus has formed yet among users. (See Hitachi Struts Mr. Universal, EMC & IBM in Virtual Skirmish, and Virtually Nowhere.)

One of the things holding back intelligent switches has been availability from major storage vendors. EMC has been talking up Invista for more than a year but is just getting it out the door now. Troika has had some sales through reseller deals with Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) and Engenio Information Technologies Inc. and is pursuing OEM relationships to jump-start sales. (See Troika Takes in $14.4M).

Fujitsu developed Eternus VS900 for its midrange and enterprise SAN controllers. Pricing begins at $200,000.— Mary Jander, Site Editor, and Dave Raffo, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch.