Stories by Scott Tyler Shafer

Brocade eyes storage virtualization

Having all but won the Fibre Channel switch battle, Brocade Communications Systems has set its sight on a new market. The switch maker today revealed seven storage management software companies have signed up to develop for its forthcoming family of SilkWorm Fabric Application Platforms. Convincing independent software vendors to write software to a new virtualization platform is the first salvo in this battle with Cisco Systems and Sun Microsystems.

802.11: Alphabet soup

Wi-Fi's rise through the corporate structure has been meteoric. The technology has quickly progressed from an alternative wireless method to the de facto means to transfer data wirelessly within a LAN. However, before the mass adoption of Wi-Fi in the enterprise occurs, the advantages and disadvantages of 802.11a and the emerging 802.11g must be understood.

EMC set to unveil new Symmetrix

The battle for market share in the storage industry is likely to intensify as EMC reportedly prepares to launch the latest version of its high-end storage system -- Symmetrix -- next month. The anticipated February release of the Symmetrix product will be the first update to the line since 2000.

Topspin rolls out interconnect fabric

Expanding its switched computing offering, Topspin Communications on Monday announced a new low-end system that allows enterprises to do distributed database clustering and so-called low-end high-performance computing.

Alcatel unveils two enterprise switches

In a move that shows its commitment to serving the enterprise LAN market, Alcatel SA introduced two new switches designed to carry both voice and data traffic.

IBM does VoIP, finally

Citing demonstrable cost savings and improved efficiencies, IBM on Wednesday announced it has begun offering a full set of services for migrating separate enterprise voice and data networks to a single IP- based network.

HDS strikes storage deal with NetApp

In a move that looks good on paper for both parties, Hitachi Data Systems and Network Appliance Wednesday announced they've joined forces to create a NAS gateway product.

HDS brings virtualization down

Rounding out its family of storage systems, Hitachi Data Systems Corp. on Tuesday unveiled a modular system for the midrange market that features functions borrowed from its higher-end systems.

McData demonstrates FCIP blade

In another sign that IP technology is beginning to find its way into the world of storage networking, McData Corp. at Comdex demonstrated a forthcoming blade that moves IP traffic at line rate from its FC (Fiber Channel)-based director-class switch.

Brocade to acquire Rhapsody

Arming itself for an anticipated battle with Cisco Systems Inc., Brocade Communications Systems Inc. Tuesday announced its intention to acquire startup Rhapsody Networks Inc.

CA updates backup software

After completing beta testing with more than 1,500 customers, Computer Associates International on Monday released the ninth version of its backup software.

BMC adds automation to SRM

Looking to distinguish itself from the pack, BMC Software on Monday announced it has added automation functions to its SRM (storage resource management) software via a partnership with Invio Software.

EMC adopts SMI standard

Hoping to keep momentum alive around its WideSky initiative, EMC has announced it will incorporate open-standards specifications into its developer suite by early next year.

[]