the storage anarchist

0.037: storage anarchism recategorized

At the request and suggestion of several readers, I have re-categorized this blog, classifying my posts along specific storage themes, topics and technologies. Hopefully, this will make it easier for new readers to find topics of interest and follow along. I've also simplified my sidebar a bit to make it easier to find things. Thanks for the suggestions.

And while I'm here, thanks also to Margaret Rouse for making my "Hitachi math" infamous as the September 27, 2007 entry on her Overheard in the Blogosphere blog. The anarchist is honored to share space alongside the likes of Larry Ellison and Bill Gates...and Margaret's blog has claimed the pole position in my own blog reader.

0.036: data integrity and virtualized storage

Is your data really safe?

In what many think is a modern-day impression of Chicken Little, Robin Harris has been asking this question over on StorageMojo for quite a while. In his most recent blog post, he refuels his concerns using "evidence" presented in a Data Integrity research paper done by the folks at CERN.

I highly recommend you at least skim that document, as there are some interesting observations in it that could have far reaching ramifications in your own storage environment.

According to this paper, more than 3 of the MP3's or TiVo videos I have in my Terabyte Home are probably corrupted -and I might never know it!

Now Robin takes the 50,000 foot view of this, and comes to the conclusion that the world just may collapse soon if this data integrity issue isn't resolved. He even suggests that HEY! Shouldn't we be doing something NOW to avoid all this?

</sarcasm> (I leave it to the reader to figure where the opening tag belongs )

Good news, Robin: some of us have already been solving this problem. Been doing so for years, in fact...  
 

0.035: hitachi drops another shoe (it sounded like a slipper!)

I guess I should be ashamed. Embarrassed at least.

Yesterday, someone asked me why I hadn't yet commented here about Hitachi's baby USP-VM announcement made earlier this week, and I responded "what announcement?"

Yep. I missed it. Completely.

Not that I wasn't aware it was coming...Mr. T doesn't make the rounds on Wall Street on the arms of HDS PR folks for nothing, nor do you wake poor old Claus from his year-long blogging hiatus unless something really important is about to happen.

As I had prior blognosticated, there were (and still are) gaping holes in the initial USPV announcement - clearly the team back in Japan had much more in mind than had been announced back in May. And at least a few rumors indicated that many of these would make it through the QA gauntlet before the end of Q3'07.

Guess this stuff really is hard for everyone.

So I guess because I'd expected so much more, the actual announcement of the USPV "mini-me" slipped right under my radar. I probably shouldn't have taken Nigel's advice and stopped stalking HHSNBN (although it has been therapeutic not to read about yet another world calamity that UVM can solve for a couple of weeks, mind you).

But now that mini-me has been brought to my attention, you just know I have to comment. Interestingly though, this time I'm not alone in correcting the typical misleading marketing that the Hitachi Data Systems Santa Clara marketing miscreants have become known for.

It seems I have some new friends in my quest to keep things honest.
 

0.034: a baker's dozen

Another week, and another couple of EMC employees have started their own blogs. It's starting to get crowded around here!

First, I'm proud to introduce my friend and colleague Dick Sullivan and his Energy Matters blog, focused (obviously) on matters related to energy-efficient data centers and Green IT. A fellow member of EMC's internal Green Team, Dick is a key interface between the Storage Product Operations development organizations and EMC's customers on matters green. I expect his insights on how to reduce your energy footprint through more efficient use of currently available products and technologies will be of interest to practically everyone.

Second, a "nod" of welcome to Andrew Chapman and his insightful Compliance - Never Talk When You Can Nod blog. 'Nuff said

Significantly, each of the 13 "bloggers who work at EMC" now included in my EMC Blogger Search have distinctly unique areas of focus, offering a broad spectrum of insights into the people who work at this place Where Information Lives(tm). And I know of at least a couple more who'll be joining, just as soon as they conquer their stage fright (come on in, the waters' fine!)

Finally, on a personal note, I have to apologize for the delay in getting part 3 of my tiered storage series out. Some family matters have taken me away from the keyboard for the past couple of weeks. Thanks to those of you who've emailed to ask if all it OK - it is now, and I should be back on my stride next week.