Unified FabricArchitecture
Integrating datacenter servers, storage and networking
Integrating datacenter servers, storage and networking
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BLADE Network Technologies President and CEO Vikram Mehta Says Cisco's Version of Unified Computing Means Standards With a "C"
BLADE CEO Asserts That Cisco Has Vision to Lock Enterprise Datacenters Into a Expensive, Proprietary, Cisco-Only Solution
SANTA CLARA, CA, Mar 16, 2009 -- BLADE Network Technologies President and CEO Vikram Mehta believes Cisco's so-called "Unified Computing" strategy holds vast and arguably adverse implications as a way to lock customers into a proprietary world while locking out vendors like HP and IBM that are trusted open systems suppliers to enterprises around the world. Mehta writes in a blog posting that there are at least ten good reasons why Cisco's proprietary version of data center computing won't fly. According to Mehta, those reasons include:
Reason #3: Unified Computing means standards with a "C." Writes Mehta, "According to Cisco, converged data and storage networking requires Cisco's Data Center Ethernet (DCE), thus eliminating freedom of choice with a sole-source Cisco-only server and network. This puts at risk integration and interoperability with vast existing installations. The rest of the industry is working on an open approached called Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) using IEEE's Data Center Bridging (DCB) standards."
Reason #4: It's more about packaging than true innovation. For example, Cisco's fabric extenders carry the same cost structure as switches, as they utilize similar switching silicon, physical interface components, and management processors. When compared to traditional switches -- sharing management via "stacking" -- the fabric extenders are another example of packaging, not innovation. The more costly data center infrastructure components -- CPUs, RAM, and networking silicon -- remain unchanged, except Cisco's prices are higher and more Cisco gear is needed to control them.
Reason #10: Follow the money -- into Cisco's bank account. Cisco's "California" server approach requires Cisco's Nexus 5000 switches that start at $17K for a bare-bones Layer 2 switch and significant premiums for adding Layer 3 and FCoE functionality, so the total cost of ownership will be similar to the cost of living in California.
To read Mehta's blog with all 10 reasons why he asserts, "Cisco, welcome to your 'California' server, now please go home," go to: http://www.bladenetwork.net/?pageid=855.
About BLADE Network Technologies
BLADE Network Technologies is the leading supplier of Gigabit and 10G Ethernet network infrastructure solutions that reside in blade servers and "scale-out" server and storage racks. BLADE's new "Virtual, Cooler and Easier" RackSwitch family demonstrates the promise of "Rackonomics" -- a revolutionary approach for scaling out data center networks to drive down total cost of ownership. The company's customers include more than 300 of Fortune 500 companies across 26 industry segments, and an installed base representing more than 250,000 network switches and over 5.5 million switch ports connecting more than 1,200,000 servers. For more information, visit www.bladenetwork.net.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=940965
To arrange a briefing with Vikram Mehta, contact Steven Beedle:
Email Contact
ZNA Communications
www.bladenetwork.net/PR-Contacts.html
BLADE CEO Asserts That Cisco Has Vision to Lock Enterprise Datacenters Into a Expensive, Proprietary, Cisco-Only Solution
SANTA CLARA, CA, Mar 16, 2009 -- BLADE Network Technologies President and CEO Vikram Mehta believes Cisco's so-called "Unified Computing" strategy holds vast and arguably adverse implications as a way to lock customers into a proprietary world while locking out vendors like HP and IBM that are trusted open systems suppliers to enterprises around the world. Mehta writes in a blog posting that there are at least ten good reasons why Cisco's proprietary version of data center computing won't fly. According to Mehta, those reasons include:
Reason #3: Unified Computing means standards with a "C." Writes Mehta, "According to Cisco, converged data and storage networking requires Cisco's Data Center Ethernet (DCE), thus eliminating freedom of choice with a sole-source Cisco-only server and network. This puts at risk integration and interoperability with vast existing installations. The rest of the industry is working on an open approached called Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) using IEEE's Data Center Bridging (DCB) standards."
Reason #4: It's more about packaging than true innovation. For example, Cisco's fabric extenders carry the same cost structure as switches, as they utilize similar switching silicon, physical interface components, and management processors. When compared to traditional switches -- sharing management via "stacking" -- the fabric extenders are another example of packaging, not innovation. The more costly data center infrastructure components -- CPUs, RAM, and networking silicon -- remain unchanged, except Cisco's prices are higher and more Cisco gear is needed to control them.
Reason #10: Follow the money -- into Cisco's bank account. Cisco's "California" server approach requires Cisco's Nexus 5000 switches that start at $17K for a bare-bones Layer 2 switch and significant premiums for adding Layer 3 and FCoE functionality, so the total cost of ownership will be similar to the cost of living in California.
To read Mehta's blog with all 10 reasons why he asserts, "Cisco, welcome to your 'California' server, now please go home," go to: http://www.bladenetwork.net/?pageid=855.
About BLADE Network Technologies
BLADE Network Technologies is the leading supplier of Gigabit and 10G Ethernet network infrastructure solutions that reside in blade servers and "scale-out" server and storage racks. BLADE's new "Virtual, Cooler and Easier" RackSwitch family demonstrates the promise of "Rackonomics" -- a revolutionary approach for scaling out data center networks to drive down total cost of ownership. The company's customers include more than 300 of Fortune 500 companies across 26 industry segments, and an installed base representing more than 250,000 network switches and over 5.5 million switch ports connecting more than 1,200,000 servers. For more information, visit www.bladenetwork.net.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=940965
To arrange a briefing with Vikram Mehta, contact Steven Beedle:
Email Contact
ZNA Communications
www.bladenetwork.net/PR-Contacts.html
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