If you work with EMC Symmetrix systems, you know the importance of VCMDB. Introduced with Symmetrix 4.0 and used in every generation after that, VCMDB stands for Volume Control Manager Database). Also in the latest generation of systems the VCM device is at times also referenced as VCM Gatekeeper.
DMX
NetApp: The $4 Billion Product
I had a conversation last week with a PR company doing research for Netapp. This followed just after Netapp released their Q4 results, with revenue exceeding expectations at just over $1 billion. It’s amazing how in the space of less than 20 years they have developed from nothing to a company selling a single $4 billon product.
Symmetrix: The Journey of 20 Years
So this year will mark the history of the Symmetrix products, 20 years since its inception and the Symmetrix has come long ways. Initially released in 1990, today’s Symmetrix does not come any close to what the product was 20 years ago. The underlying code (Enginuity) is what drives and gives the Symmetrix its personality. Symmetrix was a compute / storage beast 20 years ago and so it is today.
Enterprise Computing: Is There Any Point Buying From EMC?
Yesterday, EMC announced Fully Automated Storage Tiering (FAST), their much hyped and much anticipated storage feature enabling the automated moving of data between tiers of storage on a policy basis. However the most notable missing feature in the EMC announcement was the lack of support for legacy DMX-3 and DMX-4 platforms. This to me sends […]
EMC Symmetrix, 20 Years in the making
So next year will mark a history of Symmetrix Products within EMC, still classified as one of the most robust systems out there after 20 years of its inception. In this blog post, we will talk about some facts on Symmetrix products as it relates to its features, characteristics, Enginuity microcode versions, model numbers, year released, etc.
EMC Symmetrix: Dynamic Hot Spares
There are two types of sparing strategies available on EMC Symmetrix Series of machines. In this post we will discuss the benefits and the criteria’s related to the use of Dynamic Hot Spares on EMC Symmetrix Systems.
EMC Symmetrix: Permanent Sparing
There are two types of sparing strategies available on EMC Symmetrix Series of machines. In this post we will discuss the benefits and the criteria’s related to the use of Permanent Spares on the EMC Symmetrix Systems.
EMC Symmetrix DMX device type, COVD: Cache Only Virtual Device
Here is some information on Cache Only Virtual Devices. I do not have a very clear picture on the overall operation of this device type, but from a high level it can be summed up as following based on it characteristics.
Why Thin Provisioning Is Not The Holy Grail for Utilisation
Thin Provisioning (Dynamic Provisioning, Virtual Provisioning, or whatever you prefer to call it) is being heavily touted as a method of reducing storage costs. Whilst at the outset it seems to provide some significant storage savings, it isn’t the answer for all our storage ills.
Keep Your Storage Array for 10 Years And Get a £2000 Tradein
OK, I think it was cars the UK government were offering the discount on, not storage arrays. It goes like this; the government has set aside £300m – you trade in a car over 10 years old and get £2000 off the cost of a new one, half funded by the government. Apart from the obvious options to abuse this kind of system (buy yourself a banger for less than £2000 and into the dealership showroom you go) it’s the implication that we should be artifically propping up an industry to consume more when what we have works perfectly well.