We're on Our Way to the Utility Data Center

摘要

The storage and server market is like Mount Everest: big and broad, with a heck of a lot to see in one view―from the humble floppy drive all the way up to gigantic data-center-size disk and tape arrays. The category also encompasses storage-related technologies, such as storage management, storage virtualization and storage backup software, and includes servers in all their glitz and glory, from small appliances like Sun Microsystems' Cobalt to the big machines that do the heavy lifting in your data center. Among this dizzying array of products and technologies, we've identified some key trends of late―notably server consolidation and burgeoning support for the iSCSI protocols. For example, Microsoft announced on March 12 that it will support iSCSI in Windows client and server operating systems by June.