Podcast#117: Fibre Channel Still Tops for Virtualization

Brian invited his friend Nishant Lodha, Marvell’s Director of Emerging Technologies to sit for the podcast. Nishant has been with Marvell for over 13 years. His key responsibilities include subject matter expert, technology evangelist, driving growth in emerging markets, competitive analysis, product positioning, outbound marketing, and hands-on technology analysis.

Nishant has worked with StorageReview on several topics, most recently on Innovation and Reliability Make Fibre Channel the Choice for Data Center SANs. Nishant strongly believes that Fibre Channel is the best solution for SAN deployment, and he is not alone. Look to other vendors, and they will echo his thoughts (although maybe not as loudly).

This is an excellent discussion about SAN technology, where it is, and where it is going. It is worth the 45 minutes, but the time stamp is below if you need to jump around in the video.

00:00 Introduction

Candid introduction
VMware vSphere integration
Bringing the data center on-prem
Operational simplicity and reliability

05:00 It just works because of the engineering effort

Fibre Channel versus the “new things”
- NVMe
- NVMe over Fabrics
- ESXi support
- Adoption

10:00 Deployment cycle

Currently, a small number of adopters for NVMe over fabrics
How to be successful with NVMe
The hardware is pretty solid
The software is taking longer
- critical features are lacking
- ESXi 8 should be the driving factor

15:00 What about DPUs

How will it transform the industry
Used as networking/accelerators
VMware bringing DPUs on-prem
Storage applications are typically mission-critical
DPUs are proven for networking
DPUs could offload storage processing
CXL timeframe

20:00 CXL potential

CXL opportunity
How do technologies impact engineering
How server vendors prioritize technology
How lanes are utilized

27:00 CPU Interactions

Cooling
Green initiatives
Visibility into energy consumption

30:00 Economics

Energy consumption
Management and visualization
vVols
Loss of visibility
Challenges with monitoring external applications
Troubleshooting challenges
VM-ID

35:00 More on VM-ID

Worldwide unique IDs
Using the data to determine the impact
Future of performance capabilities
Speed discussion
64G FC arrays

40:00 Performance dynamics

Migrations with FC
- Congestion issues
- Drivers for increased speeds
- Intelligent and value-driven
- What’s at the edge
Infrastructure is stretched
Retrain the workforce

46:00 Edge challenges

Unmanaged/unmanned
We need to add more storage at the edge
Higher performance at the edge
Cost
Making devices autonomous
Vendor direction

50:00 Wrap up

Podcast Video

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From Marvell: This podcast contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future events or achievements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contemplated in this podcast. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Listeners are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and no person assumes any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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1 year ago

Harold Fritts

I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology.