Comment Re:Cost? (Score 1) 173
All well and good if you can predict your data flow over the time you own the gear. (Riiight...) More often than not things change and it's critical to have the flexibility to use *any* port for *any* IO pattern due to things happening you didn't plan for, whether it be faster growth, mergers, consolidation, or worst of all being successful at your job and people discover the wonders of SAN backup, or VMware which consolidates IO big time.
The MDS 9500 line will not have local switching unless they fundamentally redesign -- the central arbiter in the supervisors is the choke point and unless they figure out a way to distribute that all local IO will have to check there and pass through the crossbar. IOS â SAN-OS, and different chipsets. I'd be impressed if they could figure it out but it's been 4 years and if it hasn't happened yet, I don't think it will never happen in the MDS. Nexus -- we'll see, but that doesn't support FC.
If you're in the single switch range, you're fine, but I know too many guys above 100 ports growing at 30-100% a year -- knowing neighboring ports can talk at line rate regardless of the other IO patterns makes for a great insurance policy and happy management.
The MDS 9500 line will not have local switching unless they fundamentally redesign -- the central arbiter in the supervisors is the choke point and unless they figure out a way to distribute that all local IO will have to check there and pass through the crossbar. IOS â SAN-OS, and different chipsets. I'd be impressed if they could figure it out but it's been 4 years and if it hasn't happened yet, I don't think it will never happen in the MDS. Nexus -- we'll see, but that doesn't support FC.
If you're in the single switch range, you're fine, but I know too many guys above 100 ports growing at 30-100% a year -- knowing neighboring ports can talk at line rate regardless of the other IO patterns makes for a great insurance policy and happy management.
