Unified storage from Dell
Exanet + Compellent can take on NetApp and EMC in the future. Interesting stuff if they can may all work integrated.
Compellent is now formally part of Dell and it is going to develop its technology so it can go deeper into the datacentre. Dell's Darren Thomas, its VP and general manager of storage, blogs: "Our storage vision has always been to make data management easier and more affordable ... The acquisition of Exanet technology provided …
To take on EMC or Netapp you need more than just gluing Exanet + Compellent together - you need to be able to add EqualLogic to the same fabric and you need to have a unified software stack in front of it so that you can seamlessly live-migrate your data between your storage tiers/systems/boxes. This is critical if you want to be a fully vertical enterprise storage provider, I think, not to mention they bought Ocarina's dedupe tech which should go into the same fabric.
For backup they can stick with Commvault, I guess though it will take some hit when Dell turns on deduping in a new EQL firmware/new appliance...
24 ports, 4.0 GB cache per controller, with systems selectable in single or dual controller config ( who in their right mind selects single controller? ) . yep, that's going to smoke my Symmetrix VMAX for sure.
Very much in the similar vein of HP's EVA ( which was actually ok ). Midrange storage attempting to be Enterprise, only this has got the Dell name attached to it. 10ft and barge pole come to mind... Thanks but no thanks!