Cisco Investing in File Virtualization
Published on 18 Apr 2006 · Filed in News · 165 words (estimated 1 minutes to read)Virtualization isn’t just about partitioning server hardware so that multiple operating systems (or multiple instances of a single operating system) can run on a piece of hardware. Virtualization is about adding abstraction; that abstraction, in turn, offers flexibility. Case in point: Reports indicate that networking giant Cisco Systems will be investing in NeoPath Networks.
Full details of the investment are not clear (although several options are discussed in the full article linked above).
The advantage of file virtualization is that (in the vendor’s words) it:
…decouples the file name paths from their physical locations and provides a policy-based approach to optimize existing storage resources.
Cisco may also OEM the product, which currently operates as a standalone appliance. It’s likely that a blade factor, usable in the Catalyst and MDS switches, will emerge as well. This would give Cisco a needed edge in helping customers contain exploding storage needs and the accompanying management of that storage.
More information on NeoPath Networks is available from their website.