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LinuxWorld Highlights

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the on-the-front-lines dept.

Jan Stafford writes "Bernard Golden over at SearchEnterpriseLinux was wowed by the many hardware and software products on display at LinuxWorld. Among the highlights include Blackdog, a complete Linux server the size of a deck of playing cards and Astaro a bundled security suite designed for corporations. He also outlines the good, bad and funny trends of the convention."

2 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Blackdog seems neat by TarryTops · · Score: 2, Interesting

    maybe i'll order one myself. They ought to put up some demo's there. ;-)

    --
    Java Oracle Linux Enthusiast
  2. Misinformed by Donny+Smith · · Score: 2, Interesting

    From TFA:

    "I was also impressed by Coraid, maker of ATA-over-Ethernet (AoE), hardware. The AoE protocol allows Ethernet-connected hard drives. What's so great about that? It offers the ability to build SANs without the cost and complexity of fibre channel or iSCSI. "

    Wow, wow, wow! Hold it right there!
    Let remind ourselves here that he uses the word "SAN" in a very loose sense.
    There's a heaven-and-sky difference between this and good old fibre channel SAN.
    I don't know who this pal is, but I figure were he familiar with the traditional SANs, he wouldn't have toss out the SAN word just like that.

    Then he sez:

    "Essentially, this allows machines to write data via a low-level Ethernet protocol using a machine's standard NIC card. To me, this offers the potential to allow SMBs to get access to SAN functionality previously unaffordable to them."

    About "previously unaffordable". It can't be more affordable than iSCSI (as the network and the adapters used are the same), so except for the novel (read: niche, unsupported, unreliable and most likely untested - especially when compared to the industry-standard and well-tested iSCSI protocol) protocol, I don't see how this can be attractive to any company, including the suicidal SMBs (SMEs).
    I mean, what would you use this kind of "SAN" for? ERP? Oracle? Mail? Never.

    It's too bad that he missed to call any of that stuff "mission-critical".

    Oh, well - typical Linux enthusiast attitude that makes IT people laugh. Then again, it's in line with what we usually get to read here.