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Planning For A Storage Array Purchase and Developing an RFP
Randy Kerns
Evaluator GroupCopyright © 2003 - All Rights Reserved
Evaluator Group, Inc.7720 E. Belleview Avenue • Suite 210 • Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 221-7867 • Fax: (303) 221-1615http://www.evaluatorgroup.com
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Business ImperativesStorage Strategy
• Need a strategy to address storage Storage is crucial to business
• Investment• Company growth• Transact business
Strategy must cover all aspects – connectivity, security, performance, capacity, storage devices, administration, archiving, storage networking, etc.
• Must fit in with overall corporate strategy Closely aligned with other plans Promoted to peer organizations
• Effective storage decisions are integral to the strategy
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Business requirements• Understanding business requirements will help
determine what are product requirements
Function
Economics – TCO / ROI
Characteristics – example: whether SAN, NAS,
other type of storage is needed
• Minimizes risk of getting the wrong solution
Business Imperatives
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Complexity of Choices
Many vendors with many solutions• Some will satisfy your needs
Many different attributes
Different features/capabilities accentuated
• Are they important to you?
• Long-term implications
Commitment to a specific vendor
Support issues
May change the way you do business
• How do you decide?
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Types of Storage SystemsCache-centric storage
• All data through the same cache• Used in mainframes – adapted for open systems
Distributed storage • Separate controllers (usually two)• Cache distributed on controllers• Failover between controller
Clustered distributed storage• Multiple distributed storage systems • Connected via internal mesh / fabric• Presents single image
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Types of Storage Systems
HostAdapter
HostAdapter
HostAdapter
HostAdapter
Cache
DeviceAdapter
DeviceAdapter
DeviceAdapter
DeviceAdapter
Cache Centric Storage
Servers
Devices
Host Interfaces
Distributed Storage
Cache Cache
Host Interfaces
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Types of Storage SystemsStandard base storage systems
• Trend to use standard platform for storage
Faster time to market
• Built on base platforms
• Quick turn for new technology incorporation
• Proven technology – low risk for “do over”
Leverage other company R&D money
• Invest in areas to add value
Added value in other areas
• Feature/functions enabled by software
• Differentiated from other products – unique
Expected lower product cost – more competitive
Hosted byStandard Platform Storage
Devices
Open Platform Storage
Standard Server
Memory
HBA HBA
HBA HBA
Storage Domain
Standard Server
Memory
HBA HBA
HBA HBA
Storage Domain
Standard Server
Memory
HBA HBA
HBA HBA
Storage Domain
Host Interfaces Host Interfaces Host Interfaces
Devices Devices
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Process to Make an Effective Decision
Solutions• Evaluate the solutions – whether
storage products or storage
management software
• Create a set of criteria for analysis
What is important
What you use to evaluate
Translate terminology
Review relevance
Compare solutions on an equal,
unbiased footing
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Information Sources
• Acquire information from vendors Remember, they’re selling Will highlight strengths, ignore
weaknesses
• Use independent, unbiased source Accurate information Better if expert analysis
provided Capitalize on expertise of
specialists
Process to Make an Effective Decision
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Information – Misinformation• Yes or No to criteria is not good enough
Example: Point-In-Time copy supported – but is
resynchronization supported? Big difference in
time for clone copies
Example: Remote Copy supported – but are
consistency groups supported? If not, Remote
Copy usability is limited
Example: Raw Capacity – one vendor reports
74.6 TB. BUT, usable is only 55.6 in current best
case configuration
• Many reasons to do more in-depth research
Process to Make an Effective Decision
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Assemble product information• From chosen sources
• Ensure accuracy
Compare against criteria • Create comparison of relevant data
• Use to bring decision to limited number
of choices
• Leverage information when dealing with
vendors
Process to Make an Effective Decision
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Comparison Matrices
High-End / Mid-Tier Arrays
EMC CLARiiON
CX600 EMC CLARiiON
FC4700 Fujitsu GR740
HP Enterprise Virtual
Array
HP Virtual Array 7400/7410
Subsystem Capacity 35 TB (146 GB disks) 58.2 TB (250GB disks)
21.7 TB (181 GB disks)
16 TB (73 GB disks) 34 TB (146 GB disks) 7.7 TB (73 GB disks)
Min – Max Raw capacity 175 GB – 58.2 TB 105 GB – 21.7 TB 180 GB – 16 TB 288 GB – 17.5 TB 36 GB – 7.7 TB Drive number (min-max) 5 - 240 3 - 100 10 - 240 8 - 240 2 - 105
Disk drives supported
36 GB – 15K 73 GB – 10K
146 GB – 10K 250 GB – 5,400 ATA
18 GB – 10K, 15K 36 GB – 10K, 15K
73 GB – 10K 181 GB – 7.2K
18 GB – 15K 36 GB – 10K, 15K
73 GB – 10K
36 GB – 10K, 15K 73 GB – 10K, 15K
146 GB – 10K
18 GB – 10K, 15K 36 GB – 10K, 15K
73 GB – 10K
Drive Interface 2 Gbps Fibre Channel,
ATA 1 Gbps Fibre Channel 1 Gbps Fibre Channel 2 Gbps Fibre Channel 2 Gbps
Number of LUNs supported
1,024 300 4,096 8,192 1,024
LUN size (max) 2 TB 2 TB 2 TB 2 TB 2 TB Dynamic LUN expansion Yes Yes Yes Yes Cache 8 GB 8 GB 32 GB 4 GB 2 GB Cache / Controller (min/max)
2 GB – 4 GB 2 GB – 4 GB 512 KB – 8 GB 1 GB 1 GB
Separate NVS (MB) No No No No No % Cache for writes Tunable Tunable 50% 50% Host Connectivity Number of attached hosts 128 64 256 64 Number of host interfaces 8 4 2 to 48 4 2 Fibre Channel 8 – 2 Gbps 4 – 2 Gbps 2 to 48 - 1 Gbps 4 – 2 Gbps 2 – 2 Gbps SCSI No No 2 to 48 No No AS/400 (IBM 6501) No No No No No Management Tools Software tool Navisphere Navisphere StorageMGR HSV Element Manager Command View VA CLI supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes CIM / SMI support No No No No No API available Yes Yes No Yes No
Create or acquire matrices to compare products
features / functions
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Developing an RFPGeneral guidelines
• Clearly state what you want Don’t mix multiple purchases in one RFP
• Have criteria well-defined Do homework first
• Very narrow definitions Reduce variations Limit vendor “stretching the definition”
• Establish the rules Dates Format Protests Clarifications Process
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Developing an RFP RFP Content
• Contractual Terms and Conditions Describe the legal mechanics that your company
uses Very specific about rules, resolution, etc.
• Factors to be Considered Describe consideration priorities Timeline with specific dates for submittal, award,
etc.
• Vendor information Company information History of providing similar product / solution Criteria key to show vendor credibility
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Developing an RFPRFP Content - continued
• Specifications Product / solution specifications Environment for usage / operation Details – derived from criteria Service / support / training Performance guarantee
• Pricing Details on product / solution (hardware and
software) Include maintenance, licensing Guarantee of completeness
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Developing an RFP
RFP Content - continued• Proposal Response Format
Specific format for reply from vendor
Provide common set of information for evaluation
• Evaluation Criteria / Process
Description of process of the criteria that will be
used in decision process
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RFP Legal Issues
RFP is part of a binding legal contract.• Put it in writing (an unsigned e-copy won’t do)
• Retain it as you would other capital-goods trade
contracts
• Signed by the authorized representative of both
parties
• If more than one supplier, be sure that your “prime”
can commit its subcontractors
• Designate a formal point of contact and method of
communicating (eg. John Jones, e-mail)
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RFP Legal Issues• Be very specific
Remedies expected in event of breach of SLAs Change/interpretation/clarification process . Be sure
all the bidders get all amendments and clarifications Define a termination date for the RFP, eg. end of
selection period (when contract is awarded), end of successful implementation, etc. You will need to provide formal notification when that occurs
Define who keeps (or returns) any work product
• Assume it will be appealed
• Agree in advance on an arbitration process if you want to stay out of court Court is expensive, time-consuming and resource
intensive
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Cost of Making Decision
Requires
• Resources and time to do investigation
Use of experts
Analysis data
• Executive support
Results in cost and time• Needs to be part of overall storage strategy
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Making An Effective DecisionCritical choices to be made
for storage strategy• Storage strategy
Accommodating growth Plans for acquisition of storage Retirement (lifespan) of storage
systems• Software and infrastructure
has long life Vendor choices
• Multiple vendors - % as incentive
• Qualifications
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ConclusionStorage is critical to a business
• Make effective decision requires an investment • Potential to impact the corporation without adequate
plans and procedures
Develop process for making decision• Part of overall strategy• Use independent, unbiased resources – cost effective• Leverage their information, expertise• Make best possible decision based on timely,
accurate, in-depth information