NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: MIKE KARP on
STORAGE IN THE ENTERPRISE
12/21/01
Today's focus: All I want for Christmas

Dear Wincenty Kaminski,

In this issue:

* An IT director's wish list
* Links related to storage
* Featured reader resource

_______________________________________________________________
THE STORAGE OPTIONS

Ever since September 11th, spending on storage has increased.
How are you ensuring that you're choosing the right network
storage options?  Network World's Deni Connor evaluates the
networked storage options. Before you start spending next
year's budget check out what Connor has to say at:
http://nww1.com/go/ad219.html

_______________________________________________________________
Today's focus: All I want for Christmas

By Mike Karp

Dear Editor,

I am eight years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa
Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in the storage newsletter,
it's so." He is an IT director. Please tell me the truth, is
there a Santa Claus? If there is, please give him this wish
list from Papa.

Dear Santa,

I would really like the following for Christmas. If that is not
possible, I would be glad to accept them for Chanukah or
Kwanzaa or Arbor Day or Midsummer Night's Eve.

1) A self-configuring storage-area network, please, with
   switches from two different vendors and a whole lot of storage
   from Compaq and IBM and a couple of others that I could choose
   when the need arises.

2) Network-attached storage boxes that scale well into the
   multiterabyte range.

3) Storage management software that knows something about the
   applications that are running in my shop.

4) An objective method of comparing vendor claims about
   performance and install time. Maybe a suite of industry-wide
   benchmarks, and an independent testing lab that would certify
   key points.

5) Industry standards written so clearly that even the hardware
   vendors can understand them.

6) Backups that are so reliable I can count on being able to
   restore 100% of the data I send to tape.

7) The foresight to do disaster planning BEFORE the next
   disaster, and if a disaster does take place, the ability to
   recover from it by the next business day.

8) The near-magical ability to service my remote sites easily.

9) A definition of virtualization that more than two industry
   vendors can agree on, and that I can understand.

10) Disks from a redundant array of independent disks vendor
    that don't cost five times more than the street price my kid
    can buy them for.

11) Asset management software that automatically discovers and
    configures my environment.

12) No more visits by vendors that promise storage management,
    but really only offer the capability to monitor.

13) The ability to sleep at night (get me any three of the
    above, and I'm pretty sure this will result).

14) A teddy bear for comfort, just in case you can't provide
    any of the others items I have listed.

My friend Roberto has his own list, but mine is much more
reasonable. If you will get me the things I ask for, I will be
really good for the next four quarters, and I promise to live
up to all my service-level agreements and justify all my
purchases with really great ROI analysis so my CFO can
understand what I am doing.

Thanks,
Santa

P.S. Please don't smoke your pipe in the computer room. We are
all sorry about that business with the Halogen last year.

_______________________________________________________________
To contact Mike Karp:

Mike Karp is senior analyst with Enterprise Management
Associates (http://www.enterprisemanagement.com) in Boulder,
Colo., an analyst and market research firm focusing exclusively
on enterprise management. He works out of Portsmouth, N.H., and
Westboro, Mass., and can be reached via e-mail at
mailto:mkarp@enterprisemanagement.com
_______________________________________________________________
Promote your services and generate qualified leads!  Register
on Buy IT, NW Fusion's Vendor Directory and RFP Center.  It's
cost-effective and eliminates the headaches of finding new
business.  List your company today and access millions of
dollars in RFPs posted by active buyers.  Go to NW Fusion now!
http://www.nwfusion.newmediary.com/091201nwwprovnwltr1
_______________________________________________________________
RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

Start-ups tackle storage mgmt.
Network World, 12/17/01
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1217infra.html

Sun prepping storage push
Network World, 12/17/01
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/1217sun.html

Archive of the Storage newsletter:
http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/stor/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE

JOIN IN!

Network World Forums are a great place to voice your opinion
and hear what your peers have to say about a latest product
release or trend in networking. Our Forums cover such topics as
"Should you upgrade to XP?" to a "Help Desk Forum" in which
you can ask the expert advice of Network World Fusion's Help
Desk editor, Ron Nutter. Our Forums are a great way to express
your opinions and interact with your peers.
http://www.nwfusion.com/forum/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
May We Send You a Free Print Subscription?
You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered
at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by
receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply
today at http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/nl
_______________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail
newsletters, go to:
http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/notprinteditnews.asp

To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to:
http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ep

To change your e-mail address, go to:
http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/news/scripts/changeemail.asp

Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to
this message.

Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor,
at: mailto:jcaruso@nww.com

For advertising information, write Jamie Kalbach, Director of
Online Sales, at: mailto:jkalbach@nww.com

Copyright Network World, Inc., 2001

------------------------
This message was sent to:  vkamins@enron.com