bit off topic -> NetApp

[der.hans]

Am 24. Jul, 2000 schwäzte Jonathan Furrer so:

> What are you refering to by I wish my software supported this? A netapp is
> pretty much a server within itself. If you can mount NFS or SMB you can
> mount off of and use a netapp. I have no experience with EMC, and its no

From a client standpoint, yes. Linux had to get a fix though because it
was cheating in the network code and NetApp is doing some funky stuff with
its local filesystem.

From a backup standpoint, however, you have 3 basic options:

1. Use dump/restore from the NetApp
2. backup/restore via nfs/ftp/cifs/http
3. Use ndmp

The first one is painful and rediculous for something that big. The second
is absolute insanity, especially if you consider the last two protocols
:).

That leaves ndmp. ndmp is a network backup protocol (which allows you to
backup to a local tape device) that NetApp and some other companies cooked
up. It seems pretty cool, but your backup software has to support it. You
also have to have an ndmp server somewhere as NetApp only supports the
client side.

Don't forget backups when planning something like this. We had a DLT 7000
library. With two drives running full speed it would take 26 hours to do a
full backup. Not something you can do every day ;-).

> surprise to me that the netapp rep didn't include them in our most recent
> presentation (every now and again we get taken out to lunch by our rep so

AZSAGE[1] had NetApp, EMC and Auspex out for a cat fight a few months
ago. That was pretty cool and my first exposure to EMC. My previous
exposure to Auspex was not something that would get me to recommend them.

> he can go over the latest and greatest netapp has and try to make a new
> sale). But according to their pressentations they are growing rapidly, so

As are almost all tech industries :). This growth had a major detrimental
effect on their tech support, e.g. I was teaching them about their
product :(, or so it seemed. OTOH, I've learned quite a few things from
people at NetApp.

> it may not be long till, if they're not close already, they're noticed as
> the industry leader. I will say that we use them, as you suggested, in a  
> datacenter environment, and I can't imagine life without it. Regarding
> just about everything from quotas to mounts to management, these boxes get
> what needs to be done for us :-) Oh, and regarding making back-ups a
> dream, using Veritas and our filer I would have to say yes, its rather
> dreamy :P

Veritas? That would be a nightmare then, wouldn't it? :)

We were using veritas and service sucked. The package had some problems,
so service was important. I haven't worked with any other "enterprise
level" backup vendors, so veritas might indeed be the best out there. I
hope not...

ciao,

der.hans

[1] That reminds me, those who do *NIX sys_adm for a living should join
AZSAGE (and USENIX and SAGE for that matter). Some good info there and the
national SAGE mailing list has some very experienced people on it who
provide insightful assistence for those of us trying to reach that level
:).
-- 
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