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September 7, 2010

We need a new theme

Filed under: General,Random Thought — Tags: — Nate @ 11:42 pm

Do you know WordPress? Good because I sure as hell don’t.

We need a new theme, can you give us some suggestions? My main complaint about the theme we have now is that it doesn’t make effective use of screen real estate for larger resolutions. I mean I feel like I’m stuck in the 90s when viewing our page at 1080p resolutions. Though with a firefox zoom plugin it’s more usable, I have to zoom it in 170%., even then there’s quite a bit of dead space.

Beyond that just something that is pretty simple I guess? I don’t know, none of us are web developers I don’t think so we aren’t able to customize it or whatever.

Only HP has it

Filed under: Datacenter,Random Thought,Virtualization — Tags: , , , , — Nate @ 11:32 pm

I commented in response to an article on The Register recently but figure I’m here writing stuff might as well bring this up to.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock and/or not reading this site you probably know that AMD launched their Opteron 6100 series CPUs earlier this year. One of the highlights of the design is the ability to support 12 DIMMs of memory per socket, up from the previous eight per socket.

Though of all of the servers that have launched HP seems to have the clear lead in AMD technology, for starters as far as I am aware they are the only ones currently offering Opteron 6100-based blades.

Secondly, I have looked around at the offerings of Dell, IBM, HP, and even Supermicro and Tyan, but as far as I can tell only HP is offering Opteron systems with the full 12 DIMMs/socket support.The only reason I can think of I guess is the other companies have a hard time making a board that can accommodate that many DIMMs, after all it is a lot of memory chips. I’m sure if Sun was still independent they would have a new cutting edge design for the 6100. After all they were the first to launch (as far as I know) a quad socket, 2U AMD system with 32 memory slots nearly three years ago.

The new Barcelona four-socket server comes with dual TCP offloading enabled gigabit NIC cards, redundant power supplies, and 32 DIMM slots for up to 256 GBs of memory capacity  [..] Half the memory and CPU are stacked on top of the other half and this is a rather unusual but innovative design.

Anyways, if your interested in the Opteron 6100, it seems HP is the best bet in town, whether it’s

Kind of fuzzy shot of the HP DL165 G7, anyone got a clearer picture?

HP DL385 G7

HP BL685c G7 – I can understand why they couldn’t fit 48 DIMMs on this blade(Note: two of the CPUs are under the hard disks)!

HP BL465c G7 – again, really no space for 24 DIMMs ! (damnit)

Tyan Quad Socket Opteron 6100 motherboard, tight on space, guess the form factor doesn’t cut it.

Twelve cores not enough? Well you’ll be able to drop Opteron 6200 16-core CPUs into these systems in the not too distant future.

All I want is a DB9

Filed under: linux,Random Thought — Tags: , , , , , — Nate @ 10:25 pm

Ok maybe that’s not all I want, but it’s a good start.

I got a new laptop recently, a Toshiba Tecra A11, really nice laptop. A couple of jobs ago I had a Toshiba Tecra M5 and liked it a lot, it had a couple glitches with Linux but for the most part it worked well. The Tecra A11 by contrast, no glitches with Linux, at least not yet. I’ve been using it about three weeks now, everything from wireless, to audio, to 3D,  microphone(first time I’ve ever used a microphone in linux, first time in easily ten years I’ve used a microphone on a PC period), and even webcam worked. And most importantly, suspend/resume has been 100% reliable. Really nice to see. It is certified with Ubuntu 10.04 64-bit which is what I’m running.

But that’s not really what this post is about, I wasn’t expecting it, so didn’t look for it, but was overjoyed when I looked and saw that this brand new business laptop had a DB9 serial port, a REAL serial port! Woohoo! I mean my M5 had one too and that was great, I just thought Toshiba had jumped on the train of let’s get rid of serial ports.

What a sight to see. I mean what Linux/Unix/Network geek in their right mind can get by without a serial port? Yeah I know you’ve been able to get those piece of crap USB serial adapters for some time, but I’ll take a DB9 any day! Especially when my favorite network gear uses native DB9 on their stuff too.
(Sorry couldn’t resist getting some purple in there, not enough color on this blog)

I was a fan of the IBM Thinkpad T-series for the longest time, until Lenovo bought them, was introduced to Toshiba a few years ago and they are by far my favorite laptop. If it’s going to be my main machine for work, then it’s gotta be something good. The Tecra line is it, the new T series for me.

Laptop specs:

  • Intel® Coreâ„¢ i7-620M Processor 2.66 GHz (3.33 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology), 4MB Cache,
  • Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP3 with Windows® 7 Professional Recovery Media,
  • 8GB DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM (4096MBx2)
  • 320GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial ATA),
  • Nvidia® NVSâ„¢ 2100M with 512MB DDR3
  • Keyboard without 10-key numeric pad (black)
  • 15.6″ Diagonal Widescreen HD+ (1600×900) TFT LCD display,
  • Dual Point pointing device (Accupoint + Touchpad) and Media Control Buttons
  • Integrated Webcam and Microphone
  • Bluetooth® Version 2.1 +EDR
  • Toshiba 4-Year On-Site Repair + 4th Year Extended Service Plan

Customized pretty good they built it special for me! Mainly the “non standard” but “reccomended” keyboard(and custom matte LCD I hate the reflective screens). At first I was kind of upset they only offered ground shipping, I would be willing to pay more for faster shipping, but turns out it wasn’t ground after all, and they shipped it directly from China. Once it shipped it got here in about 4 days I think, through Alaska, then somewhere out midwest at which point I thought it was going to be put on a truck and driven back to Seattle only to find it hopped on another plane and flew to me instead.

vSphere VAAI only in the Enterprise

Filed under: Storage,Virtualization — Tags: , , , , — Nate @ 7:04 pm

Beam me up!

Damn those folks at VMware..

Anyways I was browsing around this afternoon looking around at things and while I suppose I shouldn’t be I was surprised to see that the new storage VAAI APIs are only available to people running Enterprise or Enterprise Plus licensing.

I think at least the block level hardware based locking for VMFS should be available to all versions of vSphere, after all VMware is offloading the work to a 3rd party product!

VAAI certainly looks like it offers some really useful capabiltiies, from the documentation on the 3PAR VAAI plugin (which is free) here are the highlights:

  • Hardware Assisted Locking is a new VMware vSphere storage feature designed to significantly reduce impediments to VM reliability and performance by locking storage at the block level instead of the logical unit number (LUN) level, which dramatically reduces SCSI reservation contentions. This new capability enables greater VM scalability without compromising performance or reliability. In addition, with the 3PAR Gen3 ASIC, metadata comparisons are executed in silicon, further improving performance in the largest, most demanding VMware vSphere and desktop virtualization environments.
  • The 3PAR Plug-In for VAAI works with the new VMware vSphere Block Zero feature to offload large, block-level write operations of zeros from virtual servers to the InServ array, boosting efficiency during several common VMware vSphere operations— including provisioning VMs from Templates and allocating new file blocks for thin provisioned virtual disks. Adding further efficiency benefits, the 3PAR Gen3 ASIC with built-in zero-detection capability prevents the bulk zero writes from ever being written to disk, so no actual space is allocated. As a result, with the 3PAR Plug-In for VAAI and the 3PAR Gen3 ASIC, these repetitive write operations now have “zero cost” to valuable server, storage, and network resources—enabling organizations to increase both VM density and performance.
  • The 3PAR Plug-In for VAAI adds support for the new VMware vSphere Full Copy feature to dramatically improve the agility of enterprise and cloud datacenters by enabling rapid VM deployment, expedited cloning, and faster Storage vMotion operations. These administrative tasks are now performed in half the time. The 3PAR plug-in not only leverages the built-in performance and efficiency advantages of the InServ platform, but also frees up critical physical server and network resources. With the use of 3PAR Thin Persistence and the 3PAR Gen3 ASIC to remove duplicated zeroed data, data copies become more efficient as well.

Cool stuff. I’ll tell you what. I really never had all that much interest in storage until I started using 3PAR about 3 and a half years ago. I mean I’ve spread my skills pretty broadly over the past decade, and I only have so much time to do stuff.

About five years ago some co-workers tried to get me excited about NetApp, though for some reason I never could get too excited about their stuff, sure it has tons of features which is nice, though the core architectural limitations of the platform (from a spinning rust perspective at least) I guess is what kept me away from them for the most part. If you really like NetApp, put a V-series in front of a 3PAR and watch it scream. I know of a few 3PAR/NetApp users that are outright refusing to entertain the option of running NetApp storage, they like the NAS, and keep the V-series but the back end doesn’t perform.

On the topic of VMFS locking – I keep seeing folks pimping the NFS route attack the VMFS locking as if there was no locking in NFS with vSphere. I’m sure prior to block level locking the NFS file level locking (assuming it is file level) is more efficient than LUN level. Though to be honest I’ve never encountered issues with SCSI reservations in the past few years I’ve been using VMFS. Probably because of how I use it. I don’t do a lot of activities that trigger reservations short of writing data.

Another graphic which I thought was kind of funny, is the current  Gartner group “magic quadrant”, someone posted a link to it for VMware in a somewhat recent post, myself I don’t rely on Gartner but I did find the lop sidedness of the situation for VMware quite amusing –

I’ve been using VMware since before 1.0, I still have my VMware 1.0.2 CD for Linux. I deployed VMware GSX to production for an e-commerce site in 2004, I’ve been using it for a while, I didn’t start using ESX until 3.0 came out(from what I’ve read about the capabiltiies of previous versions I’m kinda glad I skipped them 🙂 ). It’s got to be the most solid piece of software I’ve ever used, besides Oracle I suppose. I mean I really, honestly can not remember it ever crashing. I’m sure it has, but it’s been so rare that I have no memory of it. It’s not flawless by any means, but it’s solid. And VMware has done a lot to build up my loyalty to them over the past, what is it now eleven years? Like most everyone else at the time, I had no idea that we’d be doing the stuff with virtualization today that we are back then.

I’ve kept my eyes on other hypervisors as they come around, though even now none of the rest look very compelling. About two and a half years ago my new boss at the time was wanting to cut costs, and was trying to pressure me into trying the “free” Xen that came with CentOS at the time. He figured a hypervisor is a hypervisor. Well it’s not. I refused. Eventually I left the company and my two esteemed colleges were forced into trying it after I left(hey Dave and Tycen!) they worked on it for a month before giving up and going back to VMware. What a waste of time..

I remember Tycen at about the same time being pretty excited about Hyper-V. Well at a position he recently held he got to see Hyper-V in all it’s glory, and well he was happy to get out of that position and not having to use Hyper-V anymore.

Though I do think KVM has a chance, I think it’s too early to use it for anything too serious at this point, though I’m sure that’s not stopping tons of people from doing it anyways, just like it didn’t stop me from running production on GSX way back when. But I suspect by the time vSphere 5.0 comes out, which I’m just guessing here will be in the 2012 time frame, KVM as a hypervisor will be solid enough to use in a serious capacity. VMware will of course have a massive edge on management tools and fancy add ons, but not everyone needs all that stuff (me included). I’m perfectly happy with just vSphere and vCenter (be even happier if there was a Linux version of course).

I can’t help but laugh at the grand claims Red Hat is making for KVM scalability though. Sorry I just don’t buy that the Linux kernel itself can reach such heights and be solid & scalable, yet alone a hypervisor running on top of Linux (and before anyone asks, NO ESX does NOT run on Linux).

I love Linux, I use it every day on my servers and my desktops and laptops, have been for more than a decade. Despite all the defectors to the Mac platform I still use Linux 🙂 (I actually honestly tried a MacBook Pro for a couple weeks recently and just couldn’t get it to a usable state).

Just because the system boots with X number of CPUs and X amount of memory doesn’t mean it’s going to be able to effectively scale to use it right. I’m sure Linux will get there some day, but believe it is a ways off.

September 2, 2010

Dell concedes to HP

Filed under: News,Storage — Tags: — Nate @ 8:04 am

It’s over. Dell has said it will not raise it’s offer any more.

Dell Inc. says it will not match Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard’s offer to pay $33 per share for 3Par Inc., or about $2.07 billion.

Probably will write more later 🙂 Been a busy morning.

Dell’s last stand

Filed under: News,Storage — Tags: — Nate @ 6:29 am

So apparently the news is official, 3PAR has determined the new $33/share bid is superior. Dell seems to be conceding defeat at this point. Apparently as part of Dell’s recent $32/share increased bid they also negotiated a long term reseller agreement that would somehow continue even if HP ends up buying 3PAR.

From 3PAR –

HP’s revised proposal of $33 per share values 3PAR at approximately $2.4 billion

Although 3PAR previously notified Dell of its intention to terminate its merger agreement with Dell, the merger agreement was not terminated and remains in full force and effect. Following 3PAR’s notice of intent to terminate the merger agreement, and prior to receiving HP’s revised acquisition proposal, 3PAR received a revised acquisition proposal from Dell in which Dell increased its offer price from $27 per share to $32 per share. Dell’s revised acquisition proposal also included an increased termination fee of $92 million payable by 3PAR to Dell as a condition to accepting a “superior proposal,” and a multi-year reseller agreement with Dell, which would by its terms be assumed by an acquirer of, or successor in interest to, 3PAR in the event of a change in control of 3PAR (including the acquisition of 3PAR by HP or another third party), and which contained fixed pricing and other terms that the 3PAR board of directors determined to be unacceptable.

So it sounds given the length of time that elapsed for Dell to get this new deal done and how decisive HP has been, Dell likely won’t come back again, and will instead rely on the reseller agreement to get 3PAR technology on the side. Interesting strategy,

I wonder if HP will try to terminate that, even if it means going to court just to block Dell from capitalizing on their pending investment. I would put money down that they will.

If they don’t I wonder how it will make Dell’s customers feel buying HP product from Dell? I mean with all of the sparkling HP logos plastered all over it.

I also believe Dell is putting the final nails in the coffin with their partnership with EMC with this move. EMC has a lot to lose if both HP and Dell are pitching 3PAR technology to their respective customers.

Just goes to show the value that 3PAR brings to the table.

(edited to strike out references to the reseller agreement since I obviously read too quickly before posting, just shows how excited I am I guess!! (not uncommon!) )

You will respect my authoritah!

Filed under: Storage — Tags: — Nate @ 6:18 am

The Register has an interesting angle on the bidding war for 3PAR from the HP side –

These technology advances should make enhanced sales of 3PAR systems more justifiable, enabling HP to recoup its $2bn investment by increasing InServ sales against EMC, HDS and IBM competition. Donatelli will be able to dangle his 3PAR prize in front of HP’s board and assert his credentials to be the next HP CEO, having demonstrated, he might say, authority, decisiveness, strategic thinking, determination and effectiveness, without over-paying for the 3PAR asset.

HP now offernig $33/share for 3PAR

Filed under: News,Storage — Tags: — Nate @ 6:04 am

Not much details  yet, just notice that HP has upped it’s bid to $33/share for 3PAR a few minutes ago. The front page of the Wall Street Journal has about all I’ve heard from CNBC

Hewlett-Packard has raised its bid for 3PAR to $33 a share; Dell also offered a higher price and negotiated a higher breakup fee

What it seems like is at the last minute Dell finally came through with something around $30/share, sounds like they really struggled to get that one through. HP of course being decisive came back immediately with $33/share.

Here is another article that says the reason why the bidding is so intensive is 3PAR is the only game in town, there is no room for second best –

Looking at the landscape, 3Par is the only real alternative to EMC and Hitachi in terms of high end storage.  EMC has its own ambitions for data center dominance, while HDS is part of a much larger conglomerate.  If you believe you need to own storage and server, both to fulfill the vision above and to avoid partnering with a competitor, than 3Par is the only place to get this type of deep high end storage technology.  Given HP and Dell have a much larger sales channel than 3Par, these guys can immediately double, triple or quadruple sales from 3Par products overnight once it is part of their catalogue.  Both reasons afford the premium we are seeing.

August 30, 2010

Dell vs HP in R&D

Filed under: News — Tags: , , — Nate @ 9:50 am

Came across this link on Data Center Knowledge to Forbes online –

In fiscal 2010 (ended January 31st), Dell spent $617 million for R&D, or 1.2% of sales [..] an R&D budget like that isn’t going to cut it.

[..]Hewlett Packard, the larger company, already has more going on. In the trailing 12 months, it spent $2.849 billion here, or 2.3% of sales.

[..] Assuming both want to stay relevant five years hence, 3Par looks like it will be a bargain for whichever firm wins this bidding war and likely there will be some incredibly long and tense meetings in the conference rooms of the firm that loses.

And another link from Data Center Knowledge to the Boston Globe, which says something I don’t really agree with –

EMC has also partnered with Dell to allow the computer company to resell high-end network storage products made by EMC. But that arrangement would be severely tested if Dell winds up buying 3Par, giving Dell its own high-end storage provider.

For that reason Kerravala said EMC will most likely fare better if HP ends up winning the 3Par bidding war.

“At least that will preserve EMC’s partnership with Dell,’’ he said.

In the short term it will of course preserve the EMC partnership, but the rift has been created by Dell, showing EMC it’s not willing to sit by and just refer sales along to the EMC direct sales team much longer. I’m sure EMC realizes it’s days are numbered as a tight partner with Dell(hence it’s partnership with Cisco UCS which I’m sure didn’t make Dell a happy camper).

I don’t see Dell going to HDS if they lose out on 3PAR, they probably wouldn’t look that hot if they went to HDS’s arms so soon after HP and Sun/Oracle ditched them.

Dell getting cold feet

Filed under: News,Storage — Tags: — Nate @ 7:59 am

3PAR announced today:

3PAR® (NYSE: PAR), the leading global provider of utility storage, today announced its board of directors has determined that the unsolicited proposal by Hewlett-Packard Company to acquire all of 3PAR’s outstanding common stock at $30 per share constitutes a “superior proposal” (as that term is defined in 3PAR’s previously announced merger agreement with Dell). The 3PAR board of directors notified Dell of its intention to terminate the merger agreement with Dell, immediately following the expiration of the three business day period contemplated by, and the satisfaction of the other conditions set forth in, the merger agreement with Dell, in order to enter into the merger agreement with HP on the terms set forth in HP’s acquisition proposal.

CNBC looked at a couple of past storage deals to compare the valuations of them vs the current deal:

  • HP’s latest bid is 8.5 times 3PAR’s current projected revenue, 10 times last year’s revenue
  • Dell paid 10 times revenue for Equallogic back in 2007; valuation now looks smart
  • EMC paid 8 times revenue for Data Domain last year  (too early to tell how it’s working out according to CNBC)

Tick, tock Dell. Throw in the towel go after Compellent or Pillar or maybe even Xiotech.

Looks like 3PAR announced a pretty big deal which has 3cV in it, expecting a lot more in the future!

With this new partnership, Nissho adds a disaster recovery (DR) solution to its enhanced service offerings, which currently include public cloud development and a private cloud environment service based on 3cV. “3cV” is a proven blueprint for the virtual datacenter featuring the combination of 3PAR Utility Storage, HP® BladeSystem c-Class Server Blades, and VMware vSphere™. This solution is designed to enable improved server efficiency and to enhance service levels in private cloud datacenters. All the cloud service-focused products that Nissho offers, including those based on 3cV, are available at the company’s CloudNagivate Center, Nissho’s private technology verification center where customers can verify the operation and performance of a cloud-based infrastructure built on 3PAR technology.

Dell simply doesn’t have an answer to HP’s c Class blades.

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