> >"SAN is cheaper" -- I don't usually pay attention to the bills. I'm an > >engineer. But from what I hear management and others saying, SAN will > >save us a lot. > > This one I don't quite get? If I'm using the same DS8000, why would it > be cheaper? Unless you are saying you have more options to purchase > other things than just the same old IBM, EMC, HDS stuff.
That, plus the cost of a FCP adapter for most SAN switches and/or storage arrays is about 75% cheaper than the same hardware programmed for FICON. Last time I price-compared for a EMC box, the FCP adapter for the EMC box was ~$14K, the FICON adapter was ~$62K -- AFAICT, identical hardware, different PROMs. The price ratio for the Brocade switch adapter was on a similar scale. As others have noted, you also get multipathing for FCP at no extra cost on most boxes, and some options (like PAV) are billed by the amount of ECKD-accessible storage in the box (which is reduced by defining FCP-accessible stuff). Some of that price difference is undoubtedly technology license cost related, but it's a pretty compelling argument for FCP. Someday z/OS will see the light...8-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390
