NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: NETWORKING TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
12/20/04

Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED],

In this issue:

* SAN change management software
* Links related to Networking Technology Update
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus:

Change management reins in SANs

By Ron Alon

Most problems in storage-area networks, including those that are 
the most difficult to find and fix, stem from SAN changes that 
cause errors. Someone disconnects the wrong cable, unbeknownst 
to SAN managers, for example; or a storage technician makes a 
typing error when adding logical-unit-number masking for a new 
volume but managers find the error during downtime.

SAN change management software manages SAN change and growth by 
identifying and analyzing errors and vulnerabilities before, 
during and after change implementation. The software lets 
administrators more quickly identify and repair errors in SANs, 
predict the effect of planned changes before implementation, 
monitor the implementation to ensure correct execution and gain 
better control through change processes that coordinate activity 
among dispersed groups responsible for making changes. By 
automating these processes, organizations can gain dramatic 
improvements in risk and cost reduction of their SAN 
environments.

Without SAN change management, organizations are challenged to 
manage SAN changes and events with error-prone and 
time-consuming manual techniques and cumbersome spreadsheets. To 
validate the effect of a zone change, for example, a storage 
administrator has to compare and correlate data from a host bus 
adapter details spreadsheet, storage masking spreadsheet and 
zoning database. As a result, administrators spend many hours 
managing changes and change-induced problems, but extra manpower 
can't solve the problem. A storage manager must understand how a 
single change in a SAN can affect several thousand paths.

SAN change management software is composed of a server and a 
client GUI that can be executed on separate machines. The server 
logic comprises an impact analysis engine, change identification 
engine and path correlation engine.

First, the software establishes a baseline map of the entire SAN 
environment that is stored in a configuration data repository. 
The map captures device data and configuration information, 
including all physical devices, cables, and logical access paths 
and dependencies between components such as storage devices, 
servers and switches. The server performs all the mapping and 
continuously communicates with all SAN devices. It analyzes any 
configuration change and correlates events and device data to 
generate a uniform, accurate picture of a SAN and its access 
paths.

For the full article, please go to: 
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/tech/2004/122004techupdate.html?nlt

RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS

SAN Research Center
Network World
http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/sans.html
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To contact: 

For questions or comments regarding this newsletter's content, 
contact Newsletter Editor Jeff Caruso at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by BMC Software  

Linking IT Priorities to Business Objectives, an IDC whitepaper. 
Get insights from IDC on aligning business goals and IT 
priorities. IDC offers practical, actionable information on how 
Business Service Management can help you reduce operating costs, 
improve service levels, respond faster to business needs and 
protect delivery of business-critical.  Click here to download 
this whitepaper now. 
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=91620
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ARCHIVE LINKS

Technology Update archive:
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/tech/index.html
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