CA prepares to send out SOS

Computer Associates reveals plans for development of San OS.

The need to provide cross-platform support on Storage Area Networks (San) is leading to the development of an operating system for Sans.

Allan Mohess, product manager of Computer Associates, revealed to Network News at the company's CA World user conference in New Orleans last week, a "fledgling" San OS (SOS) is in development, but he would not reveal who was carrying out the work.

He said an SOS would allow Unix, NT and NetWare machines to coexist on one San and allow Sans to act as a transport mechanism for hierarchical storage management: "If a thin OS resides on a San then any platform and device can be managed," he said.

Using Sans as a transport mechanism forms the third phase in CA's San management road map. Phase two was marked by CA's launch of its Storage Area Network Integrated Technology Initiative (SANITI), at CA World in New Orleans.

Martin Saunders, product manager for CA's Unicenter, said: "Most storage networks end up incorporating kit from multiple vendors taking standards provided by the Fibre Alliance. SANITI is designed as a complete solution offering a viewpoint of all San objects."

SANITI, which is integrated with CA's Unicenter TNG Framework, discovers all San devices such as Fibre Channel switches and hubs, then provides single-console management to monitor storage elements while neural agents check the memory cache and disk space. The necessary upgrade module is available for free download from CA's website.

Saunders said agents could be configured to monitor any part of a network and minimise bandwidth usage by only sending traffic if there is a problem such as lack of space.

"SANITI fills an important gap for IT administrators," said Michael Peterson, president of market research firm Strategic Research. "If you're deploying a San, you need the ability to manage it like the other parts of your network."