Netapp FAS270 v Sun StorageTek 5320

Anyone have interesting comments on a choice between a NetApp FAS270 v
the Sun StorageTek 5320 NAS Appliance?

--
albert chin (china @at@ thewrittenword .dot. com)

On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:21:28 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Anyone have interesting comments on a choice between a NetApp FAS270 v
the Sun StorageTek 5320 NAS Appliance?

The FAS270 is not a performance filer, no matter what NetApp says.
It's a great departmental or single function NAS device but if you
want a go-fast look elsewhere.

I don't know much about the Sun NAS. Can you post some spec's, costs,
etc?

For NetApp, if you want mid-range, the 3020 is a solid performer. I
believe Sun touts better performance so if all you need is NAS access
and highest performance for your dollar (or yen or lire or whatever)
the Sun is likely your better buy.

There are NAS products that are faster then NetApp, there are NAS
products that are cheaper than NetApp. But I do not think there is a
NAS product that is better than NetApp.
If you take into account the file system, the OS, the features and
functions (real snapshots (believe me there is a biiig difference with
some of these vendors), snapmirror, snapvault, snaprestore, snap
clone, etc...) that NetApp has built-in, you find a better product.

Stability, availability, performance, and data integrity are what
NetApp offers; but at a cost....

Good, fast, cheap. Pick any two.

~F

Faeandar wrote:
On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:21:28 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Anyone have interesting comments on a choice between a NetApp FAS270 v
the Sun StorageTek 5320 NAS Appliance?

The FAS270 is not a performance filer, no matter what NetApp says.
It's a great departmental or single function NAS device but if you
want a go-fast look elsewhere.

Well, we only need ~4TB but performance is important. The FAS3000
series seems way out of our league, as the max raw capacity on these
devices is 84TB, which probably means it's for higher-end usage than
what we want.

What about the FAS900 series though? Like maybe the FAS920 or FAS940?
How much better performance than the FAS270?

I don't know much about the Sun NAS. Can you post some spec's, costs,
etc?

Pricing for the 5320 with 2.5TB is ~$35K. Pricing on the FAS270 is
similar with the same storage.

Home page: http://www.sun.com/storagetek/nas/5320/index.xml

There are NAS products that are faster then NetApp, there are NAS
products that are cheaper than NetApp. But I do not think there is a
NAS product that is better than NetApp.
If you take into account the file system, the OS, the features and
functions (real snapshots (believe me there is a biiig difference with
some of these vendors), snapmirror, snapvault, snaprestore, snap
clone, etc...) that NetApp has built-in, you find a better product.

Stability, availability, performance, and data integrity are what
NetApp offers; but at a cost....

If you're moving from local storage to NAS, is there a way to
benchmark the speed you need for the NAS appliance based on your local
storage usage?

--
albert chin (china @at@ thewrittenword .dot. com)

On Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:34:23 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Faeandar wrote:
On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:21:28 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Anyone have interesting comments on a choice between a NetApp FAS270 v
the Sun StorageTek 5320 NAS Appliance?

The FAS270 is not a performance filer, no matter what NetApp says.
It's a great departmental or single function NAS device but if you
want a go-fast look elsewhere.

Well, we only need ~4TB but performance is important. The FAS3000
series seems way out of our league, as the max raw capacity on these
devices is 84TB, which probably means it's for higher-end usage than
what we want.

you don't have to put that much on it. I have 3050's with only 2
shelves on them, which is about 4TB....


What about the FAS900 series though? Like maybe the FAS920 or FAS940?
How much better performance than the FAS270?

The 920's and 940's have been EOL'd, you can't buy them anymore from
NetApp. the 980's are going to be EOL'd soon. The 900 series is
being replaced by the 60x0 series, which is very much high end and
high priced.


I don't know much about the Sun NAS. Can you post some spec's, costs,
etc?

Pricing for the 5320 with 2.5TB is ~$35K. Pricing on the FAS270 is
similar with the same storage.


Home page: http://www.sun.com/storagetek/nas/5320/index.xml

There are NAS products that are faster then NetApp, there are NAS
products that are cheaper than NetApp. But I do not think there is a
NAS product that is better than NetApp.
If you take into account the file system, the OS, the features and
functions (real snapshots (believe me there is a biiig difference with
some of these vendors), snapmirror, snapvault, snaprestore, snap
clone, etc...) that NetApp has built-in, you find a better product.

Stability, availability, performance, and data integrity are what
NetApp offers; but at a cost....

If you're moving from local storage to NAS, is there a way to
benchmark the speed you need for the NAS appliance based on your local
storage usage?

The best way is to get an eval from the vendor and run it in a test
environment. Any vendor should be willing to provide an eval for a
bakeoff so you should be able to run both the Sun and whatever
comprably priced filer NetApp has to offer.
It's possible that your performance requirements would be satisfied by
a 270, in which case you would be getting alot more functionality than
with the Sun. But I would test it first.

~F

There are excellent used NetApp FAS9xx system options -- with price and
performance that would exceed that of the FAS270 -- which include
DataOntap licensing.

Scott Fischmann
Union Computer Exchange



Faeandar wrote:
On Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:34:23 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Faeandar wrote:
On Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:21:28 -0600, Albert Chin
wrote:

Anyone have interesting comments on a choice between a NetApp FAS270 v
the Sun StorageTek 5320 NAS Appliance?

The FAS270 is not a performance filer, no matter what NetApp says.
It's a great departmental or single function NAS device but if you
want a go-fast look elsewhere.

Well, we only need ~4TB but performance is important. The FAS3000
series seems way out of our league, as the max raw capacity on these
devices is 84TB, which probably means it's for higher-end usage than
what we want.

you don't have to put that much on it. I have 3050's with only 2
shelves on them, which is about 4TB....


What about the FAS900 series though? Like maybe the FAS920 or FAS940?
How much better performance than the FAS270?

The 920's and 940's have been EOL'd, you can't buy them anymore from
NetApp. the 980's are going to be EOL'd soon. The 900 series is
being replaced by the 60x0 series, which is very much high end and
high priced.


I don't know much about the Sun NAS. Can you post some spec's, costs,
etc?

Pricing for the 5320 with 2.5TB is ~$35K. Pricing on the FAS270 is
similar with the same storage.


Home page: http://www.sun.com/storagetek/nas/5320/index.xml

There are NAS products that are faster then NetApp, there are NAS
products that are cheaper than NetApp. But I do not think there is a
NAS product that is better than NetApp.
If you take into account the file system, the OS, the features and
functions (real snapshots (believe me there is a biiig difference with
some of these vendors), snapmirror, snapvault, snaprestore, snap
clone, etc...) that NetApp has built-in, you find a better product.

Stability, availability, performance, and data integrity are what
NetApp offers; but at a cost....

If you're moving from local storage to NAS, is there a way to
benchmark the speed you need for the NAS appliance based on your local
storage usage?

The best way is to get an eval from the vendor and run it in a test
environment. Any vendor should be willing to provide an eval for a
bakeoff so you should be able to run both the Sun and whatever
comprably priced filer NetApp has to offer.
It's possible that your performance requirements would be satisfied by
a 270, in which case you would be getting alot more functionality than
with the Sun. But I would test it first.

~F

wrote:
There are excellent used NetApp FAS9xx system options -- with price and
performance that would exceed that of the FAS270 -- which include
DataOntap licensing.

Good idea. I'll look into these.

--
albert chin (china @at@ thewrittenword .dot. com)