To my knowledge, almost all (if not ALL) the VTLs/IDTs are just Linux kernels running tape emulation and dedupe software inside a server. So I don't really see this as a software vs hardware debate, as it's really all software. It's more along the lines of design goals and single-mindedness. VTL vendors knew they had to run at 100s or 1000s of MB/s, so that's what they designed for -- and they had to bet big or go home. The backup software dedupe products, OTOH, were designed mainly to back up remote offices, which has very different design goals. In addition, they had many other products to get right as well.
--- W. Curtis Preston Backup Blog @ www.backupcentral.com VP Data Protection, GlassHouse Technologies > -----Original Message----- > From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Nicholas Cassimatis > Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:58 AM > To: ADSM-L@VM.MARIST.EDU > Subject: [ADSM-L] Fw: TSM being abandoned? > > Compression and encryption are also much faster in hardware than software > - > especially when the software is running on a processor doing other work. > Nothing new under the sun - it's just the same paradigm applied to a new > function. > > Nick Cassimatis > > ----- Forwarded by Nicholas Cassimatis/Raleigh/IBM on 04/17/2008 01:51 PM > ----- > > "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L@VM.MARIST.EDU> wrote on 04/17/2008 > 12:13:08 PM: > > Re: TSM being abandoned? > > > > Curtis Preston > > > > to: > > > > ADSM-L > > > > 04/17/2008 12:18 PM > > > > Sent by: > > > > "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L@VM.MARIST.EDU> > > > > Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" > > > > Just to set realistic expectations... To date, no backup software vendor > > has offered dedupe that has anywhere near the speed that is offered by > > the VTL/IDT (intelligent disk target) market. The backup software > > dedupe products run at 10s of MB/s, MAYBE 100 MB/s, but that's it. The > > VTL/IDTs START at 300 MB/s and go up to 1000s MB/s. I wish the best for > > IBM in this regard, as I am a big fan of dedupe, but history is not in > > their favor. In addition, the other software companies that did this > > did so by acquisition. It appears that IBM is going to do it > > themselves. That's much harder. > > > > That is, unless, the rumored acquisition of Diligent ever happens... > > > > --- > > W. Curtis Preston > > Backup Blog @ www.backupcentral.com > > VP Data Protection, GlassHouse Technologies > > > > > > > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended > solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. > If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. > This message contains confidential information and is intended only for > the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not > disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.