Compaq Lets Customers Replicate Data Over Long DistancesCompaq Lets Customers Replicate Data Over Long Distances

Compaq Computer unveiled Monday the availability of Fibre Channel and Internet Protocol (FC-IP) technology to implement global data-replication networks. Compaq customer The South Financial Group has storage networks using FC-IP technology to achieve long-distance data replication. While some pundits have predicted the coming clash between up and comer IP storage and reigning champ Fibre Channel storage area networks, Compaq and South Financial provide a view into the near future.

Customers have enough to worry about without the existence of multiple storage network architectures to choose from. Many large companies already have high-speed Fibre Channel-based SANs covering a metropolitan area. Up until now, they haven't been able to extend the distance without suffering a break down in performance across the existing wide-area network.

The FC-IP protocol lets Fibre Channel-driven data move across the IP network in a process called tunneling. It doesn't require confirmation of receipt at the other end the way IP packets do, so data moves fast enough for replication. Customers such as South Financial still have to decide whether to join disparate SANs over the same IP network supporting daily operations, or connect the SANs over their own IP network. At least now, they can make the choice and replicate data from one coast to the other.

Illuminata analyst John Webster thinks customers with money to burn could use the technology to keep operational data in sync between New York, London, and Tokyo. But he thinks most customers will use it, for example, to get out of the way of a hurricane striking the east coast. According to Webster, "it's just how much money do you throw at availability of information within five seconds of a disaster?"