Big Blue Announces Bluefin Initiative

Hot on the heels of EMC‘s announcement last week, IBM yesterday launched a new initiative to accelerate the delivery of interoperable storage management products using the “Bluefin” specification. It also announced more advanced function and productivity enhancements to its TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server (code-named “Shark”).

As part of the announcement IBM also unveiled a working Bluefin demo, showcasing what it says the first interoperable, open environment for storage area management incorporating the CIM/WBEM standard and its functionality in IBM storage hardware and Tivoli software solutions.

Highlights of IBM’s announcement include:

• Initiative for early access to IBM’s Bluefin implementation by 10 independent software vendors
• New autonomic features on IBM Enterprise Storage Server (ESS) to help customers more easily manage their data
• Enhanced FlashCopy(TM) and Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy to improve application availability and disaster recovery
• Doubling the maximum capacity of the ESS to 55.6 TB using 145.6 GB disk drives

“Customers want interoperability just as much as they want bigger, faster, and better machines,” said Brian Truskowski, chief technology officer, IBM Storage Systems Group. “Customers are demanding storage products that work in multi-vendor environments, that drive business value and that push down management costs. Our autonomic product capabilities and adherence to industry-led open standards are customer-focused deliverables for today’s multi-vendor e-business environments.”

According to IBM, it’s working with leading independent software vendors to provide early access to IBM’s Bluefin implementations on its disk and tape products and IBM Tivoli software products. “Bluefin” is the code name for the specification endorsed by Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) to help customers manage data in a multi-vendor storage area network using the Common Information Model (CIM) and Web-based Enterprise Management (WBEM) standards.

By providing early access, IBM says it is working to promote interoperability as well as high function and control between IBM and other vendor’s products using the standards. IBM is sharing information about the CIM/WBEM implementations with BMC Software, Computer Associates, Legato Systems, VERITAS and others.

“As a founding member of SNIA in the US, Europe and Australia, LEGATO welcomes the opportunity to work with IBM in this effort to drive multi-vendor interoperability using the Bluefin specification,” said George Symons, Vice President, Product Management and Development, LEGATO Systems, Inc. “IBM’s Bluefin initiative helps promote interoperability and allows independent software vendors such as LEGATO to work with IBM in the early stages of product implementation to help ensure that our joint customers have interoperable storage solutions using the standards. This is directly in line with the mission of the SNIA-endorsed Bluefin specification.”