EXCERPT IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Scale -Out File-Based Storage 2012 Vendor Analysis

Amita Potnis Ashish Nadkarni

IN THIS EXCERPT
The content for this paper is excerpted from the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide ScaleOut File-Based Storage 2012 Vendor Analysis, by Amita Potnis and Ashish Nadkarni (Doc # 238923). All or parts of the following sections are included in this Excerpt: IDC Opinion, In This Study, Situation Overview, Future Outlook, Essential Guidance, and Synopsis. Figure 1 is also included.

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IDC OPINION
A social and mobile world is impacting businesses of all shapes and sizes. It has led to a surge in the amount of data that needs to be managed and the number of devices that is needed to access this data. One of the chief requirements of data access in this new paradigm is that this access is continuous and consistent, regardless of the physical location of the user or the devices used to access it. In the past, "scale up" or "monolithic" storage technologies worked well for a relatively immobile user base with limited and fragmented data sets. However, in this new world, the benefits of deploying a monolithic storage system are fast diminishing. Any performance or capacity upgrade typically requires forklifting existing storage solutions and painful migration processes along with increased expenses. As companies started looking for alternative solutions, vendors brought to market scaleout storage architectures that would allow businesses to grow their infrastructure on an as-needed basis. Scale-out architectures give businesses the ability to linearly scale capacity and/or performance independent of each other while keeping management simple and costs low. This IDC study is based on an IDC vendor assessment model called the MarketScape. It is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the characteristics that explain a vendor's success in the marketplace and help anticipate the vendor's ascendancy to be a leader in the market segment in question. This study assesses the capabilities and business strategies of many scaleout file-based storage (FBS) vendors. It is based on a comprehensive framework and a set of parameters expected to be most conducive to success in providing scale-out file-based solutions, during both the short term and the long term. As the scale-out file-based market is a highly competitive one, all vendors performed relatively well in the study. Key findings include: All vendors in this study provide a scale-out solution (in certain cases, a scalable solution) that meets IDC's stated definition. However, leading firms generally have a broader portfolio that appeals to a wider audience. This leads to a bigger market share. Smaller vendors however have more innovative solutions that rival solutions from bigger vendors. Many such vendors are focused on specific verticals such as high-performance computing (HPC), media, and entertainment. However, many

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such vendors have acknowledged the need to make their solutions appeal to a wider audience and are moving their product capabilities in that direction. There are some vendors such as Scality, Red Hat, and Oracle that have not been included in this study but do deserve to be mentioned because of their product road maps.

IN THIS STUDY
This IDC study assesses the capabilities and business strategies of leading vendors in the scale-out file-based storage market. Vendors were selected based on their capabilities to provide an appliance-based scale-out file-based storage solution, which features a distributed or scalable or clustered file system at the core. This evaluation is based on a comprehensive framework and a set of parameters that gauge the success of a vendor to be successful in delivering a scale-out file-based storage solution in the market. This study includes a total of 10 vendors in the scale-out file-based storage space. The vendors enlisted in this study are (in alphabetical order) DataDirect Networks (DDN), Dell, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), HP, Huawei, IBM, NetApp, Panasas, and Quantum. It should be observed that this study evaluates each participating vendor as an entity within the scale-out file-based storage market. Certain vendors therefore are at an advantage given their size and broader portfolio offerings. However, IDC recognizes that smaller vendors, whose primary focus in the scale-out file-based storage market may be limited to specific verticals, also play an important role by bringing to market potentially disruptive technologies.

Methodology
IDC MarketScape criteria selection, weightings, and vendor scores represent wellresearched IDC judgment about the market and selected vendors. IDC analysts tailor the range of standard characteristics by which vendors are measured through structured discussions, surveys, and interviews with market leaders, participants, and end users. Market weightings are based on user interviews, buyer surveys, and the input of a review board of IDC experts in each market. IDC analysts base individual vendor scores, and ultimately vendor positions in the IDC MarketScape, on detailed surveys and interviews with the vendors, publicly available information, and end-user experiences in an effort to provide an accurate and consistent assessment of each vendor's characteristics, behavior, and capability.

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SITUATION OVERVIEW
Introduction
Many organizations, regardless of their size, are seeing an enormous increase in data. This brings unprecedented performance challenges and data management complexities. The increase in amount of data means an increased need for capacity, bandwidth, and compute resources for IT organizations. In addition, owing to the geographical nature of business, storage investments are driven by the need to organize and distribute files. As a consequence, quality of service, uninterrupted performance, compliance, and data protection are top priorities for IT organizations. All these factors make data management a complicated task. Specific verticals such as healthcare, life sciences, media and entertainment, and oil and gas demand efficient storage, organization, long-term retention, and timely retrieval of files. It is this demand that is driving the scale-out file-based storage market. While the need for scale-out file-based storage really came from specific industries, many organizations of varying sizes with focus on other verticals are faced with similar problems. While IDC recognizes that the requirements for each industry are different, this IDC MarketScape is focusing on scale-out file-based storage holistically rather than a study specific to an industry or a market segment.

FUTURE OUTLOOK
IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Scale-Out FileBased Storage Vendor Assessment
The IDC MarketScape vendor assessment for the scale-out file-based storage market represents IDC's assessment on which vendors are well positioned today through current capabilities and which are best positioned to gain market share over the next few years. Positioning in the upper right of the grid indicates that vendors are well positioned to gain market share. For the purposes of discussion, IDC divided potential key strategy measures for success into two primary categories: capabilities and strategies. Positioning on the y-axis reflects the vendor's current capabilities around scale-out file-based storage and how well aligned it is to customer needs. The capabilities category focuses on the capabilities of the vendor and product today, here and now. Under this category, IDC analysts will look at how well a vendor is building/delivering capabilities that enable it to execute its chosen strategy in the market. Positioning on the x-axis, or strategies axis, indicates how well the vendor's future strategy aligns with what customers will require in three to five years. The strategies category focuses on high-level strategic decisions and underlying assumptions about offerings, customer segments, business, and go-to-market plans for the future, in this case defined as the next 18 months. Under this category, analysts look at whether or not a supplier's strategies in various areas are aligned with customer requirements (and spending) over a defined future time period.

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Figure 1 shows each vendor's position in the vendor assessment chart. Its market share is indicated by the size of the bubble, and a (+), (-), or (=) icon indicates whether or not the vendor is growing faster than, slower than, or even with, respectively, overall market growth.

FIGURE 1
IDC MarketScape Scale-Out File-Based Storage Vendor Assessment

Note: This IDC MarketScape is an evaluation of scale-out file-based vendors.

Source: IDC, 2012

Vendor Summary Analysis

In this section, we provide background information on vendors in this IDC MarketScape and their capability and strategy and IDC's qualitative assessment.

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Dell
Dell continues to tread down on the path of bolstering its storage portfolio with acquisitions. Dell seems to have hit a stride in integrating its portfolio products and in developing a clear message for the market in IDC's opinion: a set of feature-rich and affordable products with little to no hidden costs. However, as with any such strategy especially in the scale-out NAS market Dell faces an uphill battle in dealing with missing technological bits and pieces. Dell has made substantial investments over the past few years in acquiring and developing storage technologies in a strategy to build out a full-service storage systems portfolio. Dell's EqualLogic and Compellent acquisitions were largely focused on the option to replace the products sold via the company's OEM relationship with EMC. Risking this relationship and eventually dissolving it, Dell built a Fluid Data strategy that is designed to make its portfolio more solutions focused, emphasize "better together" technology integration, and offer its customers a continuum from a device-centric datacenter to the cloud. Dell's investment in the Fluid File System (FluidFS), based on the acquisition of Exanet IP, was largely borne out of the company's Fluid Data strategy and is focused on enablement (i.e., the FluidFS platform provides consistent file services across the various disparate block-only platforms). Realizing that file-based storage technologies were becoming the next necessity in most datacenter environments, Dell integrated FluidFS with its block-only EqualLogic, Compellent, and PowerVault platforms. In what Dell calls as Fluid Data Architecture, the FluidFS offers a common set of data management services and access interfaces. In other words, the FluidFS will enable customers to use PowerVault, Compellent, and EqualLogic systems for their SAN and NAS needs at the same time. At the core, FluidFS is a scale-out NAS platform leveraging a symmetric cluster of NAS controllers in a SAN-based architecture. Dell provides three different FluidFS models for its three SAN product families, each with administration and storage provisioning models aligned with the SAN solution. FluidFS utilizes a write-back caching model for high-write performance and leverages write-cache mirroring between HA controller pairs to ensure data integrity. FluidFS NAS products support standard CIFS and NFS protocols through a virtualized and load-balanced front-end supporting 1GbE and 10GbE connectivity. These products support single namespace scalability up to 1PB today, and Dell promises higher levels of capacity in the future.

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Like many other distributed file systems, the largest areas for R&D investment are data management services and access interfaces. Dell is prioritizing these over tapping into the full potential for the FluidFS NAS platform to be a high-performance, high-capacity scale-out platform. Dell may have a leg up against its competition with IP from Ocarina, which it acquired in 2010, and an in-house-developed IP, but until we see the fruits of the integration effort, it is difficult for IDC to rank Dell any higher than a major player. IDC believes that while Dell may struggle to shift from being an IP reseller to being an owner of storage IP, it deserves credit for taking on the risk in doing so. For example, when Dell walked away from the EMC relationship, Dell's customers that were using EMC Celerra or VNX arrays were left without a suitable Dell-owned file-storage platform. As a result, customers that bought EMC storage from Dell were left with a decision to choose between the storage technology and the supplier, hurting Dell's customer retention capability. However, Dell is working through these challenges as quickly and efficiently as possible. So where Dell may have ranked lower on the capability side, it has recovered somewhat on the future strategy side. Dell makes its road maps accessible to its customers and channel partners with a horizon of 18 months, under NDA, with more precisely planned specifications typically visible 12 months out. This covers end-of-life and support plans. Customers can learn of Dell's road map either directly via Dell or via a certified Dell reseller of choice. Dell positions itself as a solution provider and as such it provides professional services as an enhancement to its storage portfolio. Dell's services are available directly from Dell or from the company's partners that provide their own value-added services. Certified partners receive extensive training and marketing cofunding. Dell also works very hard to monitor customer satisfaction with dedicated teams, ultimately feeding back reports to the R&D department. The company also shows signs of efforts to engage in more in-depth discussions with the customers in order to better understand their needs and offer solutions that fit the customers' needs. This is a positive shift away from Dell's traditional high-volume business practices, which will ultimately benefit the customers and the company as well. Dell is a Major Player in this IDC MarketScape.

ESSENTIAL GUIDANCE
Advice for Vendors
The scale-out file-based storage market is getting increasingly competitive and crowded. Suppliers of all backgrounds and sizes are entering the market each with its own unique and compelling value proposition. On the one hand, incumbent storage suppliers with a proven track record in the industry are using scale-out solutions to expand market reach beyond the capabilities of their traditional scale-up offerings. The focus of such incumbents is to move their scale-out offerings to be more mainstream in terms of general file-based storage capabilities. On the other hand, suppliers with a core focus on data protection or high-performance computing

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are leveraging scale-out solutions to further penetrate their established use cases in their respective core customer base. Despite an increasing number of suppliers entering the scale-out market, this market is still a highly emerging market and will remain so for a few more years. There are a few key reasons for these, including the fact that scale-out systems are becoming increasingly object aware from a data organization and access perspective and suppliers are looking to diversify the use cases for their scale-out solutions. Virtualization and big data are two such examples. Therefore, buyers and vendors should not interpret this IDC MarketScape on the lines that "bigger is better." In fact, every vendor, regardless of its present market size, will have to ensure that its strategy is to position its scale-out solution to appeal to a broader set of use cases. Focusing on niche use cases in this emerging market will be a risky proposition.

Advice for Buyers

All companies, regardless of size, are faced with the issue of data growth. While the rate of growth may differ from company to company, there is no doubt that organizations will have to consider new approaches for dealing with their data growth. Adoption of the cloud may be an option for small and midsize organizations. Many others will require new storage solutions optimized for content ingest, storage, and access. Regardless of the difference in the size of the environment, there are some fundamental elements that any organization should consider when evaluating a scaleout file-based solution: Scalability: Scalability is not just from a hardware perspective but also from throughput, file size, and file volume perspectives. A solution appropriate for a given environment will allow each dimension to scale independently. Management: Data layout and organization is an important piece as it may have performance, efficiency, and availability implications. Over time, as data grows, organizations will face the need to mine existing data for patterns that may build new business cases around new findings. A solution that supports advanced metadata, indexing, and analytics will be key. Efficiency: The larger the data set and bigger the storage system, the greater the need of data management and reduction techniques (data deduplication, compression, thin provisioning, etc.). Data optimization technologies (automated data tiering) will also be essential. A solution appropriate for a given environment will allow many if not all of the above mentioned features to be implemented and recalibrated without major disruptions.

LE ARN MORE
Related Research
How Distributed File Systems Are Rewriting the Future of the Storage Ecosystem (IDC #236517, August 2012)

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 The Future for Namespaces in File-Based Storage (IDC #236010, July 2012) Worldwide File-Based Storage 20122016 Forecast: Solutions for Content Delivery, Virtualization, Archiving, and Big Data Continue to Expand (IDC #235910, July 2012) Worldwide Storage and Virtualized x86 Environments 2012 2016 Forecast (IDC #235868, July 2012) Worldwide File-Based Storage 20112015 Forecast: Foundation Solutions for Content Delivery, Archiving, and Big Data (IDC #231910, December 2011) Worldwide Archival Storage Solutions 2011 2015 Forecast: Archiving Needs Thrive in an Information-Thirsty World (IDC #230762, October 2011) Mezeo Accelerates the Move to Cloud Storage (IDC #231082, October 2011) Quantum StorNext: High-Performance Scale-Out File System Solution for Large Data Types (IDC #230916, October 2011) Caringo's Steady Revenue Growth Highlights Bright Future for Object-Based Storage: The Cloud and the Enterprise (IDC #230632, September 2011) Worldwide Enterprise Storage for Public and Private Cloud 2011 2015 Forecast: Enabling Public Cloud Service Providers and Private Clouds (IDC #230283, September 2011) Hitachi Data Systems Acquires BlueArc: Long Expected, Easy to Digest (IDC #230275, September 2011) Scality: Scale-Out Storage Solutions for Today's Petabyte-Scale Content Depots (IDC #230021, August 2011) HP X9000 Takes the Solution Path to Address Pain Points in Unstructured File Growth (IDC #229598, July 2011)

Synopsis
This IDC study represents the vendor assessment model called the IDC MarketScape. This study is a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the characteristics that explain a vendor's success in the scale-out file-based storage marketplace and help anticipate the vendor's ascendancy. IDC assesses the capabilities and business strategies of many scale-out file-based storage vendors. This evaluation is based on a comprehensive framework and a set of parameters expected to be most conducive to success in providing scale-out file-based storage solutions, during both the short term and the long term. "The growth of file data, new workloads, and use cases will continue to drive innovation and adoption of the scale-out file-based storage systems. Support for cloud as a tier, virtualized environments, big data, and content repositories are essential for vendor's success in this market," said Amita Potnis, senior research

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analyst, Storage Systems. "User demands will continue to be better defined over time; however, scalability, interoperability, ease of management, and cost efficiency are most important."

Copyright Notice
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