Not all new standards are created equal. While each must pass through various design, ratification, and adoption phases, some standards penetrate the market more quickly than others. Rate of success depends upon many factors, including how compelling the technology is, how quickly reliable hardware and its supporting software are widely available, and how decision makers view the emerging technology.

FCoE is clearly compelling. It promises to:

• Converge Ethernet networking and Fibre Channel storage through a single, unified fabric
• Increase performance while simplifying management complexity
• Extend the reach and capabilities of the SAN while protecting existing infrastructure investment
• Provide more computing power in a smaller footprint, meaning fewer servers, less cabling, and more efficient power consumption.

Reliable hardware and software are already available and, in some cases, already installed:

• Cisco’s 10 GbE Nexus 5000 series switches will allow users to enable FCoE through software once the relevant standards have been ratified
• Emulex, QLogic and others have converged network adapters (CNAs) that support FCoE
• Intel has announced FCoE support for its 10 GbE server adapters

Alas, as is commonly the case with emerging technologies, the most critical element affecting FCoE adoption will be how the market accepts it. The human perception of FCoE’s readiness, more so than its actual technical viability, is what will determine when FCoE goes live. Several factors hindering FCoE include:

• Fear. Uncertainty about the economy is a key driver for prompting network administrators to “play it safe”. But playing it safe is too frequently a euphemism for spending too on soon-to-be-legacy technologies. If the economy is facing a downturn, FCoE can bring significant cost savings when they are needed most. The companies that recognize this will fare any hard times the best.
• Fear. FCoE brings together networking and storage teams, organizations that typically have had to compete with each other for resources. Convergence may be viewed as impending obsolescence and a threat to job security. The very people who stand to gain the most from embracing FCoE may feel rather that they have the most to lose.
• Fear. FCoE is an emerging standard and, as with any new technology, it represents gain as well as risk. This type of fear is rooted in lack of familiarity. Risk always seems higher with those things we don’t yet understand. Expect long proof-of-concept trails before the skeptics are convinced this is ready for their data center.

Excellent process is being made in the design and deployment of reliable FCoE equipment. However, for FCoE to become one of the standards that reaches market faster than others, those companies invested in its success must take a firm hand in overcoming the fear that threatens to forestall its advantages. Clearly, counting on the industry to accept FCoE because it’s a good idea is not enough.

• What other fear factors threaten to delay FCoE?
• What can the industry as a whole do to address these fears?

Further Reading: Infostor – “The Promise of FCoE, the Reality of Adoption”

In the past month I have spoken with numerous Data Center and SAN mangers.  While some indicate optimism with FCoE, many are expressing various levels of doubt on broad acceptance of FCoE.  All I can say is, like the dandelions in my yard, the FCoE ecosystem is growing.

In April, Cisco announced it was acquiring the remaining stake in Nuova and announced the Nexus 5000 switch for FCoE.  Designed for data center consolidation and with its interconnectivity to other Cisco switches, integration appears to be simple.  With a growing host of technology partners supporting the Nexus 5000 ( Broadcom, Dell, EMC, Emulex, Intel, NetApp, Netxen, Panduit, QLogic, Scalent and VMware. ) and talking about their own FCoE solutions, the hype for this emerging protocol is at full speed.

The SAN will be no less complex with FCoE.  After the technology goes through a proving period, economics will play a large role in wider acceptance.  However, the devil is in the details.  Are we really getting closer to the reality of an Ethernet based unified fabric?  What barriers to acceptance do you think exist or will emerge? 

Our world is ever changing with new data, events or technologies challenging what we once thought to be gospel. Our 9th planet may now be a planetoid and just when I thought I was at peace with my knowledge of storage protocols and their respective places in the universe, along comes Fibre Channel over Ethernet.

Whether you are reading your favorite storage news rag or attending the latest SAN event, the industry is a-buzz with FCoE. Driven by the T11 group, this is billed as a solution to address convergence of the LAN/SAN in the data centers.

For organizations looking at more ways to be environmentally friendly, FCoE offers reductions in power consumption, cabling and cooling expenses while consolidating I/O traffic in server farms. FCoE should not require a dedicated Ethernet fabric and with pause based flow control, users should enjoy the same performance with FCoE that is currently provided by today’s FC SAN. Yes, FCoE is here to save the day as it claims to offer the same high performance of native FC, the opportunity to save cash and little disruption to current environments.

On the heels of 8Gb FC, FCoE is based upon 10Gb Ethernet and will require a new breed of NIC’s and switches to support it. Product availability and price per port will heavily influence the adoption of FCoE but this effort seems to be on the fast track for adoption.

FCoE has already stimulated an entire new line of product development from the top tier component manufacturers and the tool vendors that support them.   The FCIA group even had a live FCoE demonstration at the spring SNW in Orlando.

We all want things easier and the notion of having a single network in the data center certainly has its appeal. However, few things are ever as simple as they appear and while FCoE may present benefits over the current architecture of data centers and storage, the users in the industry may take some convincing.

I was recently told “The future is Ethernet…Stupid!” I believe market forces will drive towards convergence and that FCoE will change the way we think about storage. Will it replace native FC? Not in the short term but the need for convergence is clear and the desire is strong, so get ready.

Here are the FCIA facts on FCoE.