Statement Of Intent - Storage Networking Industry Association on storage area networks - Industry Trend or Event

Computer Technology Review, Sept, 1999 by Howard Alt

IT departments want open, heterogeneous storage systems. In response to this demand, the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is taking definite steps to ensure that storage networks are open, complete, efficient and trusted solutions across the IT community. The SNIA is also committed to delivering standards, education, and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. In order to win the trust of the IT community and propel storage networking, the SNIA is focusing on the following critical technical issues:

Technical/Engineering Integrity

The SNIA will accelerate debate in storage networking technology through the solicitation of proposals to be presented in rigorous technical tracks at SNIA conferences. By issuing industry-wide calls for papers and offering refereed papers and conference proceedings, the SNIA will serve as a forum for the best thinking in the industry. The Technical Council (TC) will review all proposals to assure the highest level of technical quality. In addition, the TC, the CTO and the SNIA's Technical Programs Director, supported by the SNIA's working groups, will develop a technical roadmap and deliver storage networking architecture, standards and APIs that will assure interoperability in logical progressions without duplication of effort.

Delivery Of Standards

To deliver standards quickly and efficiently, the SNIA is developing a comprehensive technology road map. As such the SNIA will:

* Determine standards (protocols & (APIs) necessary for a complete storage system to operate.

* Work to establish a clear and concise framework that will not duplicate, but enhance the work of other standard bodies.

* Establish priorities.

* Establish timelines and milestones.

Interoperability

True interoperability will be difficult to achieve. The SNIA is well aware that standards do not equal interoperability. As such, the SNIA will take responsibility to promote a culture where true interoperability will be recognized within the network storage industry. To ensure the technical integrity of standards as well as the promotion of interoperability, the SNIA will create an arduous review process for all proposals submitted to the organization. The review process will be conducted by the TC, the CTO, and the Technical Programs Director, and will require a minimum of two working implementations before any submission is considered to be of full standard stature. Of course, work in process can be viewed by member companies to point the way for their implementations.