Global namespace: The Future of File System Management, Part 2 - Storage Networking

IT administrators spend a great deal of time on file management tasks (adding users, adding file servers, rebalancing storage, setting up failover, etc.) and data movement tasks (replication, migration, consolidation, data distribution). These are tedious and time-consuming for administrators, disruptive to users, and expensive for companies.

Companies are looking for better ways to scale and manage their file systems. Global namespace provides the answer.

In "Global Namespace--The Future of File System Management, Part 1," we defined global namespace as a logical layer that sits between clients and file systems for purposes of aggregating multiple, heterogeneous file systems, and presenting file information to users and applications in a single, logical view. The benefits of a global namespace are clear and compelling:
Administrators can add, move, rebalance, and reconfigure physical storage without affecting how users view and access it.

* Global namespace provides a platform for developing value-added functions such as data migration, server consolidation, and disaster recovery.

With a global namespace in place, the administrator can perform data management and data movement tasks in less time, without disrupting user access to files. When files are moved, links in the namespace are automatically updated, which reduces manual administration and ensures continuous client access to data.

In this article, we will discuss how a global namespace simplifies file management, how to create and deploy a namespace, and the solutions it enables in an enterprise environment.

The Problem: File (Data)

Management and File (Data)

Movement

Stephens Company has 600 marketing and engineering users who are accessing files across five file servers that are shared by the two departments located in Houston and New York City. Marketing users are accessing files via multiple drive letters that are mapped to two NetApp filers and a Windows server, and engineering users are accessing files on three servers and one filer.

There are several issues with Stephens Company's current file system environment:

* Users find it difficult to locate and access files via multiple drive letters (which are increasing).

* File server Houl_W2K_Server12 is at 90 percent capacity, while NY_NAS_Server2 is at 20 percent, which means that users are beginning to get errors as they try to save large graphic files to Server12.

* To migrate files and rebalance storage between Houl_W2K_Serverl2 tY_NAS_Server2, the administrator must disable user access to the files that are to be moved, move the files to the NY filer, reboot and bring both devices back online, revise all marketing and engineering user login scripts, and inform users that the files have a new location so that their PCs can be reconfigured to access them. This will require at least 12 hours of downtime and the manual reconfiguration of every desktop and application that accesses the files.

The Solution: Global Namespace

There is a simple, long-term solution to Stephens Company's data management and data movement issues. Deploying a global namespace will simplify data management and enable transparent data movement.

Figure 2 shows the new configuration, in which a global namespace has been inserted between users and physical storage. Users now access their files through shares called \\namespace\users\marketing and \\namespace\users\engineering. This was a non-disruptive installation, as the namespace was installed on top of the existing infrastructure. Users continue to access files in the same manner as before, with no retraining needed.

Note how the file system environment is changed by the introduction of a global namespace:

* All users see a single, logical view of files through the namespace.

* Users access all their files through a single drive letter--which will not grow, and allows them to continue accessing files in a familiar way.

* Data can be organized and presented to users in a way that makes sense to them, irrespective of how or where the data is stored.

* Data management and data movement are performed "behind the veil" of the namespace.

* Data changes are automatically updated in the namespace, and require no client reconfiguration.

* Administrators can expand, move, rebalance, and reconfigure storage without affecting how users view and access it.

* Data management and data movement require far less physical administration and are performed in less time than before.

Having a global namespace in place makes it easy for IT managers to accommodate the changing needs of an organization while also reducing storage costs.

How It Works

Global namespace does for files what DNS does for networking--it provides a directory service. The global namespace resides on a namespace server, which can be any Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 server within the namespace configuration. Clients (users and applications) view and access files through the namespace.

What is mechatronics and why teach it?

Mechatronics has developed in the UK from the mid-1980s to the point where there are currently some 42, three-year and four-year undergraduate courses at 27 UK institutions which involve mechatronics in some way in their title, the distribution being as in Table 1.1 There are also many mechatronics-based programmes and courses around the world, including relatively recent developments in countries such as those in Southern Africa, New Zealand, Lithuania, Hungary, Colombia and Switzerland.2-6 Additionally, there are growing numbers of international conferences supported, among others, by the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Mechatronics Forum.7-11 These conferences are supplemented by technical journals having mechatronics as their subject area.12,13

However, and despite this world-wide interest in mechatronics, it is still not certain that there is a clear and consistent understanding of what mechatronics is and how, and at what level, it should be taught. A review of the literature about mechatronics will rapidly result in a number of definitions, each of which perhaps seeks to emphasise a slightly different aspect of the mechatronics concept, ranging from design to precision engineering and from sensors to actuators.14,15 Nevertheless, and despite their difference in emphasis, most of the definitions do manage to agree in some way that mechatronics is concerned with the integration of its core technologies to generate new and novel technological solutions in the form of products and systems in which functionality is integrated across those core technologies, with information technology and software engineering then providing the 'glue' which binds the whole together. This integration is also reflected in the various diagrammatic forms that have been used to represent the structure of a mechatronic system, as is seen from the two examples of Fig. 1.

Brake provides high-efficiency option for rails

Spring-engaged, air-released Profile Rail Brake is designed for max holding and/or dynamic braking. Suited for power-off safety conditions, linear motion control device integrates into profile rail system and is kept disengaged with air pressure. In disengaged mode, brake allows nearly frictionless movement of carriage until air is exhausted and internal springs apply force on brake mechanism that clamps brake onto both sides of rail.

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(Vadnais Heights, Minn. - August 10, 2004) Nexen Group, Inc., today announced the Profile Rail Brake, their newest linear motion control device. The Nexen Profile Rail Brake is the most competitively priced and efficient brake on the market today. This spring-engaged, air-released unit is compact and easy to install in existing systems. It's designed for maximum holding and/or dynamic braking, which makes it ideal for power-off safety conditions.

The rail brake is easily integrated into a profile rail system and is kept disengaged with air pressure. In the disengaged mode, the brake allows nearly frictionless movement of the carriage until air is exhausted and the internal springs apply a force on the brake mechanism that clamps the brake onto both sides of the rail. A normally closed, directional control valve is open to the air supply when energized. In a power-off condition, the valve blocks the air supply allowing air to escape and the springs to apply the force to a clamping mechanism. Nexen's Profile Rail Brake is able to hold large loads in all axes and performs dynamic stops within a short amount of time and distance. This product provides a very high clamping force directly onto the center web of the guide rail. The rail brake has a small air chamber, which means low air consumption, saving energy as well as operating time.

Nexen is a leading manufacturer of brakes, clutches, servo motor and linear motion brakes, torque limiters, overload protection devices, and web tension control systems for a variety of industrial applications ranging from motion control and robotics to packaging and material handling. With headquarters in Vadnais Heights, Minn., Nexen has more than 40 worldwide sales offices and more than 1,500 worldwide distributor sales outlets.

Roomba Is The Last Gadget Standing

It's official. iRobot's Roomba is the Last Gadget Standing. "We'd like to congratulate iRobot," commented event host PC Magazine Editor-in-Chief Michael J. Miller, "Clearly, the Roomba captured the attention of people, both at the session at CES and on the Web site. We'd like to thank all the companies for participating. These products gave us a great view of where consumer electronics is headed."

Since the last gadget focuses on trends that are keepers, our guess is that we'll be back next year at CES to see even more robotics at work.

Here are the complete results of our online poll:

Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z3 5.65% HP Digital Media Receiver 9.57% iRobot Roomba 33.48% Mitsubishi NetCommand Center 6.96% Nokia 3650 5.65% Samsung DuoCam 3.04% Toshiba Portégé 3500 6.96% Viewsonic Airpanel 17.39% Wherify 11.30% The introduction of the Casio's Casio Exilim EX-M1 camera one year ago proved that a camera could be the size of credit card and still take a good picture. Now, the latest addition to the Exilim series promises an even better picture. Its CCD captures 3.2 megapixels, and the camera has a high-performance 3X optical zoom lens.

HP Digital Media Receiver

HP Digital Media Receiver can connect to multiple PCs, play music and photos on your TV and send photos to your PC's printer for output.

iRobot Roomba

This could be the one vacuum cleaner your spouse wouldn't mind receiving as a present. Roomba is a vacuuming robot. Just press a button and it goes into action, traversing your floors and cleaning as it goes. The Self-Adjusting Cleaning Head can handle uneven floors and the robot works on carpeting

Getting 300mm Right the First Time - Technology Information

The semiconductor industry is in the midst of its single most expensive advancementathe shift to 300mm wafers. Analysts are forecasting that chipmakers will spend more than $8 billion on 300mm wafer processing equipment this year alone. The industry's overall investment in this new wafer size is already astronomical and growing steadily. With the cost of a new 300mm fab running in the $2 billion to $3 billion range, both the companies building them, and the industry as a whole, cannot afford mistakes.

This is particularly true for providers of lithography equipment. Many of these 300mm fabs will be built using 248-nanometer deep ultraviolet and 365nm i-line lithography, eventually transitioning to 193nm and then to 157nm lithography. Semiconductor companies do not want to re-introduce completely new lithography platforms to their 300mm fabs at each one of these nodes. Therefore, it is essential that the 300mm lithography equipment installed in these fabs be extendable over these generations of optical lithography. The economics of 300mm demand that lithography providers get 300mm right the first timeaeven if this requires revolutionary innovations.

Right now, the semiconductor market is red-hot and figures to get even hotter. A tight DRAM market and increasing demand for wireless communications and connectivity applications in the consumer market have resulted in strong growth forecasts for the industry. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported record chip sales of $15.2 billion for the month of April. According to Dataquest, a division of market research firm GartnerGroup Inc., semiconductor industry revenue should top $220 billion this year, reaching to $320 billion by 2004.

Shielded Twisted Pair Cable suits Wi-Fi tower transmissions

Compatible with any system that uses RJ-45 connectors, outdoor-rated, 4-pair 1300A Cable connects point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless LAN systems. It features .030 in. thick, UV-resistant PVC jacket with Beldfoil shield bonded to jacket's inner wall. Weather-resistant construction enables stable performance, even in high-traffic RF environments. Cable adheres to TIA/EIA 568-B.2 Category 5e and Power over Ethernet IEEE 802.3af standards.

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RICHMOND, IN - Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the broadcast, commercial, industrial and residential markets, recently introduced an outdoor-rated, 4-pair shielded twisted pair (ScTP) cable that meets and exceeds all industry standards for Wi-Fi tower transmissions. The new Wi-Fi cable (Product 1300A) is designed for use in wireless transmission systems provided by manufacturers such as Cisco, Motorola, NetGear, Nokia and other leading providers. WISPs (Wireless Internet Service Providers) also using these systems to provide wireless service to customers include AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Clearwire, Nextel, SBC and Verizon Wireless.

Belden developed the 1300A Wi-Fi cable in response to rapidly increasing market demand for efficient, convenient wireless networking technology - at home, at work and at play. Numerous businesses have added wireless capability to their wired LANs, and many airports, hotels, casinos and retail establishments now offer public access to Wi-Fi networks, called hot spots or hot zones. Although many of these networks are supported by different industry standards - including Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g - Belden Wi-Fi cables are compatible with any system that uses RJ-45 connectors. The cable also adheres to two other applicable standards: TIA/EIA 568-B.2 Category 5e and Power over Ethernet (PoE) IEEE 802.3af. Rugged Construction Key to Belden's Wi-Fi Cable Electrical Performance

Since Wi-Fi cables connect point-to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless LAN systems that run from the transmitting/receiving radios on the tower to the base station's internal electronics, they must be exceptionally rugged. Belden's Wi-Fi 1300A cable features a very thick (.030 in.), UV-resistant PVC jacket and has Belden's patented Beldfoil shield bonded to the jacket's inner wall. This durable, weather-resistant construction allows the cable to deliver exceptionally stable electrical performance, even in high-traffic RF (radio frequency) environments.

In addition, Belden's Wi-Fi shielded twisted pair cable is easy to install and can be quickly terminated on standard RJ-45 connectors. Installation is also eased by a 24 AWG stranded tinned copper drain wire and by the sequential marking of the cable's PVC jacket at two-foot intervals.

For more information about Belden's Wi-Fi shielded twisted pair cable, contact Belden CDT Electronics Division, P.O. Box 1980, Richmond, Indiana 47375, or call 1-800-BELDEN-4 to request New Product Bulletin NP230. FAX: 765-983-5294. Or visit the Web site: http://www.belden.com.

About Belden CDT Electronics Division

Belden CDT Electronics Division, a unit of Belden CDT Inc., is a leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of cable products for the entertainment, residential, industrial and security markets. It also provides highly engineered products for both the aerospace and automotive markets.

Belden CDT Electronics Division is headquartered in Richmond, Indiana, it has manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and distribution centers in the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Australia and the Netherlands. A majority of Belden's manufacturing, engineering and support functions are registered to the International Organization for Standardization.

Belden CDT Inc., formed in July 2004 through the merger of Belden Inc. and Cable Design Technologies Corp., is one of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of high-speed electronic cables and focuses on products for the specialty electronics and data networking markets, including connectivity.