Storage Pundits predict that 10G IPSAN would ultimately replace Fibre Channel.

FC protocol was the undisputed leader in terms of Enterprise Data Management. One of the main reasons for the success of the Technology was its Performance which was fast. With a 4 Gbps Connectivity in comparision the IPSAN at 1 Gbps.

Today the same parameter is what is going against FC because with the advent of the 10G IP , iSCSI on this 10G Network would be faster.When it comes to new SANs, add-ons to existing systems or departmental-level installations at large enterprises that have Fibre Channel, customers increasingly are choosing iSCSI.

With the advent of iSCSI over 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the biggest remaining hurdle to adopting iSCSI storage -- its perceived slow performance -- will fall. At that point, iSCSI will become the storage interconnection transport of choice across the enterprise. This means IT executives need to start learning about iSCSI now, begin asking their storage vendors about their iSCSI road maps and begin planning for an orderly migration to iSCSI.

Cost. An iSCSI storage solution running on familiar Ethernet infrastructure costs a fraction of a high-end Fibre Channel solution in terms of the technology and the expertise needed to run it, IT experts say.

Staffing. Fibre Channel Skillset availability is a huge challenge and is scarce. They require special training as compared to the familiar Ethernet architecture. This actually increases the latent cost of the solution.

Performance. With a 10G IPSAN in place it definitely will compete aggressively to be a part of the High performance centric Datacenter Solutions. Storage experts do admit that migration to 10G IPSAN will take a few years. But all new setups would and should evaluate a 10G IPSAN before taking the plunge in Storage consolidation.