There's been a lot of confusion out there about Aperi, so I thought I would post some facts and opinions about this exciting new project. A few years ago, I was thelead architect for IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center, IBM's infrastructure management product that helped launch the creation of Aperi.

From the latin word for "open", Aperi is an open source project that aims to simplify the management of storage environments, using the Storage Management Initiative - Specification (SMI-S) open standardto promote interoperability and eliminate complexity in today’s storage environments.

Aperi should provide immediate value upon install with basic storage management capabilities, rather than just simply a collection of components that require costly integration. We've discussed requirements for functions such as:

• Resource discovery, monitoring, and reporting
• Fabric Topology mapping
• Event management
• Disk / Tape management
• Device configuration & LUN assignment
• SAN fabric management
• Basic asset management
• User Interface

The big confusion most people have is Aperi's relation to SMI-S and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)open standards group. The best way to explain this is to go backto your High School SAT college-entrance exams. Remember questions like this?

CRUMB : BREAD ::
(A) splinter : wood
(B) water : bucket
(C) cream : butter

(The answer: a crumb is to bread like a splinter is to wood.)

Aperi is an implementation of SMI-S standard, similar to MySQL or PostgreSQL areopen standard relational database implementations of Structured Query Language (SQL).These compete with proprietary database implementations such as IBM DB2 Universal Database,Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, or Sybase.

Aperi: SMI-S ::
PostgreSQL : Structured Query Language (SQL)

It is often the case that the folks writing the code are different than the folks defining the standards. This is the case between the members of Aperi writing code, and the members of the SNIA writing standards. IBM happens tohave employees writing Aperi code, and other employees helping define SMI-S standards.What can I say, IBM is a big company and a leader in many areas.

A good analogyis how the Apache community has developed an awesome web server, and the Firefox Mozillacommunity have developed an awesome web browser, both of which are implementations of the HTTP/HTML standards adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium. Apache and Firefoxcompete with proprietary implementations, such as Microsoft Internet Information Services(IIS) web server and Internet Explorer web browser.

Aperi: SNIA ::
Apache : World Wide Web (WWW) Consortium

With this arrangement, Aperi and the SNIA will have very complementary roles in defining and driving standards across the entire storage market. To that end, Aperi will make extensive use of the SNIA’s Technology Center and SNIA’s “plugfests” to test the interoperability of the Aperi framework with the variety of 3rd-party storage offerings available. By providing a tested implementation of SMI-S, Aperi will drive broader industry availability of SMI-S, as well as offer the many benefits of an industry-backed open source community.

Check out this vote of confidence:

"Eclipse's Aperi Project will further advance the adoption of SNIA's SMI-S, benefiting the entire storage industry and IT community. Furthermore, the SNIA and Aperi will define plans to collaborate on new storage standards, standards testing programs, and storage interoperability programs."
--- Wayne M. Adams, chair, SNIA Board of directors

So, both proprietary and open source implementations have their place in the world.Proprietary products are needed for advanced, unique value-add, and opensource projects are for basic support focused on interoperability and flexibility.These can be combined, for example, proprietary "plug-ins" built on an open source base. The more choices the client has, the better.

Storage vendors benefit too. Vendors are tired of being in the "Y.A.C." business, building "Yet Another Configurator" for each new device developed, with basic functionsto carve LUNs, read performance stats, and so on. By shipping Aperi instead, storagevendors like IBM can invest their development dollars in real innovations, things thatmatter for the customer.

If you are unfamiliar withopen source, I highly recommend Eric Raymond's bookThe Cathedral and the Bazaar. It might just change the way you think aboutopen source usage in the workplace.

technorati tags: Eclipse, Aperi, IBM, TotalStorage, Productivity Center, open, storage management, Eric Raymond, open+source, SMI-S, SNIA, Cathedral, Bazaar