A lot of storage types are put off by the overwhelming hoopla that's been generated by VMware and server virtualization. That's because storage intellectuals feel that it's unfair for server virtualization to get all of this attention considering application and implementation models have been seen in the storage market for years and years. But these people miss the point.

It's all about timing and the IT caste system. Storage consolidation, utilization and automation via virtualization started around 1988 with Veritas Volume Manager, and it's still going on. Comparatively, virtualization in the server layer had a big-bang arrival. Virtualization in the storage/data layer, meanwhile, has been a slow ride down a lazy river.