* Consolidation trend could result in a new breed of device: the 'god box'
Recently, the idea of a “god box” in network architecture has taken on new life, as consolidation of functions onto fewer pieces of equipment becomes more possible and more attractive.
We see this in the data center wars that are now shaping up to define 2009, where switches and servers are already starting to merge. Cisco is on a path to develop its own blade server, a path that will result in more direct competition with HP and IBM.
HP, known more for its servers than for its network hardware, this week fires back with a server module for its own switches that runs applications from major vendors to fill roles such as security, unified communications, load balancing and WAN optimization.
The trend sets the stage for a god box, which is simply a term for a network device that incorporates many different functions in one place. The data center may be a place where this approach really works.
One criticism of the god-box approach is the fact that it creates a single point of failure. Of course, you could have a second, fully redundant god box, but perhaps that’s a blasphemous idea.
Interestingly, Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick over in the Convergence & VoIP Alert newsletter, have recently been discussing whether an “enterprise on a blade” could be possible soon, with a single box acting as router, switch, PBX, VPN, firewall and so forth.
Analysts note that god boxes are a good deal for networking vendors, as intelligence gets embedded into the network itself, so it would make sense for Cisco to be aggressive in this area.
