Microsoft plans to take its first major stab at the enterprise storage software market--and rival IBM--with the launch of Windows.Net servers later this year. Microsoft will begin its broad foray into the growing market by integrating Volume ShadowCopy Service (VSS) and virtual disk services (VDS) in its forthcoming Windows.Net server. Beyond Windows.Net, the company also plans to support the Internet storage networking protocols known as iSCSI and will integrate its front-end applications such as the Windows file system and Exchange to work transparently against leading NAS and SAN devices. iSCSI is an emerging Internet protocol for the SAN market, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.
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