 |
| leading the way to the new storage frontier |
storage news - 2001, February - week 4
includes - among other things - first mention of SATAsee also:- SSD market history
 | |||
| . | |||
| |||
| . | |||
|
BOXBOROUGH, MA, February 28, 2001 – Eurologic Systems today announced that its XL 500 network storage system is NEBS certified.
Eurologic's XL 500 has achieved the highest level of NEBS certification, NEBS Level 3. The system passed what are considered to be the telecommunications industry's most stringent tests – like severe temperature and humidity fluctuations, earthquakes of up to 8.3 on the Richter scale, extreme vibration and radiated emissions, and electrical discharges of up to 15,000 volts – to ensure that data is protected and available in even the most extreme conditions.
Mike McNamara, manager of hardware product marketing for Eurologic, said, "Eurologic has been a strong player in the telecommunications market for nearly two years. Our XL 500 system was built with high availability and reliability for mission-critical environments in mind, and it is proven in the telecommunications and Internet environments. By certifying our XL 500 as a NEBS Level 3 system, we are fully extending the capabilities of the system to meet specific carrier-class standards and strengthening our ability to provide important network storage capabilities to the telecommunications and Internet Service Provider markets." ...Eurologic Systems profile, iSCSI
I/OMagic Increases Equity by $8 Million
SANTA ANA, Calif.- Feb. 28, 2001 - I/OMagic Corp. today announced that it has obtained a commitment for $8 million in equity from Citrine Corp.
IOMC recently announced its acquisition of the Hi-Val and Digital Research Technologies brand names. Citrine's financing was conditioned upon the completion of these acquisitions. It is IOMC's intention to primarily utilize the proceeds of the Citrine financing to support the Hi-Val and Digital Research Technologies marketing efforts to expand into optical storage, optical media and other peripheral products.
``We feel this capital is necessary to support and sustain our expansion plans,'' said Steve Gillings, vice president of Finance for I/OMagic. ``In terms of growth steps, this is a major step forward for us.'' ...I/OMagic profile
Connex Unveils SANavigator Lite™
SAN JOSE, Calif., February 27, 2001 - Connex™ today announced the availability of its SANavigator™ Lite storage management application.
Specially designed for the entry-level storage management market, SANavigator Lite for the first time makes available to smaller SAN installations many of the key storage management features of the company's powerful SANavigator storage management software - the first true vendor- and platform- independent storage management application for SANs.
SANavigator Lite, like the latest SANavigator Version 1.5, is a Java-based storage management application that operates as a host for other storage management applications, utilities and tools from other major storage vendors. It includes an Auto Discovery feature that performs a complete inventory of all SAN and NAS resources. The SANmap™ component of SANavigator Lite presents an intuitive visual map of the SAN showing all devices and their interconnections. It allows a manager to establish new data-path zoning to create redundant paths and other management routines, completing with just a few mouse clicks a process that previously took several hours.
One of SANavigator Lite's most significant features is its ability to automatically discover direct-attached Fibre Channel devices. This gives entry-level SAN customers an opportunity to test Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) and/or other SAN devices before they invest in a complete SAN architecture that incorporates fabric devices. ...Connex profile
Nishan Systems Supports Spectra Logic IP-Tape Initiative
Boulder, Colo., and San Jose, Calif., February 27, 2001 — Nishan Systems announces its support for the Spectra Logic IP-Tape Initiative, which has also won support from the leading networking companies, tape drive manufacturers, storage management software companies, and systems and storage solutions providers.
Focusing on the convergence of tape backup solutions and today's emerging IP protocols such as iSCSI, iFCP, iSNS, NDMP, VI, and Jumbo Frames, the initiative's activity adds a key dimension to programs and events of industry associations such as the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA), and fills a strategic gap in the existing architecture and protocol standards already underway. ...Nishan Systems profile, ...Spectra Logic profile
Cisco Joins the SNIA IP Storage Forum
SAN JOSE, Calif. - February 27, 2001 - Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced its membership to the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) IP Storage Forum, a marketing-focused organization within the SNIA whose mission is to promote standards-based block storage networking solutions using Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
Cisco also announced that Doug Ingraham, manager of product marketing in the Storage Router Business Unit (SRBU), was elected as a co-chair to head the forum. He joins representatives from IBM, Adaptec, Hewlett-Packard, and Platys Communications, who will make up the IP Storage Forum's governing body. In all, dozens of storage and networking companies have currently signed letters of intent to join the IP Storage Forum. These companies will work together to advocate the benefits of IP-based storage networking through marketing materials that explain key principles and features of IP storage networking as well as creating white papers, educational materials, and participating at various technology tradeshows and conferences.
"By working closely with the companies that make up the IP Storage Forum, Cisco is on the forefront of a critical storage industry initiative," said Ingraham, who leads product strategy and product management teams at the SRBU. "The cooperative efforts among these companies will help us attain our vision of promoting open, industry standards-based solutions that offer customers the utmost flexibility in building their storage networks."
Ingraham's election as an IP Storage Forum's co-chair marks the latest in a series of prominent roles Cisco has undertaken within the SNIA and the IP storage networking community in general. For example, Cisco is an active participant in several IP storage standards initiatives within the International Engineering Task Force (IEFT), including the Internet SCSI (iSCSI) and Fibre Channel over IP (FC/IP) workgroups. Cisco is also active in several workgroups within the National Committee of Information Technology Standards (NCITS) that deal with Fibre Channel interconnect issues. ...Cisco Systems profile
See also:- Industry trade associations
YottaYotta Acquires AdaptiveRAID® Technology from QLogic
Kirkland, WA - February 27, 2001 - YottaYotta today announced it has acquired intellectual property from QLogic Corporation.
The technology, known as AdaptiveRAID®, was purchased for an undisclosed sum. As part of the transaction, YottaYotta, Inc. will assume the QLogic facility in Boulder, Colorado and it will become YottaYotta's second strategic development center.
"This acquisition is part of YottaYotta's strategic expansion plan," said Steve Mattioli, President and CEO of YottaYotta. "The AdaptiveRAID® technology is a great addition to our already strong intellectual property portfolio and the acquisition from QLogic also provides YottaYotta a foothold for building a Colorado-based development center to work in concert with our Edmonton R&D facility. YottaYotta plans on developing a significant presence in Boulder and continuing our aggressive growth plans."
"With QLogic's increased focus on emerging technology, like iSCSI and InfiniBand, we are emphasizing our investment in core I/O technologies which should provide a greater return to our stockholders," noted H.K. Desai, Chairman, CEO and President of QLogic. "Moving forward, we have retained a license to use the AdaptiveRAID technology which continues to play a role in our product offerings."
YottaYotta's acquisition of the AdaptiveRAID® technology is effective immediately and integration of the Boulder facility and its staff began yesterday with the internal announcement to both companies. QLogic does not expect a material impact to earnings in its fourth fiscal quarter ending April 1, 2001 as a result of this transaction. ...QLogic profile, ...YottaYotta profile
RedSwitch and Agilent Technologies Unveil 160-Gigabits/Sec Throughput Switch Product for Infiniband Architecture
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 27, 2001 - Agilent Technologies Inc. and RedSwitch Inc. today unveiled the first InfiniBand switch product to result from their design collaboration.
The eight-port InfiniBand switch, scheduled for sample availability from both companies in the third quarter of 2001, is designed for a wide range of applications including storage and data networks, servers and workstations, server clustering, input/output adapters, and high-speed backplanes. The product is a comprehensive solution that embeds serializer/deserializer (SerDes) technology on-chip for reduced cost, increased performance, decreased design complexity, and faster time-to-market. The switch supports both 2.5 Gb/s (1x) or 10 Gb/s (4x) InfiniBand link speeds, on each of the eight ports, for a maximum aggregate bandwidth of 160 Gb/s (bi directional).
"The collaboration with RedSwitch has lived up to our expectations,'' said Martin Scott, manager of Agilent's Network Product Operation. ``By combining RedSwitch's expertise in switching with Agilent's strength in communications IC design and manufacturing, we are well on the way to delivering a superior solution for the InfiniBand technology, which we see as an important element in future networks." ...RedSwitch profile
HP Launches FSAM Storage Efficiency Strategy
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 26, 2001 - Hewlett-Packard Company today launched HP Federated Storage Area Management (FSAM), the company's strategy for delivering solutions and technologies to manage unpredictable business storage demands.
At the same time, HP announced its first solutions resulting from FSAM. When fully implemented, FSAM is expected to enable organizations to use all of the storage resources in a given domain to manage the unpredictability of capacity demand, staffing availability and business continuance. This in turn will lead to up to a ten-fold increase in storage scale within the same "people-print," the number of people required to manage a storage environment. HP also is announcing three elements that support the FSAM strategy
- the HP Network Storage Appliance,
- HP Surestore Virtual Array 7100 and a family of virtual array enterprise software products, and
- HP OpenView Storage Area Manager.
The HP Surestore Virtual Array 7100 is a second-generation array designed to increase efficiency. Featuring centralized and remote management, the HP Surestore Virtual Array 7100 offers software to simplify storage administration and lower total cost of ownership. The HP Surestore Virtual Array 7100 is a cost-effective solution for organizations with heterogeneous environments and is a crucial element of the FSAM strategy. The HP Surestore Virtual Array 7100 is expected to begin shipping in April.
The HP OpenView Storage Area Manager (SAM) is a complete suite of Windows-based storage management software. It combines HP OpenView Storage Node Manager, HP OpenView Storage Allocater (formerly LUN Manager), HP OpenView Storage Optimizer and HP OpenView Storage Builder into a powerful management platform that increases the efficiency and manageability of a storage network. The HP OpenView SAM suite is integrated into the HP Network Storage Appliance. The HP OpenView SAM is expected to begin shipping in April. ...HP profile
Editor's comments:- HP makes a lot of different types of storage products, and on a first reading of this release you might be forgiven for thinking that they're just trying to bundle together a lot of unrelated product releases under one new marketing umbrella (FSAM).
HP competes with a lot of different companies in each segment of the storage market. Generally their competitors are more nimble and sometimes make better products. Hoping that users will see HP as their storage salvation because of a catchy marketing theme is probably as realistic as the old IBM was, when it used to go to computer buyers and say:- "Tell us what you want - we do everything". In today's markets it's better to be #1 or #2 in a small number of segments than #3 or #4 in lots of them. There will be loyal HP users who see this as a great marketing idea. But I suspect that most users will continue to compare new HP products with the best of breed in that category. The idea that users will suddenly abandon the benefits of buying open systems from multiple vendors, and buy everything from HP so that they can manage things better with HP software was probably hatched before the current generation of SAN software. Nice idea, but it's not going to happen.
NTI Announces Availability of High-Performance NTI CD Maker 2000 with Intel Desktop Boards
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb., 26, 2001 - NewTech Infosystems (NTI) announced today that NTI CD Maker 2000, a high-performance CD-R/RW mastering and recording application designed specifically for Windows environments, will be available with Intel Desktop Boards beginning in the second quarter of 2001.
Built on a fourth-generation engine architecture, NTI CD Maker-Standard Edition 2000 delivers advanced features to keep pace with the latest generation of 1x through 16x CD-R/RW drives.
"The availability of NTI CD Maker 2000 emphasizes further the added value of Intel Desktop Boards," said Tom Matson, director for Intel Corporation's Desktop Boards and Systems Marketing. "NTI software will help users of Intel boards to take full advantage of new CD and multimedia technology."
Because nearly 80 percent of CD-R/RW recording needs are oriented towards audio, NTI CD Maker 2000 includes such high-performance audio features as MP3 on-the-fly recording, MP3 to WAV decoding, WAV/CD-DA encoding to MP3 (20x trial), CD Text support and high-speed audio extraction (ripping). NTI CD Maker includes other features such as support for data recording, CD Extra and Mixed Mode. Filed CD, a speedy drag-and-drop packet-writing application, turns the CD-R/RW drive into a 650MB floppy. A CD Copy function is also included.
NTI CD Maker 2000 supports Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once and Session-at-Once recording on CD-R/RW drives ranging from 1x through 12x-drive technology in Windows 95/98/2000/NT environments. This application records audio, data and video files, turning a PC into a virtual recording studio. ...NTI profile
Seagate, Intel and APT Reveal First Serial ATA 1.0-Compliant Prototype Disc Drive
SAN JOSE, Calif., INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, Feb. 26 - Seagate Technology, Intel Corporation and APT Technologies today unveiled the first Serial ATA Revision 1.0-compliant disc drive and PCI host bus adapter.
The prototype represents another major step toward a future of faster, simpler, more cost-effective ATA disc drive technology. In a demonstration at this week's Intel Developer Forum, the Seagate Serial ATA disc drive, containing APT's Serial ATA Bridge and PHY technology, is attached via new Serial ATA-compliant cables and connectors to APT's Serial ATA PCI Host Bus Adapter, which is connected to an Intel Pentium 4 processor system.
APT, Intel and Seagate are key members of the Serial ATA Working Group, which is developing the Serial ATA storage interface specification for the next-generation computing platform. This interface is used to connect storage devices, such as hard disc drives, DVDs and CD-R/Ws, to the motherboard and is the replacement for today's Parallel ATA physical storage interface. ...APT Technologies profile, ...Intel profile, ...Seagate Technology profile
Editor's note:- see also Glossary of storage terms
Vixel and Partners Launch National Roadshow to Introduce New Class of SAN Solutions
Bothell, WA, February 26, 2000 - Vixel Corporation today announced that, together with solutions partners LSI Logic, Computer Associates and Q-Logic, and Bell Microproducts, it will sponsor a national tour to introduce sophisticated SAN technologies to a new market segment.
Previously, small and mid-sized companies had limited access to high performance SANs due to associated costs, complexity of implementation and the unavailability of configurations targeted to their needs. Vixel and its solutions partners have created a new class of solutions that address the needs of these companies and establishes new cost and ease of implementation benchmarks, broadening the SAN market and making world class SAN technology available to smaller companies for the first time.
The "Easy SAN Now" workshop series launches on March 1, 2001 in Seattle, WA and moves on to key cities across the US, including Boston, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Houston and San Jose. The multivendor certified solutions that will be showcased for end-users, resellers and systems integrators address two areas of need in the fast-growing small to mid-sized segment of the storage market-data availability and automated tape back-up for Windows 2000 and NT based network environments.
"This market segment is one of the newest and fastest growing areas for potential SAN technology implementation," said Brian Reed, senior director of business development, Vixel Corporation. "Until now, small to mid-sized companies were either unable to incorporate SAN solutions for reasons of cost or complexity, or for the simple reason that no one had developed solutions that were in proper alignment with their needs. With the introduction of these new server clustering and tape back-up solutions, small to mid-sized companies can now easily implement the same enterprise-class storage technologies that are a staple at larger organizations." ...Vixel profile
Intel Corporation and Network Appliance Announce Technology and Business Agreement
Sunnyvale, CA and Santa Clara, CA - February 23, 2001 - Intel Corporation and Network Appliance, Inc. today announced the two companies have entered into a long-term $1 billion technology and business agreement.
Specific financial terms of the agreement are confidential. The seven-year agreement significantly expands an existing business relationship between Intel and Network Appliance that first began in 1992. Under the terms of the agreement, Intel will purchase NetApp® systems for use in data center operations worldwide and Network Appliance will purchase Intel microprocessors, systems, and other components for incorporation in NetApp filers for network storage and NetCache™ content delivery systems. The agreement also includes a broad technology cross license, patent sharing and cross purchasing agreement, advanced technology development, and joint standards collaboration.
"This agreement significantly expands our relationship with Network Appliance, one of the industry's leading providers of enterprise network storage and content delivery platforms," said Will Swope, vice president and general manager Intel Architecture Solutions Enabling Group. "As the build out of the Internet continues, this agreement will benefit both companies."
"NetApp and Intel will be at the forefront of defining a new data architecture that will connect enterprises and their customers with information and new digital media seamlessly without bottlenecks," said Dan Warmenhoven, CEO of Network Appliance. "Our agreement with Intel is important because Intel-based systems play a significant role in enterprise and Internet infrastructures." This agreement demonstrates that both companies clearly recognize the mission critical-role that storage and content delivery networks play in powering today's information infrastructure and allows Intel and NetApp to enhance their business strategy of supplying the important components and building blocks of the Internet. ...Intel profile, ...Network Appliance profile
BakBone Software's Storage Management Package, NetVault, Launches into European Market Through Distribution Deal with Ideal Hardware.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, February 22, 2001 - BakBone Software announced today that it has entered into a distribution deal with Ideal Hardware Limited for its products, centred on its NetVault software.
Ideal Hardware, a wholly owned subsidiary of US-based Bell Microproducts Inc. has been selected to launch BakBone's storage management products into the European market.
"We considered the optimum route to market for our products in Europe and opted to work with Ideal because of its strengths in helping to both create and strengthen this significant market sector." said Andrew Unsworth, BakBone's managing director for EMEA. "In line with BakBone's channel-centric philosophy, we felt that our NetVault product would make an admirable fit into the Ideal storage portfolio and look forward to working closely with Ideal to build strong brand awareness across Europe." ...BakBone Software profile, ...Ideal Hardware profile
SanOne Unveils its DAMstor™ Line Of Storage-on-Demand Systems
PHOENIX, Ariz., February 22, 2001 - SanOne, Inc. today unveiled its DAMstor™ line of storage-on-demand systems.
The DAMstor product line has been developed in response to the growing user demand for a more productive and cost-effective storage environment. DAMstor systems represent a true technology convergence of the latest connectivity, storage device and virtualization advances. DAMstor solutions start as low as 500 gigabyte and can scale up to tens of terabytes, for an investment as low as five cents per megabyte. More importantly, SanOne's Dynamic Allocation Manager (DAM™) storage virtualization software, embedded in the DAMstor configurations, potentially doubles effective capacity utilization making enterprise storage even more cost-effective.
"Customers have been increasingly frustrated by the disappointing return they've had on their storage investment, as vendor lock-in and poor asset utilization have all but cancelled the benefits of technology advance", explained Mike Flannery, president of SanOne, Inc. "By combining the latest in virtualization, connectivity and modular RAID design, DAMstor allows customers to regain control of their cost, quality of service and expansion needs."
SanOne's Dynamic Allocation Manager, available free-standing or embedded in DAMstor, increases storage quality-of-service by allowing administrators to add and assign disk capacity without rebooting or disrupting application servers as storage space is added or moved among hosts. DAM virtual disk assignments also do not require expensive and error-prone hardware reconfigurations, while minimizing fragmentation issues with up to 90 percent utilization of storage assets. DAMstor's flexible configurability and outstanding ease of implementation makes it very attractive to the ASP and co-locator marketplace, as well as for medium and large companies that are looking to consolidate fragmented or proprietary storage assets. DAMstor solutions are available for immediate delivery. ...SanOne profile
Editor's comment:- my partner runs training courses for marketing managers and one of the lighter moments in the internationalisation course is a section on the naming of new products . There are many examples, where a product is named in one country, and then fails when it's rolled out to new regions where the name means something else.
Some examples are given below. But I can't help thinking that the marketing people at SanOne who came up with the name of this product line didn't think of the dissonance their customers will have when talking about their "DAM storage system". If they decide to relaunch the product under a better name, we'll let you know.
- Car industry:- Vauxhall (the European part of GM) named a new car "Nova". It didn't do well in Spain where Nova sounds like - "it doesn't go."
- "Scratch" - was the name for a German non-abrasive bath cleaner
- "Super-Piss" - was the Finish name for a car lock anti-freeze
