Diskless NAS Gateways From StoneFly
Allowing end-to-end IP deployment across the LAN and the SAN at prices ranging from $5,000 to $11,000
This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on March 27, 2008 at 12:42 pmStoneFly,
Inc., a supplier of integrated IP storage area network (SAN)
systems and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dynamic Network Factory, Inc.
(DNF), introduced StoneFlex, a new line of Windows-based,
network-attached storage (NAS) gateways designed for use with all
StoneFly IP SANs to provide scalable, flexible and robust file serving.
Three StoneFlex models are now available, including entry level,
standard and enterprise systems, with the enterprise model supporting
clustering for up to eight nodes.
The diskless StoneFlex
systems boot directly from the SAN, taking advantage of hardware iSCSI
initiators to simplify storage administration and eliminate internal
drives as a point of failure, while also providing the file server with
maximum resources to support client connections and requests.
According
to Bahman Jalali, director of product management for StoneFly,
StoneFlex was developed for enterprise customers looking to augment
their IT environments with both SAN storage and file servers. "The
gateways allow end-to-end IP deployment across the LAN and the SAN,"
Jalali said. "In addition, because they are diskless, they eliminate
points of failure for customers who boot all of their servers from the
SAN."
Each system includes StoneFly Volume Snapshot Service
(VSS) agents, which integrate with Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Copy
Service to ensure data protection and eliminate interruptions to disk
access when snapshots are taken. The StoneFlex systems also take
advantage of Microsoft Multipath I/O (MPIO) to allow tight Windows
integration and multiple connections to the LAN and the iSCSI storage
network for enhanced redundancy, availability and performance. To
support higher bandwidth networks, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GigE)
configurations are also available as an option with StoneFlex.
The
entry-level StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1e model features a high-speed,
64-bit quad-core processor and 2GB ECC fully buffered system memory. It
supports Windows Storage Server R2 and offers dual Gigabit Ethernet
connectivity for NAS connectivity, and dual Gigabit Ethernet
connectivity with remote from the StoneFly IP SAN. The StoneFly VSS
Agent capability is available for a single server.
The standard
StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1s is similar in design, but offers 4GB of ECC
fully buffered system memory and dual high-speed, 64-bit quad-core
processors. The enterprise-level StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1h comes with
all of the standard model features, including dual high-speed, 64-bit
quad-core processors, but its ECC fully buffered system memory is
increased to 8GB. In addition, it features an internal DVD ROM and
floppy disk drives as well as load-sharing, 650-watt hot-swappable dual
redundant power supplies with PFC. It also offers clustering for up to
eight nodes.
With suggested list prices ranging from US$5,000 to
$11,000, the StoneFlex NAS Gateway systems are immediately available
through StoneFly’s worldwide reseller network. They are compatible with
StoneFly’s wide variety of IP SANs for Windows environments, ranging
from entry-level, IP SAN-in-a-box systems, to modular
high-availability, high-capacity IP SANs.
Subscribe to our free daily newsletter
