StoneFly Launches OptiSAN-HD IP SAN

StoneFly, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dynamic Network Factory, Inc. (DNF), introduced OptiSAN-HD, a new IP SAN that blends high-performance operation with straightforward, economical IP SAN technology to optimize enterprise storage networking for the most demanding IT environments. Now available, OptiSAN-HD is the newest member of the company’s existing line of OptiSAN Storage Concentrators.

Featuring 48 disks and support for up to 128 drives in a standard configuration, the OptiSAN-HD is ideal for organizations in need of 30 to 40TB of initial storage capacity. It can serve as a centralized storage repository for as many as 10 to 15 remote sites, while also meeting the demanding needs of a wide range of core applications including virtual servers, email servers, disk-to-disk backup, disaster recovery and online transaction processing.

According to Bahman Jalali, director of product management for StoneFly, Inc., the OptiSAN-HD can also be used to complement an existing IP SAN installation at a remote site or for any applications requiring mass storage. "This new high-capacity IP SAN is speedy and space efficient, with a smaller rack footprint than standard OptiSANs. As our largest IP SAN in initial storage capacity, it offers great headroom as storage needs increase," Jalali said.

All of StoneFly’s OptiSAN Storage Concentrators are upgradeable to dual 10Gb Ethernet. All feature 2GB of system memory and four 1Gb iSCSI connections to optimize availability, redundancy and performance. Using Fibre Channel and SAS interconnects, the OptiSANs are well-suited to enterprise environments requiring a versatile SAN for primary and secondary storage applications.

The OptiSAN-HD comes standard with 48 750GB or 1000GB SATA drives to achieve 36 to 48TB of initial storage capacity in a 6U configuration. Optional expansion to support an additional 48 to 240 drives for up to 240TB of storage capacity is also available.

The IP SAN is anchored by the StoneFly Storage Concentrator Storage Virtualization Engine, which offers quad core processing power, dedicated iSCSI cache, and the award-winning StoneFusion IP SAN platform for block-level provisioning as well as centralized storage management, and advanced storage features including replication, mirroring and snapshotting.

The OptiSAN-HD prevents any single point of failure with active/active Storage Concentrators and active/active storage controllers. Highly versatile, the OptiSAN-HD allows administrators to respond quickly to changing storage demands, with capabilities such as on-the-fly volume expansion. The platform also accommodates growth easily, enabling the cost-effective addition of single or multiple arrays as needed to scale system capacity and disk spindles. Available now, pricing for StoneFly OptiSAN-HD starts at $75,000 for a standard 36TB configuration.