Compellent Integrates STEC ZeusIOPS SSDs Into Its SAN

Compellent Technologies, Inc. will integrate STEC ZeusIOPS enterprise solid state drives (SSDs) into its storage area network (SAN). To maximize SSD utilization and efficiency, Compellent’s patented software will enable customers to deploy only two SSDs in a “tier 0” configuration, automatically migrating inactive data to less expensive drives.

Compellent’s automated tiered storage, called Data Progression, minimizes the number of SSDs required while providing the highest levels of performance for mission-critical applications. In contrast to other SSD offerings, Compellent’s virtualized storage makes it easy for multiple applications to simultaneously access the same SSDs on demand, and the entire solution can be easily managed via Compellent’s single, intuitive interface. Additionally, Compellent’s persistent hardware architecture allows customers to plug these SSDs into their existing Compellent Fibre Channel enclosures and into production without requiring downtime or a rip-and-replace upgrade.

“Compellent’s automated tiered storage really saves customers a lot of money by moving inactive data to less expensive disk. Adding SSD is simple for customers because in our virtualized SAN it’s just like any other drive,” explained Bruce Kornfeld, vice president of marketing, Compellent. “Unlike other implementations, we don’t lock customers into specific models or require them to buy a lot of drives to make SSD work.”

Compellent’s powerful technology boosts application performance with micro-second latency upon installation and without downtime. Packaged in a two-drive minimum configuration for efficient power, space and cost, the 146GB STEC ZeusIOPS SSDs contribute to a dramatic reduction in the data center footprint.

“Compellent’s technology is proven – we’ve already dramatically increased performance and lowered costs with automated tiered storage – so the prospect of further heightening our efficiency is exciting,” explained Mike Dufek, director of information systems, Munder Capital Management. “Without the benefit of an automated migration technology, traditional SSDs are an investment that’s hard to justify. We’re confident that Compellent’s intelligent tiering approach is the most efficient, and are excited to evaluate units as soon as they’re available.”

SSD Preview at C-Drive 2009
Compellent will preview its SSD technology at the company’s annual channel partner and end-user conference, C-Drive 2009, May 3-7, 2009 in Minneapolis, Minn. Compellent plans to offer its SSD SAN solution to all markets in Q2 of 2009 exclusively through the company’s growing international network of channel partners. Additional product details and pricing will be provided at launch.