AIC Introducing NAS/iSCSI With the Help of Open-E

Advanced Industrial Computer (AIC), provider of OEM/ODM server and storage solutions, announced its flexible IP100-series NAS/iSCSI hybrid storage tower. The product family consists of two models with support for either five or ten 3.5′ SATA disks, powerful RAID functionality, and 4x1Gb/s of Ethernet host bandwidth, making it an ideal solution for SMB and enterprise workgroup environments in need of a dynamic storage infrastructure. In taking a hybrid approach to file- and block-level storage, AIC makes it possible to address persistent data with NAS and transactional information (such as email stores) through cost-effective iSCSI SAN technology, using one device.

The IP100-series hybrid storage is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom’ processor 330 running at 1.6 GHz and armed with 1MB of cache. Both models include 1GB of fast and energy-efficient DDR2 RAM, upgradeable to 4GB. The platform’s network performance is enhanced by quad Gigabit Ethernet ports, which can be upgraded for teaming/bonding for exceptional throughput and for fault tolerance. Native support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 6 lets administrators configure an optimal blend of performance and redundancy. And because the product is designed to accommodate 3.5′ SATA hard drives, available capacity can be scaled to an incredible 10TB or 20TB using disks from AIC’s validated hardware list. Two 3 Gb/s eSATA ports facilitate additional SATA expansion, extending the IP100’s scalability outside of the box.

Leveraging the Intel Atom processor’s energy-efficient 45nm architecture, AIC’s IP100 boasts Open-E‘s established Data Storage Server (DSS) RAID engine, which enables the scalable unified file- and block-level storage subsystem. Compatibility with the SMB/CIFS, FTP, HTTP, AppleTalk, and NFS protocols guarantee NAS interoperability, while a built-in software iSCSI initiator with optional failover function helps ensure SAN uptime as well. The standard installation supports 2TB physical and logical volumes and is upgradeable to support larger data repositories.

"Businesses of all sizes struggle to manage their constantly growing data resources," said Brad Karlberg, director of marketing for Storage, Intel Server Platforms Group, "Standards-based solutions, like the IP100 that take advantage of the efficient performance provided by Intel architecture processors are very effective at achieving these needs."

Although the IP100-series storage solutions incorporate a long list of enterprise-class features, managing the powerful appliance locally or remotely is equally simple through a customizable Web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI). Built-in hardware server statistics monitor network throughput, disk usage, and CPU/ memory utilization. SNMP (v.2 v.3 v.4) support and email notification helps remote administrators keep tabs on the system’s status as if they were on-site.

"Open-E is proud to be working with AIC to enable the full Data Storage Software feature set, including hybrid file- and block-level transfers, volume replication, and built-in backup," says Todd Maxwell, Open-E’s Director of Technical Sales. "Incredible storage capacity and a powerful hardware backbone let customers enjoy maximum performance from the DSS IP-storage operating system."

The flexible IP100 is able to simultaneously deliver file sharing, backup, data consolidation, and robust disaster recovery thanks to its powerful hardware foundation and renowned software platform. AIC couples each model with a right-sized power supply (270W or 400W) to maximize operating efficiency and keep power consumption at a minimum. Both models (SSG-IPCA4G1-005 and SSG-IPCA4G1-010) are protected by a comprehensive three year warranty and available in either silver or black.

"IP100-series NAS/iSCSI hybrid storage tower is designed with enterprise-class features at SOHO/SMB pricing. With the cost of one, storage users can benefit from both NAS and iSCSI functionalities while maintaining the rapidly growing data storage," said Gene Lee, Vice President of AIC. "AIC has committed to work closely with its distribution channels to provide unmatched value to its users."

Product Pricing and Availability
IP100 series will be available in the channel in April. The MSRP of SSG-IPCA4G1-005B-A1 (5-bay black tower with standard OS) is $1,100 while SSG-IPCA4G1-010B-A1 is $2,500 (10-bay black tower with standard OS).

An upcoming version of the appliance will accommodate ten 2.5" drive bays in 1U form factor, enabling more I/O intensive storage applications.