Sanbolic FilerScale Automates Windows-Based Scale-Out File Serving Farms

Sanbolic, Inc. announced FilerScale, a management solution for scale-out Windows file serving shared-data clusters. The new management tool automates much of the configuration of clusters of multiple Windows file servers presenting a single file system to the network, in conjunction with Melio clustered file system and LaScala volume manager.

Sanbolic’s Melio FS allows multiple Windows file servers to have concurrent read-write access to data over a SAN fabric, enabling a ‘scale-out’ file serving solution using industry standard servers and storage arrays. All of the servers are presenting a single copy of active data, and additional storage or servers can be added to the cluster on the fly to respond to changes in workload and traffic. This provides a cost effective and very flexible solution to file serving using either physical or virtual servers. The solution can utilize Windows Server 2008 or Windows Storage Server 2008. Native Windows protocol is used for CIFS, while scalable NFS can be provided by incorporating third party products such as Hummingbird NFS Maestro. Sanbolic’s Melio FS and FilerScale turns Windows Server into a file serving high-end solution – allowing users to modularly scale Windows-based system instead of installing a dedicated file serving appliance.

Sanbolic’s FilerScale provides:

• Centralized management and provisioning of Windows network shares
• Provisioning of clustered highly available and scalable network shares when used with Sanbolic Melio FS.
• Monitoring of network share health across the enterprise
• Management of multiple file share clusters independently from one interface.
• Decreased roll out time and increased productivity.

"As file based storage becomes a larger share of total storage, clustered scale-out solutions are becoming more important," said Noemi Greyzdorf, a storage analyst at IDC. "Sanbolic’s clustered file system and file server management solutions provides an attractive option utilizing industry standard Windows servers together with SAN storage hardware."

Sanbolic’s Melio clustered file system and LaScala clustered volume manager install easily on physical or virtual servers, and can utilize any fibre channel or iSCSI storage hardware.

Sanbolic software currently supports Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, including Server Core, Windows Server 2008 R2, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager R2. Sanbolic distributes its product solutions worldwide through a network of distributors, OEMs, VARs and system integrators.