Astute Networks Introduced ReliaBlade

Astute Networks, Inc. introduced its new ReliaBlade Technology, the industry’s first ATCA-based storage platform to eliminate single points of failure.

Previously, the only way to implement a high-availability storage solution was to sacrifice the benefits of ATCA and deploy a rack mount storage configuration outside the blade chassis or complicate implementations with host-based mirroring software. With ReliaBlade technology, end-users can now realize the benefits of high-availability rack mount storage in a bladed ATCA environment.

Astute Networks’ ReliaBlade technology provides
several advantages over external RAID arrays including:

• Simplified management – The storage system can be managed by the ATCA shelf manager and applications just like any other ATCA component. This eliminates the need for users to learn complex storage applications to provision, monitor and manage their storage resources.
• Simplified system design – Because the Astute Networks storage blades communicate with the ATCA servers via the midplane’s 10Gb Ethernet fabric, the need for expensive Fibre Channel RTMs or AMCs is eliminated.This significantly reduces acquisition and deployment costs while concurrently improving system availability.
• Simplified cabling – If a rack mount Fibre Channel storage array is used with ATCA servers, two cables are needed for each server that connects to the storage array. By comparison, an Astute Networks storage implementation using either two internal JBODs or one external JBOD only requires four SAS cables.  This greatly simplifies system deployments, improves system availability and significantly reduces the likelihood of cabling errors during maintenance.
• Fully configured system solutions – By using Astute Networks’ ReliaBlade technology with internal JBODs, network equipment providers and military systems integrators can build-up, deploy and ship fully configured systems inside a single ATCA chassis. This significantly reduces system deployment costs and time, thus providing a competitive advantage.
• Significant reduction in space, weight and power – Astute Networks Caspian Edge Storage Blades significantly reduce the physical and power footprint of the storage system in the mobile switching center, central office or on the battlefield. This is done without compromising on environmental performance and ruggedization. Astute Networks Caspian storage blades are the only ATCA storage products using rotating media that have passed Mil-Spec, NEBS Level 3 and ETSI certifications without requiring exceptions for high temperature operation (over 40 degrees Celsius).

"With the introduction of ReliaBlade technology, our customers can achieve high-availability storage functionality without sacrificing the benefits of ATCA," said Mike Heumann, vice president, sales and marketing, Astute Networks, Inc. "ReliaBlade technology represents a new paradigm that for the first time provides the same level of fault tolerance, system availability, reliability and performance of rack mount servers with the simplicity and smaller footprint of bladed technology."