Pogo Linux With New Line of Cluster Unified Storage Solutions for SMBs

We publish once more this press release, following some corrections. Ed.

Pogo Linux, Inc., in open source storage integration
and a Nexenta Systems, Inc.‘s
Certified
Technology Partner, announced the availability of a new line of StorageDirector Z2 Foundation and StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster unified storage
solutions.  

   StorageDirector Z2 Foundation

Both series feature NexentaStor 3.0 Enterprise Edition, the latest version of OpenStorage software vender Nexenta’s unified storage software platform. These scalable systems highlight data and application availability – key tenets for internet service providers, multimedia, and industries utilizing large storage volumes. To support these Nexenta-certified systems, Pogo Linux has developed a maintenance support package option, Pogo Complete, specifically designed for small and mid-sized organizations.

The StorageDirector Z2 Foundation and StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster models are part of the Pogo Linux line of StorageDirector Z managed-storage solutions. Pogo Linux has combined NexentaStor with Pogo’s own reliable, high-performance hardware to create open storage solutions with enterprise-grade SAN and NAS features. Key capabilities include in-line de-duplication, unlimited snapshots, native leveraging of solid-state drives (SSD’s) via hybrid storage pools, and integration with major virtualization platforms. These features surpass those offered by many legacy, proprietary storage vendors – at a fraction of the cost.

The StorageDirector Z’s mix of NexentaStor software with industry-standard hardware is an economical way for businesses of all sizes to grow their network storage capacity. Traditionally, the high price associated with closed-platform solutions has prevented SMB’s from realizing the benefits of data redundancy and scale-out capabilities. These new systems remove that barrier, and allow large organizations to enable storage tiering at lower costs. Companies are able to maintain high service levels, and reduce dependency on enterprise solutions.

StorageDirector Z2 Foundation
The StorageDirector Z2 Foundation gives IT professionals a low-cost, scale-out storage platform to expand any NFS, CIFS, iSCSI, or Fiber Channel network. A server head node runs NexentaStor 3.0 Enterprise, while a separate storage shelf provides the raw capacity for archiving, data replication, and off-site disaster recovery backup, and thin-provisioning for virtualized applications. As storage needs grow, the base system configuration can be expanded with an additional storage shelf – up to 192 terabytes.

StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster
Based on the StorageDirector Z2 Foundation model, the StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster is a high-availability solution that mirrors dual-head systems for an active-active pair.  Using the Nexenta HA Cluster software plugin, both systems provide access to storage and a fail-over option for the other system, ideal for use cases in which uninterrupted access to data and applications is necessary. Targeted workloads for StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster users include cloud, storage virtualization, or tiered storage environments.

NexentaStor 3.0 Enterprise Edition
With the general availability of NexentaStor 3.0 Enterprise Edition in April 2010, all StorageDirector Z systems now support the newest version of NexentaStor. Users can take advantage of all-new capabilities and improvements, including in-line de-duplication and compression, as well as enhanced virtualization with support for Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere and Cisco Xen.

StorageDirector Z Maintenance Plan
To support these new StorageDirector Z models, Pogo Linux also announced Pogo Complete, a comprehensive maintenance support plan designed to give system administrators everything they need to fully-utilize their SAN/NAS solution. Pogo Complete will come standard with all StorageDirector Z system orders, and will cover software and hardware support, including Tier 1 email and phone support from Pogo’s Helpdesk and next-business-day advanced cross-shipment of failed components. NexentaStor Silver or Gold license users will also be given the option to upgrade their Pogo Complete maintenance plan to receive additional on-site support services.

“We are excited to offer the StorageDirector Z Series storage platform with Pogo Complete support to our customers. These systems provide all the advantages of enterprise solutions, without the enterprise price. Backed by our 10 years of experience supporting datacenters, and reliable hardware, these products open up a whole new world for SMB’s, allowing them the same opportunities previously available only to large organizations,” said Erik Logan CEO of Pogo Linux.

“With features such as de-duplication, which are not found even in legacy products targeted to the enterprise, NexentaStor 3.0 is changing the game for storage,” said Evan Powell, CEO of Nexenta. “With Pogo Linux’s new turnkey solutions, SMB’s can implement storage solutions that enable them to level set capabilities with their enterprise competitors.”

Availability and Pricing
The StorageDirector Z2 Foundation starts at $17,300, while a base configuration of the StorageDirector Z2 HA Cluster begins at $31,475. In addition, potential users may configure either system with exact
pricing, or download the NexentaStor 3.0 Enterprise Edition
trial software (or virtual appliance) to test drive the product for 45
days.
.