NEC HYDRAstor HS8-3000 De-Dupe System 50% Faster

NEC Corporation of America announced HYDRAstor HS8-3000, the third generation of the NEC HYDRAstor HS8 grid storage platform, extending its deduplication storage system.

The new HS8-3000 nodes deliver 50 percent higher performance than previous generation HS8-2000 nodes, with 2.7 TB/hr (750 MB/s) per Accelerator Node and a new mark of throughput scalability with up to 148.5 TB/hr (41,250 MB/s) for the largest supported configuration.

"Data growth puts so much strain on backup windows that performance scalability is more often the key consideration when choosing a data deduplication solution," said senior analyst Lauren Whitehouse, Enterprise Strategy Group. "Unlike single-node solutions that have an upper threshold for throughput and capacity and isolate deduplication pools, NEC’s HYDRAstor scale-out grid architecture supports massive performance and capacity scalability to seamlessly keep up with growth demands, as well as deduplication within and across nodes for optimized global deduplication."

The new HYDRAstor nodes work with both previous and future generations of HYDRAstor nodes. This adaptive architecture of the HYDRAstor grid platform allows the storage grid to evolve with new technologies – without having to start a new grid system and without data migration, manual provisioning tasks, forklift upgrades, or application downtime. HYDRAstor’s unique community of smart nodes enables IT to non-disruptively ride both technology and growth curves so that a single storage grid can continually evolve with greener, denser and faster nodes.

HYDRAstor HS8-3000 provides:

• Higher Performance: Each new NEC HYDRAstor HS8-3000 Accelerator Node delivers 750 MB/s (2.7 TB/hr) performance per node, a 50 percent improvement over the previous generation of Accelerator Nodes.
• Lower Power Consumption: The new HS8-3000 Accelerator Nodes and Storage Nodes use 44 percent less power than previous generation nodes. When factoring in the higher performance per node, the new Accelerator Nodes reduce power consumption by more than 60 percent in terms of watts per MB/s.
• Lower Footprint: At 750 MB/s per Accelerator Node, the HS8-3000 nodes deliver equivalent performance with fewer nodes, reducing footprint and power consumption requirements versus previous generation of HYDRAstor nodes.
• Modular Expansion and Compatibility: The latest generation HS8-3000 nodes integrate seamlessly with existing HS8-2000 grids and eliminate the need for overspending on initial purchase and ongoing operating expenses, by providing a modular pay-as-you-grow expansion and return on investment for existing grids.
• Enhanced User Management: The HYDRAstor HS8-3000 software introduces a new management interface that enhances ease-of-use for both existing and new customers.

"We continue to deliver on the original HYDRAstor grid promise by offering both new and existing customers the ability to immediately leverage our latest technology," said Gideon Senderov, product management and technical marking, Advanced Storage Products Division, NEC Corporation of America. "HYDRAstor has already established itself as the leader in massive linear performance scalability among deduplication storage systems and NEC is committed to continue to push the envelope with innovative enhancements for HYDRAstor in terms of performance, efficiency, functionality, value and overall investment protection for our customers."

NEC HYDRAstor HS8-3000 offers performance in a smaller footprint using less power per MB/s throughput and per terabyte of storage capacity. The new nodes maintain the same pricing as the previous generation nodes, delivering higher throughput and functionality at an equal or lower price.

HYDRAstor HS8-3000 is available for ordering and began shipping February 21, 2011. List pricing starts at $120,000 for the HS8-3002S-12 with 2.7 TB/hr and 12TB of raw capacity.