OWC Mercury Jupiter: 4- to 16-Bay SAN Racks and Towers

Other World Computing (OWC) introduced Macworld attendees to its Jupiter mini-SAS, a scalable storage solution for small businesses and enterprises utilizing mission-critical and creative applications.

Built upon the mini-SAS interface for speeds up to 24Gb/s using just a single cable connection, the Jupiter family of racks, towers, and hubs combine high level of data sharing performance with the simplicity of DAS at up to 5x lower cost of fibre channel infrastructures.

The Jupiter mini-SAS will be available by the end of March in a variety of configurations with solution pricing starting at $3,995.

Centralized Storage = Higher Productivity
Jupiter mini-SAS is a centralized storage solution, which means data is stored in a single location and can be accessed by multiple workstations simultaneously. Sharing content streamlines workflows, eliminates bottlenecks, and the need to duplicate files. By eliminating the need to copy data to multiple users on DAS solutions or searching for files in multiple locations, Jupiter mini-SAS can increase productivity. Additionally, Jupiter mini-SAS can be configured to provide zoned/allocated drive access privileges so specific workstations and/or servers have exclusive access to specific drives or sets of drives.

Configuration Options
Jupiter mini-SAS makes sharing data easier compared to traditional SAN solutions. At the heart of the Jupiter mini-SAS is the Jupiter Hub, which provides a fast connection to workstations, Jupiter expanders or RAID boxes and connects to each device via a single 24Gb/s cable. For increased user access and configuration options, the Jupiter Hub can then connect to an LSI SAS6160 switch.

Speed for Even HD Video Editing
Jupiter mini-SAS incorporates mini-SAS technology for up to an unsurpassed 24Gb/s data rate-3x faster than 8Gb/s FC. Files accessed over mini-SAS open and save as if saved locally, which increases productivity and cuts time cost associated with copying files to each workstation. This fast interface is for professional video environments that depend on data access performance to prevent dropped frames. For example, uncompressed 1080p HD video my need an average constant speed of 165MB/s. If that speed can’t be reached, frames may be dropped as the bandwidth drops in order to keep up. With the data rate speed of Jupiter mini-SAS, dropped frames are nearly eliminated.

Multiple RAID Levels Supported
Beyond implementing Jupiter mini-SAS as a standard storage solution, it is also available as a RAID storage subsystem offering multiple RAID configurations to provide speed, performance fault tolerance, or a combination of both. Jupiter mini-SAS supports RAID configurations 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD, all managed from an application that allows for configuration of all pooled storage as well as connected workstations.

Storage that Grows with Company Needs
Jupiter mini-SAS provides a shared storage environment by using a centralized pooled storage model. Small companies with as few as two employees can start with a single tower used as DAS with 4TB of space. Then, as the company grows, users add storage to the pool with Jupiter expander units, hubs and switches to accommodate up to 3.6 Petabytes. Adding to a Jupiter mini-SAS data storage pool is easier and more efficient than deploying additional DAS solutions for individual users. The high speeds of mini-SAS and the collaborative nature of Jupiter makes it fast and easy for connected users to share and access files without waiting.

Collaboration for Creative Industries
Creative professionals require shared data access to streamline workflow and processes such as editing, compositing, and audio mastering. Jupiter mini-SAS allows open collaboration to take place simultaneously without hindering creativity, while at the same time reducing post-production time.

Grows Your Business, Not Your Budget
Integrating Jupiter mini-SAS into a business offers up to 5x lower cost, compared to the cost of implementing FC infrastructure. A four-workstation, 24Gb/s Jupiter mini-SAS setup consisting of the Jupiter nine port hub, four PCIe cards, and 10 meter active cabling has infrastructure costs starting around $5,000 vs. $25,000 for 8Gb/s fibre channel.

Flexible and Adaptable
The Jupiter mini-SAS is easy to install, and flexible enough to integrate into an existing IT infrastructure, or lay the foundation upon which to build a new infrastructure. And because Jupiter works on a pooled storage model, allocating storage to specific workstations can be done on the fly. This not only ensures power users have all the space they need, it also means less wasted storage space on those who don’t need it. An included management and monitoring application keeps tabs on Jupiter’s overall system health, performance, maintenance and diagnostics. Plus, it can be configured to alert the system administrator via email or text message should any issues or warnings arise.

OWC Support
Jupiter mini-SAS is an OWC 5-year warranty and an expert support staff trained on the Jupiter family of storage. Unlike other piecemeal SAN systems that require multiple vendor support, all the components of Jupiter mini-SAS come from OWC and are engineered to work together.

"With Jupiter mini-SAS, we’re capitalizing on our expertise in direct attached storage to bring simplicity and affordability to SAN, but with much higher performance that the leading standard of fibre channel," said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "With its scalability for users, flexibility in implementation, and single contact support, Jupiter mini-SAS represents the best shared storage solution for small companies to enterprise level deployment."

Jupiter mini-SAS Key Features:

• Scalable pooled (shared) storage solution combines the simplicity of DAS and the performance of mini-SAS with a cost up to 5x less than FC
• mini-SAS interface for speeds up to 24Gb/s-up to 3x faster than fibre channel
• Enterprise-level 3.6B capacity with enterprise drives and expander units
• Connects to a server or workstations using a single 24Gb/s cable
• Available in 4 and 8 bay towers; 8 and 16 bay racks
• Available as a standalone storage solution and as a RAID storage subsystem supporting RAID configurations 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 and JBOD
• Hot-swappable redundant power supplies can be replaced without shutting down or restarting
• Management and monitoring application for checking system status, performance, maintenance, and diagnostics
• Five-year warranty