Data and Database Management Software
SAN/iQ Clustering Software promotes data availability.
Share:
Press Release Summary:
Featuring tree-based interface, SAN/iQ® v6.6 offers SAN/iQ clustering and data protection capabilities that let users build enterprise-class SAN using industry-standard platforms. Scalable, grid-like storage clustering capabilities combine storage modules together to form unified pool. Along with automated load balancing, software features SAN/iQ Remote Copy feature with bandwidth throttling as well as data striping and mirroring across cluster with SAN/iQ Network RAID technology.
Original Press Release:
LeftHand Networks Announces New Release of Industry-Leading SAN/iQ Clustering Software
Support for Additional Drive Types Expands Clustered Open iSCSI SAN Options
BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 30 -- LeftHand Networks(R) has introduced release 6.6 of its signature SAN/iQ(R) software, offering customers an improved, tree-based user interface for management of a SAN/iQ Cluster. The patented SAN/iQ clustering and data protection capabilities allow users to build an enterprise-class SAN using industry-standard platforms, avoiding the vendor lock-in common with solutions based on proprietary hardware. The new user interface simplifies the management of this powerful SAN, offering users the familiar tree structure common throughout Microsoft(R) Windows(R) applications.
In addition, LeftHand today announced it has qualified the fastest SCSI drive and the highest density SATA drives available. LeftHand is adding support for 750 GB SATA drives in their branded Network Storage Module (NSM) 160 platform and support for 300 GB 15K SCSI drives in the HP ProLiant DL380 server. The 750 GB drives, which are ideal for backup and disaster recovery workloads, allow users to optimize the usage of floor space due to the high density and to optimize the balance of CPU, memory, and network connections as the number of storage modules in a SAN/iQ Cluster grows. The 300 GB 15K drives for the HP ProLiant DL380 server allow users to take advantage of the fastest SCSI drive type to build a high-performance storage cluster for database and email environments.
SAN/iQ Grid-Like Clustering Capabilities
LeftHand's patented SAN/iQ software provides grid-like storage clustering capabilities, combining the storage modules together to form one pool of storage. The clustered SAN is managed from a single pane of glass within the tree-based GUI, regardless of the mix of storage platforms.
LeftHand's clustering is unique in its ability to increase data availability as the cluster grows. The ability to stripe and mirror data across a cluster using patented SAN/iQ Network RAID technology eliminates the single point of failure found with other cluster solutions, where data availability typically decreases as more arrays are added to a cluster. With SAN/iQ, multiple physical elements, including entire storage modules, can be lost from a cluster with no ramifications to data availability.
This Network RAID capability can be extended to a campus environment, allowing users to spread storage modules across rooms, floors or buildings. This campus/metro SAN synchronous replication capability is unique in the iSCSI SAN space, allowing customers to protect their data against any outage that affects a single location, such as flooding, HVAC failures, viruses, and human error. The SAN/iQ Remote Copy feature allows users to add an additional layer of disaster prevention, moving a copy of data to any facility, anywhere in the world. SAN/iQ Remote Copy offers bandwidth throttling, a major advantage over solutions that consume all available bandwidth, limiting the practicality of the feature.
SAN/iQ distributes data across all storage modules in equal proportion, automating load balancing and ensuring capacity is optimally utilized. Because the system scales by adding storage modules, a cluster simultaneously scales capacity, processing power, and bandwidth. In this architecture, performance scales as a cluster grows, eliminating the controller as a throughput bottleneck.
MPIO Implementation Unique to Grid Clustering Capabilities
To further enhance performance, LeftHand developed a device specific module (DSM) for Microsoft MPIO that's unique in its ability to support a clustered SAN environment. MPIO was developed by Microsoft Corp. to increase availability by providing multiple iSCSI data paths between a server and a networked storage device. LeftHand's implementation adds additional capability, allowing a server to communicate simultaneously with multiple storage devices.
"As more environments move to clustering to simplify administration and increase availability, capabilities such as LeftHand's MPIO implementation are important," said Dr. Claude Lorenson, group product manager, Windows Server Division at Microsoft Corp. "We're pleased to see LeftHand broadening its support of iSCSI and MPIO to incorporate support for clustered storage. LeftHand's support of Microsoft's infrastructure technologies shows its commitment to Windows."
Enterprise SAN/iQ Feature Set
In addition to SAN/iQ's grid-like clustered architecture, SAN/iQ offers a number of sophisticated storage management features that greatly simplify the day-to-day management of data, including snapshot, thin provisioning, auto grow, automated load balancing, synchronous replication, and remote copy capabilities.
"LeftHand supports an incredibly valuable capability referred to as thin provisioning," said Tony Asaro, senior analyst with ESG. "Thin provisioning is a way to minimize the cumbersome task of storage provisioning while improving capacity utilization. Because thin provisioning saves money by eliminating the wasted cost of stranded storage, ESG believes that LeftHand customers should be able to cut the cost of initial storage capacity by 30 percent or more."
SAN/iQ Release 6.6 is currently available on a variety of industry-standard platforms, including the HP ProLiant DL380 server with 300 GB 15K drives. SAN/iQ 6.6 is a no charge upgrade for existing SAN/iQ customers. The NSM 160 with 750 GB drives will be available this quarter. Product is sold through a large network of authorized LeftHand Networks Advantage partners.
About LeftHand Networks
LeftHand Networks pioneered IP-based storage area networks (SAN) in 2001. SANs built using LeftHand's SAN/iQ(R) software are uniquely able to distribute and protect data across a cluster of industry-standard storage servers. The company's patented architecture increases data availability, allows users to start small and grow the SAN seamlessly, and simplifies management. The LeftHand SAN is ideal for storage and server consolidation, campus SANs, and disaster recovery. For more information, contact LeftHand at info@lefthandnetworks.com.
CONTACT: Gabe Boeckman of LeGrand Hart, +1-303-298-8470, gboeckman@legrandhart.com, for LeftHand Networks; or Tracey Floming of LeftHand Networks, tracey.floming@lefthandnetworks.com
