Storage Area Network features modular design.

Press Release Summary:



Housed in 2U form factor, DataFRAME 240 iSCSI SAN supports 12 hot-swappable 250 GB or 500 GB SATA II hard drives, with up to 6 TB of storage per enclosure. It includes hot-swappable and fully redundant hard drives and power supplies, as well as redundant disk on module. With Storage Over-Subscription, administrator can provision all storage server will ever need. Scalability software allows automatic clustering and virtualization between multiple DataFRAME 240s.



Original Press Release:



MPC Computers Introduces the DataFRAME 240 iSCSI SAN



New Product Further Expands Storage Solution Offering

NAMPA, Idaho, April 4 / -- MPC Computers, a wholly owned subsidiary of HyperSpace Communications, Inc. (AMEX:HCO), today announced the DataFRAME 240 iSCSI Storage Area Network (SAN). This new system further expands the DataFRAME family of storage products, by introducing an iSCSI SAN in a compact 2U form factor. The DataFRAME 240 supports 12 hot-swappable 250GB or 500GB SATA II hard drives, with up to 6TB of storage per enclosure.

Other features of the system include hot-swappable and fully redundant hard drives and power supplies, as well as redundant disk on module, to ensure maximum uptime and reliability. The new iSCSI SAN also provides support for RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 or 50, and optimizes performance and fault tolerance. Additionally, users have the choice between iSCSI and Fibre Channel network connections.

In keeping with the DataFRAME storage line, the DataFRAME 240 is completely modular in design. This unique architecture allows for additional flexibility, making the system easy to upgrade, expand and maintain. Additional modules can be added to increase system functionality and hard drives can be added to increase capacity.

"The DataFRAME line of storage products offers customers unparalleled scalability, manageability and performance, all at an exceptional value. We're pleased to further expand our iSCSI storage solution to now include a sleek 2U form factor as well," said Paul Petersen, MPC's senior vice president of product marketing and development. "The DataFRAME 140, with its 1U form factor, offers high performance per TB; the DataFRAME 440 provides the most cost-effective price per TB with a 3U enclosure; and the new DataFRAME 240, housed in a 2U design, supplies the best density per TB."

With the DataFRAME 240, IT administrators have an easy-to-use interface for managing storage provisioning and utilization through LeftHand Network's SAN/iQ management software. Features of the DataFRAME 240 management software include:

o Storage Over-Subscription -- One of IT's biggest challenges is upgrading system capacity as the organization outgrows its existing storage. With Storage Over-Subscription, an IT administrator can provision all the storage a server will ever need throughout its planned life, regardless of how much physical storage is available on the DataFRAME 240. As the DataFRAME 240 uses up physical disk space, it will alert the IT administrator to add additional capacity to the SAN, which is done seamlessly and eliminates server down time.

o Scalability Software -- Allows automatic clustering and virtualization between multiple DataFRAME 240s. This capability provides not only for system scalability, but for data replication between DataFRAME 240s as well. In the event that a DataFRAME 240 fails, an organization's data is still available on the network with no downtime involved in the recovery.

o Automated Snapshot -- Enables an administrator to instantaneously back up a volume of any size. This feature also allows the IT administrator to schedule snapshots automatically at timed intervals.

o Data Protection -- Provides the ability to back up data to another DataFRAME 240 that resides apart from the main system. The physical separation could be between buildings, campuses, states or even countries. This enables an organization to have true disaster recovery protection in the event of a catastrophic event.

The DataFRAME 240 features:
o Up to 4GB Cache
o 12 Hot-Swap SATA II Hard Drives
o 6 Gigabit Ethernet iSCSI/EBSD Ports (10/100/1000)
o Optional 2GB Fibre Channel Network Interface
o Support for RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and 50
o LeftHand Network's SAN/iQ Management Software

Standard DataFRAME 240 Configuration:
2U Rack-mount Chassis with Dual 500W Power Supplies
12, 250GB SATA II Hard Drives
2GB (2x1GB) DDR 2 Cache
1, 2.8GHz Intel(R) Xeon Processor
6 Intel Pro/1000 Network Connections
DataFRAME Server Console

Standard Service & Support
The DataFRAME 240 includes three years of on-site service, replacement parts and technical support as part of the standard configuration, with optional extensions for up to five years.

Optional Services

Two, Four or Eight Hour On-site Service
Two, Four or Eight Hour On-site Service provides for mission-critical repair service at a customer's location. The necessary replacement parts will be shipped to meet the on-site technician within two, four or eight hours of being dispatched (depending on the customer's location). This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for eligible customers.

Hard Drive Protection Plan
This service allows customers to replace a failed hard drive while still protecting confidential data stored on the drive. MPC will ship a replacement hard drive, and the customer need only return an RMA form provided by MPC.

Availability
The DataFRAME 240 is available to order directly from MPC at www.mpccorp.com or by calling (888) 224-4247.

About MPC Computers:
MPC Computers provides enterprise IT hardware solutions to its target markets of mid-sized businesses, government agencies and education organizations. MPC offers standards-based server and storage products, along with PC products and computer peripherals, all of which are backed by an industry-leading level of service and support. Additionally, the company provides contract manufacturing and distribution services to partners in the PC industry. MPC, headquartered in Nampa, Idaho, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HyperSpace Communications, Inc. (AMEX:HCO). More information about the company can be found at www.mpccorp.com.

CONTACT: Kelly Sasso of MPC Computers, +1-208-893-1052, ksasso@mpccorp.com

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