iXsystems With 4U HDD Bay, the iX-N4224 Orion Server, to Run ZFS

Designed for storage-intensive applications, ZFS implementations, and virtualization, iX-N4224 Orion servers from iXsystems, Inc. offer up to 48 terabytes of storage with 24 hot-swappable SAS/SATA drive bays in a 4U configuration.

The iX-N4224 is expandable to up to 240 drives and 480TB storage capacity with the optional Orion JBOD Expansion Units.

The iX-N4224 provides the ideal platform for high-capacity storage applications requiring simplified server management, performance, and power savings. The intelligent Intel Xeon 5500 series quad-core processors adjust performance and power usage to meet the exact requirements of computing workloads. Power is conserved by automatically putting the CPU into the lowest available power state during low utilization periods. Performance is also maximized by the processor operating above the rated frequency to speed specific workloads. This intelligent power management, coupled with ultra-high efficiency power supplies and optional low power hard drives and RAM, make the Orion servers and JBODs top of their class in storage capacity/density per watt.

The iX-N4224 provides the ideal platform for deploying a ZFS-based solution The ZFS file system requires hardware with the capability to expand on the fly. The iX-N4224 Orion Server Series provides this needed expansion capability.

Features of the iX-N4224 Orion Include:

• Intel Xeon 5500 series server processors for ultimate compute power and intelligent energy usage
• Up to 144GB of DDR3 1333 energy efficient RAM
• 250MB, 500MB, 750MB, 1TB, and 2TB hard drives for fully customizable storage sizes
• 24 hot-swappable SAS/SATA drive bays offer a maximum of 48 terabytes of storage per server
• Expandable to up to 240 drives and 480TB storage capacity with optional Orion JBOD Expansion Units
• A Gold level, 93% energy efficient power supply to cut energy costs
• Three 5000 RPM cooling PWM fans and two 5000 RPM rear exhaust PWM fans for fantastic cooling
• Integrated IPMI 2.0 Remote Management, Lights Out Management, KVM over LAN, and Dedicated Management Interface.

"The iX-N4224 provides the ideal platform for deploying a ZFS-based solution", says Matt Olander, CTO of iXsystems. "The ZFS file system requires hardware with the capability to expand on the fly. The iX-N4224 Orion Server Series provides this needed expansion capability."

As a highly scalable storage system, the Orion server is optimized for ZFS implementations. ZFS is a 128-bit file system, able to address 18 billion times more data than a 64-bit file system. This gives ZFS systems a technically limitless capacity, with limitations so large that the system will never encounter them. Instead of relying on one device, ZFS file systems utilize virtual storage pools to seamlessly store and pull data from multiple devices or many virtual storage pools amongst one or a few devices. This eliminates the need for a volume manager when using multiple devices.

Up to 9 Orion JBOD Expansion Units can be added to the iX-N4224 to provide massive storage capacity capable of handling ZFS file system requirements. With its large initial capacity and the potential to add further storage as requirements increase, the iX-N4224 provides an excellent choice for ZFS implementation.

Availability
The iX-N4224 Orion server series and JBOD Expansion units are immediately available for purchase and delivery.