New Nimbus Data SSD Array

Nimbus Data Systems, Inc. introduced its Gemini flash memory arrays, setting industry standards in solid state resiliency, performance, and data center efficiency.

Nimbus debuts several patent-pending design achievements in hardware and software that offer operational and economic advantages for virtualization, database, and cloud initiatives:

• 10-year endurance that supports up to 1PB of weekly data writes without performance loss
• No-single-point-of-failure with hot-swap redundant controllers and self-healing flash drives
• Patent-pending Parallel Memory Architecture capable of 12GBps and over 1 million IOps
• Software-configurable ports to support the highest Ethernet, IB, and FC speeds
• Up to 48TB of flash capacity in 2U, achieving 1PB and 20 million IOps per rack

"The new Gemini Flash memory array from Nimbus certainly sets a high bar in terms of completeness and vision for flash storage arrays," stated Mark Peters, senior analyst at ESG. "Gemini stands out from the crowd with its architecture designed from the ground up and seamless multiprotocol versatility. The flexibility, performance and efficiency needs of contemporary and future applications will increasingly require data centers to deploy capabilities inherent in designs such as those demonstrated by Nimbus."

The Gemini system meets the availability and performance requirements of server virtualization, databases, VDI, and IO-intensive data processing applications. The redundant ‘hot-swap everything’ design offers dual controllers, non-disruptive software updates, and lights-out management in one system – no bulky external controllers, gateways, or cabling required. Unlike IO-bound off-the-shelf servers and disk arrays that fail to harness the performance potential of solid state technology, Gemini offers 6x more bandwidth through a non-blocking design. This Parallel Memory Architecture (PMA) enables all flash drives to operate at full speed in unison, providing scalability for virtualized infrastructures that depend on low-latency, high throughput storage.

Gemini supports all major storage networking technologies at their fastest available data rates, including Ethernet (1/10/40 GbE), IB (20/40/56 Gb), and FC (4/8/16 Gb). Ports are also software-programmable, switching instantly from Ethernet to IB or from FC to Ethernet simply by changing transceivers. This dual-personality capability offers flexibility should storage networking requirements change in the future. All major block and file storage protocols are supported in-the-box, including iSCSI, FCP, SRP, NFS, and SMB, giving customers choice and the investment protection to adapt to changing needs.

To enable service providers to defer data center capital expenditures, Gemini packs 8x more capacity per rack than 15K RPM disk arrays, without resorting to cumbersome top-loading designs that complicate field service. It also utilizes a fraction of the power and generates less heat than 15K RPM disk arrays, slashing power and rackspace costs by 85%. Delivering up to 20 million IOps in one rack, Gemini flash memory arrays enable a 30:1 consolidation in rackspace on a performance basis, giving customers a weapon against unrelenting data growth.

Gemini incorporates Nimbus’ new Flash Lifecycle Management technology, which builds on over two years of production deployments of solutions at some Global 5000 customers. Wear-leveling is performed system-wide, not just at the drive level, eliminating hot-spots and delivering performance. This technology enables flash arrays to deliver up to 10 years of endurance, surpassing disk arrays in reliability. A graphical dashboard displays real-time and historical Flash utilization, offering customers insight into the health of the storage infrastructure.

Gemini flash memory arrays feature Nimbus’ HALO software stack, a system management solution offering thin provisioning, deduplication, replication, snapshot, and encryption capabilities. Included without any licensing fees, HALO is easy to use, enabling system setup in minutes.

"The ground-breaking advances in Gemini are the culmination of two years of nonstop hardware and software engineering and extensive feedback from our loyal customer base," stated Thomas Isakovich, CEO and founder of Nimbus Data. "We believe that we have set the new standard in Flash memory storage, enabling efficiency and performance that unequivocally redefine data center infrastructure."

Gemini flash memory arrays are available in single and dual-controller configurations with either 4 x QSFP ports per controller (for Ethernet and IB) or 4 x SFP+ ports per controller (for Ethernet and FC).

Capacity ranges from 6 to 48TB per 2U system, before data reduction.

The Gemini Flash memory arrays will be available in Q4 2012.