10Gb iSCSI Unit From Nimbus, and With Virtualization and SSD !

Nimbus Data Systems unveiled its Breeze Hybrid series of multi-protocol IP storage
systems that combine next-generation 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking, an
on-demand scalable architecture that unifies block and file storage,
and energy-efficient storage tiers to bring dramatic savings in
operational and capital costs to mid-sized enterprises.

The Breeze
Hybrid, or H-series, is an easy-to-use IP storage system with software
intelligence and simple Web-based management. It features seamless
iSCSI SAN and NAS capabilities, storage options ranging from fast solid
state disks (SSD) to cost-effective SAS and SATA drives, and the Nimbus
HALO storage operating system, which provides virtualization and
advanced data protection without incremental licensing fees. The two
new models include the Breeze VH630, designed for server
virtualization, and the Breeze MH860, designed for large-scale rich
content storage.

With the Nimbus Breeze Hybrid series, midsize enterprises can:

• Reduce costs of scaling out storage by 50% as compared to clustered iSCSI arrays
• Reduce storage hardware and software licensing costs by 40% as compared to iSCSI-only arrays
• Increase bandwidth by over 24 times as compared to clustered iSCSI arrays
• Capitalize on a 50 fold improvement in access times for I/O-intensive applications
• Reduce power and cooling costs by 75% as compared to separate SAN and NAS devices
• Utilize 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with 2.5 times the throughput and 75% lower cost than 4 Gigabit Fibre Channel
• Meet
  the challenges of both rising datacenter costs and ambitious storage
  and server consolidation projects with a single versatile, affordable,
  and familiar IP-based infrastructure

“At
Loro Piana, our nationwide network of luxury clothing stores depends on
nonstop access to critical application servers and storage. Using the
Nimbus Breeze unified IP storage systems as the SAN and NAS foundation
for our VMware ESX v3.5 environment, our IT operations run smoothly,
efficiently, and virtually administration-free,” said Aaron Martin, IT
Manager, Loro Piana. “Given the success to date utilizing the 10
Gigabit bandwidth of the system, we further plan to scale out our
Nimbus to run a Virtual Desktop environment, as well.”

Unified Block and File Storage over IP for Simple IT Operations
With today’s IT environments dependent on a variety of application
servers, from email and ERP to virtual machines and digital imaging,
the Nimbus Breeze H-series provides the simplicity of unified iSCSI SAN
and NAS, seamlessly presented on one system, one network, and with one
Web-based management interface. While iSCSI-only alternatives force
enterprises to purchase isolated NAS gateways that increase cost and
complexity, the Breeze H-series brings iSCSI, CIFS, and NFS together
for storage consolidation across both block and file-level
requirements. The comprehensive feature set supports advanced iSCSI
commands, multi-pathing, and Active Directory, making the H-Series
systems ideal for ESX, Hyper-V, and Xen-based virtualization, and
Windows Server 2003/2008 clustering.

Mainstream 10 Gigabit Ethernet IP Storage Is Here
Multi-I/O technology, an advanced multi-network architecture on which
the H-series is built, extends Nimbus’ pioneering leadership in10
Gigabit storage. Both the Breeze VH630 and Breeze MH860 feature dual 10
Gigabit Ethernet ports and quad Gigabit Ethernet ports for host
connectivity, as well as quad SAS links for storage expansion. This
combination delivers an aggregate of 74 Gbps of bandwidth, over 24
times more than clustered iSCSI arrays. With 10 Gigabit Ethernet now
75% less expensive than 4 Gigabit Fibre Channel, the Breeze H-series
gives IT departments the flexibility to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet for
their performance-critical servers and Gigabit Ethernet for more
mainstream needs, all on one system and at the same time. With the
Breeze H-series, IT departments can deploy a future-proof storage
infrastructure for their most ambitious consolidation projects while
retaining the familiarity of IP networking.

On-demand, Non-disruptive Scalability Done Right
The Breeze H-series features Nimbus’ second generation FlexScale
architecture to provide non-disruptive, pay-as-you-grow storage
expansion. Unlike some iSCSI arrays, which require purchasing
completely new systems just to add capacity, Breeze systems allow
administrators to add nearly 200 TB of storage expansion modules using
built-in SAS links, at a fraction of the cost. As capacity increases,
cost per TB drops, lowering total cost of ownership by 50% compared to
alternatives. Since storage expansion occurs on dedicated SAS links,
performance improves linearly as capacity is expanded.

Tiered Storage with Integrated SSD, SAS, and SATA Technology
Nimbus Breeze Hybrid systems introduce high-performance Solid State
Disk technology (SSD) in a unified IP storage system. With 32 or 64 GB
of mirrored solid state storage built in, the Breeze H-series enables
users to capitalize on a 50-fold improvement in access times compared
to 15K SAS drives, making the system perfect for I/O-intensive virtual
machines, databases, and log journals for Oracle, SQL Server, and
Microsoft Exchange. Furthermore, the systems can be expanded with any
blend of SSD, 15K and 10K SAS, and SATA II hard drives, even within the
same enclosure. This flexibility lets organizations increase efficiency
and service levels by optimizing their storage based on metrics like
performance, density, power usage, cost, and reliability, all on one
system.

Green Technology and Rugged Fault Tolerance Features
As businesses face rising energy costs and increased dependence on
non-stop IT operations, the Breeze Hybrid series meets new “green
computing” standards by consuming up to 75% less power – as low as 19
watts per terabyte of data managed – than separate SAN and NAS devices
while supporting mission-critical applications with redundant,
user-serviceable components. Persistent write-through caching securely
stores data in the event of a power failure without costly UPS devices.
Low voltage, multi-core components used throughout the system further
reduce cooling requirements. Power supplies, fans, controllers, and
host connections are redundant and hot-swappable for easy field
replacement. Automatic health monitoring proactively watches for signs
of deteriorating hard drive health and notifies administrators before
failures occur. An available cluster configuration adds a secondary
director node for additional resiliency.

20 Minutes to Storage Virtualization and Enterprise-grade Data Protection
The Breeze H-series runs Nimbus’ HALO storage operating system, an
all-inclusive software suite that combines storage virtualization and
advanced data protection with the simplicity of one management
interface and no license fees. When first powered on, the Breeze system
is immediately ready for Web-based setup; no command line or serial
connections are needed. With virtual storage tiers, capacity can be
expanded on-the-fly with a click. Users can configure various RAID
levels based on application requirements. Snapshots and volume clones
provide instantaneous mount points or rollback points for quickly
recovering from accidents. Synchronous mirroring and asynchronous
replication provide bandwidth-efficient disaster recovery without the
added cost of replication appliances or host-based software. All HALO
features are included free-of-charge; there are no separate license
fees for additional options or protocols.

Pricing and Availability
The Breeze H-series is available immediately from Nimbus and its
network of authorized business partners. A fully configured Breeze
VH630 – designed for server virtualization – with all software, 22TB of
storage, and 32GB of mirrored SSD starts under $75,000. A
fully-configured Breeze MH860 – designed for large-scale rich content
storage – with all software, 34TB of storage, and 64GB of mirrored SSD
starts under $120,000. Each model is available with quick-ship
configurations or as custom-builds that can be configured with the
exact blend of hard drive types, speeds, and capacities as requested.

Nimbus Data Systems, Inc.