Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/10/01/reldata_9240i/
Reldata goes mix and match with refreshed storage box
Adds high-availability and business continuity
Posted in Channel, 1st October 2009 10:24 GMT
Reldata has released a new version of its RELvos virtualised operating system to coincide with the debut of its lates unified storage box, the 9240i.
Reldata's unique proposition has been the presentation of either file or block storage access from the one pool of virtualised storage - it's been doing this since before NetApp and others decided to offer unified file and block services by adding NAS head functionality into their block access controllers or iSCSI access to their filers. RELvos lets users "architect multiple, scalable shared storage pools for on-demand, IP SAN, NAS and multi-vendor platforms, seamlessly expand storage capacity (and) consolidate underused storage assets".
On the iSCSI SAN side its pitch to mid-range customers has been overtaken by shooting star suppliers like EqualLogic and LeftHand Networks, snapped up by Dell and HP respectively. Incoming CEO Steve Murphy will want the company to accelerate its business and maybe catch up with these two. He'll have to push hard because major storage players selling to the mid-market, like EMC and NetApp, as well as Dell and HP, are also pushing out a unified storage message.
The latest RELvos 2.4 release, available for the existing 9240G - G for gateway - product as well as the new 9240i, provides for high-availability, courtesy of iSCSI bridging and mirroring. An embedded firmware module features SAN-level remote mirroring, incremental volume replication, unlimited SAN-level snapshots, and block-based replication.
Replication is asynchronous and users have the ability to interrupt, pause and resume replication at the point where it was interrupted. Users can set automatic expiration date for snapshots and clones.
The O/S includes adaptive storage wizards, as before, and things called RELbots to automate receptive storage admin tasks. It is managed through a GUI which can present system utilisation and I/O statistics charts.
The 9240i base unit includes an industry standard (meaning X86) storage controller with integrated serial-attached SCSI (SAS) disk storage. It supports 1GbitE and 10GbitE infrastructures and both clustered and single 9240i configurations are supported.
Storage capacity can be expanded by adding Reldata disk arrays, the 9240i-J JBOD disk storage expansion shelf for example, or pooling existing resources. The 9240i-J has a dual backplane, redundant power supplies and up to 12 SAS drives in a 2U chassis.
Four 3Gbit/s SAS interface ports allow additional 9240i-Js to be connected. Management software allows 9240i-J storage expansion shelves to be automatically integrated into an existing tiered pool of virtualised storage without disruption, scaling to multi-petabytes of storage capacity.
Reldata says users can independently scale disk storage capacity, SAN/NAS/WAN replication storage services, and network performance without application disruption.
Like many storage suppliers it says its product offers enterprise features at mid-range prices, and REldata is also singing the cloud song; customers can create and grow virtual clouds paying only for what they need. Software is licensed at the system level by feature, with no price increases based on capacity.
There are no minimum or fixed bundles for the 9240i. This means that customers can specify a NAS-only or an IP SAN-only version of the product or a non-replicating model if they wish.
The 9240i is available immediately through Reldata's channel partners. Pricing is based on configuration with entry-level pricing starting at $21,891 MSRP for a 6TB 9240i. ®