Product news: The latest storage products for the week commencing 2nd July, 2008

NetApp Shared Storage Management Framework

NetApp has developed a Shared Storage Management Framework based on its Unified Architecture to decrease activation times for storage and ultimately reduce the total cost of ownership for storage infrastructure. The framework is supported by the NetApp Shared Storage Delivery Methodology, capturing a proven approach for planning and implementing the deployment of storage technologies and processes, the vendor claims. The Shared Storage Management Framework is an ITIL-based model that allows the storage infrastructure to scale to meet demand without a similar increase in support costs. The framework defines all services required to manage a storage environment including capacity planning, solution architecture evolution, support and lifecycle management. The services defined within the framework ensure rapid integration of the solution into the customers existing processes. NetApp has captured the benefits achieved by integrating the solution into all aspects of a customer's business to maximise the return on their investment. According to NetApp, its Shared Storage Delivery Methodology provides a detailed, repeatable, project-based approach to implementing storage-as-a-service.

Distributed by: SAN Systems

RRP: on application

HP ProLiant BL2x220c G5

This two-in-one server blade has been designed to offer users with scale-out environments improved datacentre performance, reduced floor space and lower power usage. The BL2x220c supplies up to 1024 CPU cores in a single 42U rack, which, the vendor claims, means it offers more than three times the density of traditional 1U rack-mount servers. The unit offers up to two Intel Xeon 5400 Series quad-core CPUs per server node, x8 Mezzanine per server node for I/O expansion and up to 16GB of PC5200 DDR2 memory per server node, with 4GB (2x2GB) as standard. For administration, the BL2x220c G5 offers embedded iLO2 Blade Edition per server node for remote management, embedded per server node power management and power capping enabled through iLO Select and HP Insight Control Environment for HP BladeSystem. According to the vendor, this provides comprehensive system health, remote control, operating system deployment, power management, vulnerability scanning and patch management in an easy to install software suite.

Distributed by: Ingram Micro, Avnet, Dicker Data and Lynx Technologies

RRP: from $8299

IBM TS3100

IBM claims the TS3100 tape library supports entry-level unattended backup, open system attachment flexibility and enhanced capacity and performance. The unit supports the IBM LTO Ultrium 4 Half-High SAS drive and has additional optional tape cartridge magazines for the TS3100. The TS3100 with Ultrium 4 tape drives has native physical data capacities of up to 19.2TB (up to 38.4TB using 2:1 compression) with 24 cartridge slots in two removable magazines including a standard one-cartridge I/O station, a remote management unit and barcode reader. It offers an increased maximum data transfer rate of up to 120MBps native for each Ultrium 4 drive, with up to 800GB native physical capacity per cartridge (1600GB with 2:1 compression) with Ultrium 4 800GB media. Users also get encryption as standard. Alternatively users can use the TS3200 tape library with Ultrium 4 tape drives, which offers native data physical capacities of up to 38.4TB (up to 76.8TB using 2:1 compression) with 48 data cartridge slots in four removable magazines including a standard three-cartridge I/O station.

Distributed by: Ingram Micro, Avnet and Cellnet

RRP: on application