To all: Any comments on the impact of Tricord's 1/28 press release?
Tricord First to Show Multi-Array RAID 5 Storage
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 1998--
Technology Demonstration Raises the Bar in Reliable, Shared
Storage Race
Tricord Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRCD) announces a key milestone in the advancement of network-attached storage - file-level RAID 5 spanning multiple disk arrays, a key feature of the company's unique file-intelligent I/O and distributed file system software. Tricord is the first company to introduce this new level of reliable shared storage to the Windows NT(R) market.
Demonstrating its software to potential OEM partners and industry representatives in conjunction with the Server I/O '98 conference this week in Sunnyvale, CA, Tricord showed how to achieve domain fault tolerance (data protection and continuous availability in spite of disk and/or controller failures) through the use of file-level RAID spanning multiple disk arrays. The demonstration highlighted simplified storage management techniques available through the creation of a single
Two key technological innovations make this possible -- moving file intelligence to the storage system controller and then distributing this intelligence across multiple controllers. With this architecture, Tricord has taken a major step toward the overall industry vision of data sharing among multiple servers and multiple storage units.
"High availability is the driving force behind the massive IS investment in reengineering the business network," says industry analyst Michael Peterson, president of Strategic Research Corporation and the Storage Networking Industry Association. "Tricord's file system raises the bar on defining data availability. By spanning RAID across multiple disk arrays, Tricord introduces the next level in availability."
Creating Smart, Shared Storage
While conventional disk controllers receive block requests from the host and store block data on disk, Tricord's file-intelligent I/O takes an innovative approach to data access -- "intelligent file co-processing" -- creating file-intelligent controllers that receive file requests from the host, process file requests in the controller and store file data on disk. File-intelligent I/O enhances performance by reducing the processing burden on the host and traffic between the host and storage subsystem. In turn, Tricord's distributed file system software -- embedded within controllers -- spreads data files and metadata across multiple disks and controllers, creating a single, shared data pool. This centralized approach simplifies data management, providing automatic RAID configuration, automatic data balancing across disks and on-line expansion with a high level of scalability.
Creating Domain Fault Tolerance
Tricord's distributed file system software - embedded in disk controllers - provides the building block for achieving domain fault tolerance. This file system software implements RAID on file data (rather than block data) across the entire shared data pool. This results in RAID across both disks and controllers, providing data availability in spite of disk and/or controller failure.
By incorporating and extending I20 standards, Tricord provides an architecture that is highly portable and hardware independent, capable of supporting host-based, local area network (LAN), or storage area network (SAN) storage solutions. This flexibility offers wide latitude for OEM productization and flexibility for IS organizations' design of storage environments.
"Last year, Tricord saw an opportunity and set out on a path to create powerful new solutions for the Windows NT storage market," says Tricord president John Mitcham. "The industry has evolved rapidly, fueled by increasing demand for enterprise-capable storage solutions. The recent formation of the Storage Networking Industry Association is evidence of the speed at which this market is developing. The functionality Tricord is demonstrating will lead to scalable, fault tolerant, easy to manage storage solutions with lower cost of ownership."
Tricord Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRCD) develops and markets file-intelligent I/O and distributed file system software for the Windows NT(R) network-attached storage market that facilitates the transparent sharing of data and enables IS organizations to centralize data storage functions and reduce the associated costs. Tricord Systems is based in Plymouth, MN USA. For more information, please call 1-800-TRICORD or 612/557- 9005, or visit us at www.tricord.com.
"Safe-Harbor" Statement Under Private Securities Act of 1995: The statements contained herein that are not historical facts contain forward-looking information with respect to plans, projections or future performance of the Company. There is no guarantee or assurance that these plans, projections or future performance of the Company as indicated will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially. Factors, certain risks and uncertainties which could impact the Company's future results include, without limitation, the ability of Tricord to complete development and release commercially its distributed data access and management products, the ability of Tricord to sign OEM partners, market acceptance of Tricord-enabled products, the ability of the Company to maintain its cost structure in accordance with its operating plan, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Form 10K for fiscal 1996.
CONTACT:
Tricord Systems, Inc., Plymouth
Liz Hersey, 612/551-6609
lhersey@tricord.com
KEYWORD: MINNESOTA
BW1159 JAN 28,1998 |
