MetaStor Solutions Ease Storage Management and Administration With
New SYMplicity Storage Manager Plus Software
BW, 08:14 a.m. Oct 20, 1998 Eastern
Easy-to-Use Storage Management Software Guarantees High Availability
and Performance Saving System Administrators Time and Money
ATLANTA, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 1998--
LSI Logic Storage Systems Inc. (NYSE:LSI) today announced the new SYMplicity(tm)
Storage Manager Plus software, an integral component to the company's MetaStor(tm)
family of scalable enterprise storage solutions.
The SYMplicity Plus software ensures uninterrupted data access and maximum
performance, combining a redundant disk array controller (RDAC) driver, full dual I/O
path design, and powerful on-line technical support. The result is a simple, transparent,
fail-safe approach to storage management that saves administrators both time and money.
Key features in the new SYMplicity Storage Manager Plus software support the high
performance capabilities of the MetaStor S-Class server-attached storage family
(announced in related release today). With Dynamic Capacity Expansion, system
administrators are able to add capacity without any impact to data access. The software
also features Dynamic RAID Level Migration which easily tunes the RAID levels for
optimal performance. And Dynamic Segment Sizing tunes the segment size for maximum
performance and stripe utilization while maintaining continuous data availability.
"The new SYMplicity Storage Manager software is a reliable, secure, completely
transparent way for system administrators to manage RAID systems and keep data paths
open," said Bill Reed, managing director of MetaStor Solutions. "SYMplicity software
shields you from much of the complexity of RAID management while safeguarding your
data paths. Now your data can always be accessible, even in the event of catastrophic
component failures along your I/O paths. It is unique in simplified storage management
and guaranteed availability."
Available with every RAID storage system from the MetaStor scalable family, the open
and flexible SYMplicity Storage Manager Plus software supports Solaris(tm),
HP-UX(tm), and Windows NT(R). It is also available in a networked, host-independent
version with broad interoperability across a variety of operating systems and single-point
management capabilities.
The new SYMplicity Storage Manager Plus software features a variety of important
enhancements, including:
Feature Benefit
Dynamic Capacity Expansion Adds capacity without impact to data
access
Dynamic Segment Size Migration Tunes segment size for performance
and stripe utilization without impact
to data access
Dynamic RAID Level Migration Tunes RAID level for performance
without impact to data access
Dynamic defragmentation Maximizes unused capacity
Performance Monitor Provides I/O bandwidth and cache
utilization statistics allowing
performance tuning
Autocode synchronization Automatically updates firmware level
of a replaced controller to the
existing controller
Enterprise cache dump Offers high-availability protection
of controller cache and system cache
In mission-critical environments such as I/O intensive data warehousing and on-line
transaction processing, system administrators need uninterrupted access to data.
SYMplicity Plus software simplifies the system administrator's job by intelligently and
transparently managing all redundant RAID components, including controllers, host
adapters, disk drives and cables.
The software supports a host-based redundant disk array controller driver implementation
that automatically reroutes the data to the other active controller in the event that one fails
-- without user intervention. The system administrator is then immediately notified so the
failed controller can be replaced online. The same is true if a host adapter, disk drive,
interface cable or other subsystem component fails -- the software automatically recovers
and immediately notifies the administrator. Data integrity and accessibility are maintained
without lost time or money.
SYMplicity Plus software's unique ease-of-use features include Recovery Guru, Health
Check, and a powerful graphical user interface (GUI). The Recovery Guru is an
intelligent, on-line guide that pinpoints the source of any issues in the storage system,
then provides a step-by-step recovery procedure. The Health Check monitors and
determines the condition of the RAID modules and provides detailed reports as requested.
The GUI simplifies every aspect of configuring logical units on a RAID system and
includes on-screen information about configuration, status, maintenance and recovery.
SYMplicity Storage Manager Plus software supports simple network management
protocol (SNMP) error notification to enable RAID management from the same
workstation used for other network devices. It can also be scripted to support multiple
notification methods, such as a pager or cellular phone.
LSI Logic Storage Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of LSI Logic Corporation
(NYSE:LSI). LSI Logic is The System on a Chip Company(R) and a leading supplier of
customer high-performance semiconductors with operations worldwide. The company
enables customers to build complete systems on a single chip with its CoreWare(R)
design program, thereby increasing performance, lowering system costs and accelerating
time to market. LSI Logic develops application-optimized products in partnership with
trendsetting customers and operates leading edge, high-volume manufacturing facilities to
produce submicron chips. The company maintains a high level of quality, as demonstrated
by its ISO 9000 certifications. LSI Logic is headquartered at 1551 McCarthy Blvd.,
Milpitas, California 95035, 408/433-8000.
The MetaStor storage family is a part of LSI Logic's Storage Systems, Inc., a subsidiary
based in Wichita, Kansas. For further product information please call 800/86-ARRAY or
visit www.lsilogic.com. The e-mail address for product information is
literature@symbios.com.
The LSI Logic design, CoreWare, The System on a Chip Company, MetaStor and
SYMplicity are trademarks of LSI Logic Corporation. Windows NT is a trademark of
Microsoft. Solaris is a trademark of Sun Microsystems. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
Additional information about LSI Logic Corporation is available at www.lsilogic.com. To
request copies of annual reports or other investor information, please call 800/574-4286.
Copyright 1998, Business Wire
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