Monday February 8, 8:04 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: MTI Technology Corp.
MTI Introduces High-Performance Gladiator 3500 Enterprise Storage System for High-Availability Environments
Scalable Modular Architecture Offers Maximum Flexibility and Investment Protection
ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- MTI Technology Corp. (Nasdaq: MTIC - news) has introduced the Gladiator 3500 enterprise RAID data storage system designed for high-availability business environments demanding superior availability, scalability and flexibility. The open systems RAID storage array offers significant investment protection with upgrade options for Fibre Channel architecture connectivity, advanced RAID controller processors and additional system capacity.
The Gladiator 3500 is an ''application-tuned'' storage subsystem designed for high-performance UltraSCSI environments such as online transaction processing (OLTP), decision support, data warehousing, data mining, workgroup computing and Internet/intranet applications. Depending on the application, the I/O parameters can be adjusted to balance host-to-storage interchange across multiple drives to increase performance.
MTI has maximized system flexibility and investment protection through deployment of the company's Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA), an advanced technology framework that separates the RAID engine from disk storage. This approach meets the requirements of ''reusable'' adaptive architectures and consists of two major components, called RAID Elements and Storage Elements. Fault-tolerant RAID Elements include cache memory along with redundant hot-swappable power supplies and high-performance RAID processors. Storage Elements are designed for modular expansion of capacity and include redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and up to 12 hot-swappable disk drives.
Through SMA, the Gladiator 3500 can be easily upgraded for even higher performance with new RAID processors, higher capacity disk drives and additional cache memory. Maximum flexibility is achieved because RAID Elements and Storage Elements can be upgraded independently of each other. Businesses can easily reconfigure enterprise storage to address changing requirements or scale performance and/or capacity to meet changing application requirements.
Designed for the future of storage system technology, the Gladiator 3500 can be upgraded to Fibre Channel connectivity. Fibre Channel technology offers new opportunities for enterprises to expand information systems with larger storage capacity, improved performance and flexible configuration scenarios supporting up to a maximum of 126 devices connected at distances of up to (currently) 10 kilometers. The storage system offers full Fibre Channel support and can be configured as a component of a Storage Area Network (SAN). SANs represent the next-generation of storage technology for managing numerous hard disk arrays, tape libraries and other storage devices on a dedicated sub- network that can be shared by all servers and applications in an enterprise.
''Although the future of the industry is Fibre Channel, MTI recognizes that there is still a very large market for SCSI-to-SCSI connectivity,'' said Farid Neema, president of the Santa Barbara-based market consulting firm, Peripheral Concepts Inc. ''As the market continues to evolve, the Gladiator 3500 offers immediate high levels of functionality and performance while being upgradable to Fibre Channel SAN environments.''
The Gladiator 3500 offers several business-critical advantages to safeguard sensitive and vital corporate data in the event of a power failure or other disruption. The system features dual-active RAID controllers as well as component redundancy for host connections, power supplies, power connections and fans. Data is protected by simultaneous RAID operating levels and all active components are non-disruptively hot swappable. The Gladiator storage system also features MTI's Data Consistency Check (DCC) for routine evaluation of the synchronization of data and parity to assure reliable data reconstruction in the event of a drive failure.
''Enterprise storage computing must provide users with access to all data regardless of platform or physical location of the information,'' said Earl Pearlman, MTI president and CEO. ''With its cross-platform compatibility, common management interface, and flexible upgrade path, the Gladiator 3500 is predestined to be at the heart of future 'Virtual Data Centers'. Users can employ this UltraSCSI storage system in a wide range of enterprise applications and then easily upgrade the Gladiator 3500 to Fibre Channel functionality for inclusion in Storage Area Networks.''
''The Gladiator 3500 is well-suited for operating in non-stop, 24x7 mission-critical enterprise computing environments. The scalable storage system can easily handle the high-throughput demands of OLTP systems and other business applications where unyielding fault tolerance and cross-platform flexibility is absolutely required.''
The enterprise storage system supports a wide array of open system operating environments including Hewlett-Packard HP-UX, Microsoft Windows NT, Silicon Graphics IRIX and Sun Solaris. The Gladiator 3500 features up to 256MB of mirrored processor cache per RAID Element, and built-in systems to monitor, configure and provide alert status to administrators via the included RAIDManager software.
The RAID Element host connection features two 40MB/second UltraSCSI ports per controller. The Gladiator 3500 supports up to 855GB of storage capacity per RAID Element and can operate with multiple simultaneous RAID levels, including levels 0, 1, 0+1 and 5. For maximum data protection, the system employs mirrored cache, a technology that duplicates RAID controller cache on the opposite RAID controller. In the event of cache failure, the mirrored cache ensures total fault resilience. Its intelligent write-gathering cache collects scattered disk writes and organizes them into efficient full-stripe writes that reduce unnecessary disk access to deliver ''RAID 3-like'' performance in sequential applications.
As an architecturally redundant storage solution, the 3500 employs MTI's RAIDManager software, an easy-to-use application for real-time storage management and monitoring in cross-platform and client/server environments. Users can set up, configure, monitor and optimize performance of all Gladiator arrays from anywhere on the network at local or remote locations. Fault notification via e-mail or pager can be provided.
Gladiator 3500 entry-level system pricing starts at $61,050 and ranges to $215,125 for a fully configured system. The new product is available for shipment 30 days after receipt of order.
MTI's mission is to be the premier provider of high-performance, cross-platform data storage management solutions for the enterprise. MTI integrates distributed data management software, a hierarchy of modular storage systems and on-site services to meet the mass storage needs of its customers. Headquartered in Anaheim, Calif., the company offers services and support from more than 40 offices in the U.S. and Europe. Authorized distributors provide additional sales and service capabilities in Latin America and Asia/Pacific regions. MTI may be reached by phone: 800-999-9MTI or 714-970-0300, fax: 714-693-2256 or e-mail: info@mti.com. Information can also be accessed via MTI Online, the company's World Wide Web server on the Internet at: mti.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the company's product development plans, which are subject to change. The actual results may differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statement. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
MTI is a registered trademark and Gladiator is a trademark of MTI Technology Corp. All other company, brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.
SOURCE: MTI Technology Corp.
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