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Technology Stocks : Son of SAN - Storage Networking Technologies -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neil S who wrote (458)	3/30/1998 2:08:00 PM
From: Douglas Nordgren	Respond to of 4808

NEWS: Network Appliance Enters the Enterprise Market with Ultra High Availability, Clustered Terabyte Data Server biz.yahoo.com NetApp Cluster Software Delivers a Fail-Safe, Plug-and-Play Server for High-speed Data Service, Scalable Storage Capacity and Simplified-Management SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Network Appliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTAP - news) today announced its entrance into the enterprise market with a new ultra high availability, clustered terabyte data server -- at significantly less cost and overhead than traditional solutions using complex, general-purpose UNIX servers with slow, locally attached storage. The new clustered data server is a continuation of NetApp's trademark fast response time and plug-and-play simplicity. NetApp also announced its Data_ONTAP Release 5.0 operating system, a single-purpose OS providing enhanced flexibility and availability for enterprise-wide applications. The NetApp F6300, a new data server cluster solution, allows IT managers to deploy a pair of NetApp F630 data servers for predictable high availability of data. The result is that IT organizations with large-scale data storage requirements can now rely on the expanded capacity, manageability and high availability of the NetApp F6300. NetApp's cluster solution is the industry's simplest, ultra high availability implementation. Its snap-in, modular approach accommodates deployment of multiple cluster pairs in enterprise environments undergoing data consolidation. The NetApp F630 can now store up to 1.4 terabytes of data -- more than triple its old capacity by using a native fibre channel (FC-AL) storage subsystem. Data_ONTAP also allows the NetApp server to simultaneously and transparently host different-format files from UNIX and Windows clients, providing access with NFS, CIFS or HTTP protocols as well as relational data for Oracle applications. The NetApp F6300 handles potential causes of downtime as if it were one server to users of enterprise applications. In the unlikely event of a server failure, high-speed data availability will continue with no loss of operations or performance. NetApp's transparent, automated cluster failover solution provides continuous data service with full consistency to network clients and application servers. This capability augments NetApp servers' proven reliability of 99.995% uptime. The ''auto-support'' feature proactively notifies NetApp's technical support team on potential issues that may require IT staff intervention. Data_ONTAP Release 5.0 includes support for multiple volumes and multiple RAID group capabilities. Multiple volume support allows system administrators to share a NetApp data server's file services across an enterprise with multiple departments and applications. For example, one partition might be dedicated for an Oracle database, with others for e-mail, user directories and software builds. Using multiple volumes speeds up backup and restore procedures, and simplifies data migration and consolidation. Support for multiple RAID groups provides an even higher level of protection against disk failures to NetApp users, thus providing a higher level of data availability. It also substantially improves disk recovery performance at speeds approaching those of complex hardware RAID systems. The NetApp software also includes a new mechanism to replicate data among NetApp servers on the network. The new NetApp Quick Replication Software option provides users the ability to replicate and restore volumes for disaster protection. Network Appliance also is boosting the speed of backing up NetApp data servers by more than five-fold with its native backup module integrated with Data_ONTAP. The new software will increase the transfer of a block-by-blook image of data files to 80 gigabytes-per-hour, substantially shortening backup and restore procedures. Separate File Service, Faster Performance Separating file service from application servers results in faster, more predictable system performance. This separation of resource-consuming data storage and retrieval operations from application servers provides increased efficiency for data access, reduced exposure to data corruption and faster application response time. As measured by the industry-standard SPEC/SFS benchmark for NFS performance, a NetApp F630 data server provides more than 3,900 user file operations per second at under 5 milliseconds response time. By comparison, similar class general-purpose servers from Sun Microsystems typically average, 2,100 file operations per second with a response time at under 5 milliseconds. The NetApp F630 delivers an aggregate performance of more than 5,400 I/O operations at an average response time of 10 milliseconds. ''NetApp's Network attached storage solutions make a lot of sense for applications requiring performance and high data availability,'' said Farid Neema, president of Peripheral Concepts, Inc., a Santa Barbara-based consulting firm. ''In addition, the appliance-like simplicity of a NetApp data server cuts out nearly all the cost of disk and file management -- and that alone constitutes an important part of the total cost of storage management.'' ''We have migrated nearly all our engineering applications and data to NetApp data servers over the last two years,'' said Bob Schultz, IT manager at Nokia Mobile Phones Americas, Inc. ''We have found them to be extremely easy to set up and require minimal administrator support, yet offer outstanding NFS performance. While we have not experienced any reliability issues to date, we have decided to go with NetApp's high availability option as it will statistically improve reliability compared to costly, high-end solutions.'' ''We are committed to bringing the convenience of our industry-leading network-attached storage solutions to the enterprise market,'' said Charlie Simmons, vice president of marketing at Network Appliance. ''Our enterprise solutions can help large users ease manageability, and improve reliability and performance by consolidating storage for both UNIX and Windows NT network applications.'' Network Appliance provides a full range of service through Unisys Corporation for data server users in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Data_ONTAP Release 5.0 with multiple volume and multiple RAID group capability is available now. The NetApp F6300, including the NetApp Cluster Software option, support for 1.4 terabyte storage capacity with fibre channel drive connections for the NetApp F630 and NetApp Quick Replication Software option will be available in June. Pricing for the NetApp F6300, which includes two clustered F630 data servers configured with a native fibre channel storage subsystem begins at $242,270 for an entry-level system. NetApp's Cluster Software can be purchased as an option for the F630 at $18,900 per cluster node. Upgrades to Data_ONTAP Release 5.0 are available, at no charge to customers who have an active software subscription service. About Network Appliance Network Appliance develops and markets dedicated network storage servers for UNIX, Windows and the World Wide Web. These appliances deliver fast, simple, reliable, and cost-effective access to data stored in the network or across the Internet. The company pioneered the concept of the ''network appliance,'' an extension of the industry trend toward dedicated, specialized products that perform a single function. Network Appliance Filers and NetCache Appliances are based on the company's innovative data access software known as Data_0NTAP and standards-compliant hardware. More information is available on the Internet at netapp.com. NetApp, Filers, DataONTAP and NetCache are trademarks of Network Appliance, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. SOURCE: Network Appliance, Inc.

To: Neil S who wrote (458)	3/30/1998 2:14:00 PM
From: Douglas Nordgren	Respond to of 4808

Media Alert: CLARiiON Showcases Greater Than Eight Terabytes Of Storage With Video And Broadcast Industry's Leading Technology Providers At NAB'98 biz.yahoo.com --(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 1998-- Where: The CLARiiON booth (#I12720) will feature five demonstration centers designed to highlight how CLARiiON(R) Fibre Channel storage solutions meet the digital storage needs of the video and broadcast industry. Demonstration Center #1 -- Broadcasting CLARiiON, together with ASC Audio Video Corporation, a leading provider of integrated digital solutions to the broadcasting community, will demonstrate ASC's VR300(tm) Broadcast Video Servers connected to CLARiiON FC5000 Series Fibre Channel disk arrays. Data protection will be provided by RAIDsoft(tm), ASC's exclusive Windows NT-based software RAID technology. The eight-channel server system with integrated nonlinear editing will illustrate the key features and benefits that CLARiiON Fibre Channel delivers as the storage medium for recording, news editing, and on-air playback, such as power, versatility, and dependability. Demonstration Center #2 - Nonlinear Editing CLARiiON, together with Avid Technology, Inc., a market-leading provider of digital audio and video tools for creating content for information and entertainment applications, will demonstrate a deskside CLARiiON JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) Fibre Channel disk array supporting Avid's MediaShare F/C fibre channel-based workgroup storage solution, which will provide workgroup storage for an Avid Media Composer nonlinear editing system. The configuration will feature a user-defined editing interface coupled with a powerful media management tool. Capabilities such as trimming split edits, audio crossfades, typing in a timecode to mark an in-point, as well as effects tasks such as compositing multiple video layers will be highlighted. Demonstration Center #3 - Multiplatform Storage Area Networking CLARiiON, together with Transoft Technology Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise-wide Multiplatform Storage Area Networking for digital content creation, will demonstrate a deskside CLARiiON FC5000 Fibre Channel RAID solution used in conjunction with Transoft StudioBOSS(tm) software. The demonstration will highlight the configuration's ability to support multiple streams of compressed or uncompressed video from network storage, making it an ideal solution for a number of nonlinear video, audio, animation, and graphics editing situations. Demonstration Center #4 - CLARiiON Navisphere Software CLARiiON will be demonstrating its Navisphere(tm) suite of software products, including Navisphere Event Monitor, Navisphere Supervisor, Navisphere Manager, Navisphere Organizer, and Navisphere Analyzer, for configuring, monitoring, and managing CLARiiON FC5500 Fibre Channel disk arrays distributed throughout an enterprise from any one single centralized point, located anywhere in the world. Demonstration Center #5 - The CLARiiON FC5000 Series Fibre Channel Disk Array Family CLARiiON will be demonstrating its FC5000 Series Fibre Channel disk array family, a powerful, flexible, highly scalable set of storage solutions for today's sophisticated enterprise applications, including those found in the video and broadcast industry. Featuring modular building blocks and parallel deployment, plus advanced Fibre Channel technology, the FC5000 Series forms the foundation for CLARiiON Multidimensional Storage Architecture(tm). The FC5000 Series provides an impressive range of storage solutions for the enterprise -- from simple JBOD configurations to multi-terabyte, highly available RAID storage pools delivering extraordinary performance for video and broadcast applications. Press Interviews: Press interviews with CLARiiON spokespeople are available from Monday, April 6 through Wednesday, April 8 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and Thursday April 9 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on CLARiiON high availability storage solutions for the video and broadcast industry. Contact: For further information, to set up an interview with a CLARiiON spokesperson, or to receive a full listing of CLARiiON strategic partners demonstrating CLARiiON storage solutions in their booth, please contact Nicole Gorman, CLARiiON Marketing Communications Manager, at 508/480-7203 or ngorman@clariion.com, or David Resnic, Brodeur Porter Novelli, at 617/587-2841 or dresnic@brodeur.com. -0- With more than 60,000 disk arrays and over 2 petabytes (2,000 terabytes) of usable RAID-protected storage shipped, CLARiiON is a leading supplier of advanced storage solutions to major computer system manufacturers, value-added storage resellers, and system integrators around the world. CLARiiON high availability solutions are based on Multidimensional Storage Architecture and feature a full range of flexible, scalable products for UNIX and Microsoft Windows NT platforms, including SCSI arrays, end-to-end Fibre Channel arrays, and enterprise storage management software. For more information regarding CLARiiON and its enterprise storage solutions, call 1-800-67-ARRAY, email info@clariion.com, or visit its home page at clariion.com. Data General Corporation, headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts, specializes in servers, storage systems, and related software and services for customers worldwide. The company reported revenues of $1.5 billion for fiscal 1997. Additional information on Data General Corp., its products, and its services is available on the Internet at dg.com. CLARiiON is a registered trademark of Data General Corporation. All brand and product names appearing in this press release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.