StorageTek Demonstrates Real-World Storage Area Network Applications at Annual User Conference
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 1998--
Scalable, Manageable And Intelligent SANs Ideal
For Data-Intensive Applications
At its Forum user conference here today, StorageTek(R) (Storage Technology Corp., NYSE:STK), the preeminent provider of network storage, demonstrated several new applications over intelligent storage area networks (SANs). Performing the business-critical functions of data backup, clustering for high availability and scaling disk capacity, StorageTek clearly demonstrated how software intelligence engineered into storage area networks enables them to outperform typical server-attached storage.
Information-hungry applications, from decision support systems to Web serving, are driving the need for advanced storage architectures. Storage management in these data-intensive environments can overwhelm even the most robust production networks. By building intelligent, dedicated, high-speed SANs, StorageTek is making it possible for customers to scale their storage without adding costly processors, while relieving the bandwidth crunch caused by relying on servers and production networks to move and back up data.
StorageTek's intelligent SAN approach ensures that customers can control and more easily manage booming storage capacities. Drawing upon years of storage and networking experience, StorageTek's SANs will be designed to allow information sharing between open systems and mainframe environments in the future, so that any client or server can access any file within the organization, regardless of where it is stored.
"Today's demonstrations showcase our unique experience in disk and tape storage systems, networking, software and services to deliver end-to-end solutions to our customers," said Joan Wrabetz, vice president and general manager of StorageTek's Storage Networking Business Group. "At the end of the day, SANs should ensure delivery of the right information to the right place. We've started from an 'information-centric' viewpoint to ensure that result, while helping customers control costs and effectively manage their storage environments."
The SAN demonstrations at Forum cut across three key areas of storage management:
Dynamic Storage Allocation
Traditional SCSI environments require each tape drive to be attached and dedicated to an open systems server. This application lets customers take full advantage of recentralizing servers by sharing a single, data center-class 97XX series automated tape library across multiple hosts. By sharing the tape drive and automating the backup process, customers can reduce their total cost of ownership.
At the center of this SAN is StorageTek's Access Hub, a 32-port intelligent Fibre Channel device that provides an open infrastructure to automatically configure the network based upon changing storage needs. The demonstration also utilizes StorageTek's OPENstorage(TM) 91XX family of Fibre Channel disk arrays, and StorageTek's library is connected to the Fibre Channel SAN with the StorageNet(TM) Bridge 3100. StorageTek's own REEL software, as well as VERITAS NetBackup and other popular backup applications, are integrated with the Access Hub's software intelligence to create virtual loops, backing up each server while maximizing available SAN bandwidth.
Storage On-Demand
When applications run out of disk space, business operations can come to a halt. Many storage administrators have been paged at night and called into work to fix the problem. In addition, SCSI-based systems may require the storage administrator to bring down the system before adding more storage capacity. StorageTek's intelligent Access Hub can be managed remotely from a graphical, Web-based interface to add, reassign and allocate storage resources to match application requirements. StorageTek's OPENstorage 91XX family of Fibre Channel arrays is the featured disk storage for this application demonstration.
BUSINESS RESUMPTION
Clustering has become commonplace for ensuring highly available open systems that approach the stringent uptime requirements of data center operations. In the demonstrated cluster of Windows NT servers, storage is able to match the availability of servers, supporting operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With SAN clusters, customers can realize significant advantages over SCSI-based clusters. Fibre Channel SAN connections allow customers to place storage up to 10 kilometers from servers to survive local disasters. In addition, Fibre Channel's high data transfer speeds greatly improve the restoration of critical business services.
About StorageTek
StorageTek is the preeminent provider of network storage. The company's products and services are used to store, transport and secure more than 100 petabytes of the world's information, ranging from mainframe data to client/server applications to video, audio and still images. The company (Storage Technology Corp., NYSE:STK), based in Louisville, Colo., reported earnings of $232 million on revenue of $2.1 billion in 1997. Information on StorageTek is available on the World Wide Web at storagetek.com or phone at 1-800-STORTEK.
TRADEMARKS: StorageTek is a registered trademark of Storage Technology Corporation. OPENstorage and StorageNet are trademarks of Storage Technology Corporation. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT:
StorageTek
David Reid
(303) 673-4815
david_reid@storagetek.com
or
Applied Communications
Don Gentile
(650) 375-8881 x232
dgentile@appliedcom.com |
