On June 19, 2001, VERITAS Software and Sun Microsystems announced a joint Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliance solution, based on Sun servers, Sun Solaris operating system, and VERITAS SERVPoint appliance software. This NAS solution will be sold by channel partners in pretested and preconfigured packages for easy installation and support by the indirect sales channel. Specifically, GE Access and MOCA have been selected as master resellers for this solution.
Hardware:
The solution is designed as an appliance, with three choices of Sun servers initially:
- Sun Enterprise 220R (rack-mounted, up to 2 UltraSPARC II processors)
- Sun Enterprise 420R (rack-mounted, up to 4 UltraSPARC II processors)
- Sun Enterprise 4500 (stand alone server, up to 14 UltraSPARC II processors)
Single-server and High Availability (clustered) solutions are available.
Sun T3 storage arrays are used to provide 500 GB to 10 TB of capacity. Additional capacities may be offered. The T3 arrays are connected to the Sun servers via Fibre Channel arbitrated loop technology. In the high availability configuration, Sun-branded Fibre Channel loop switches are used to connect the T3 arrays to the servers.
Software
Software includes the Sun Solaris 8 operating system with the VERITAS SERVPoint NAS appliance software.
The VERITAS SERVPoint NAS software bundle includes the following VERITAS products:
- Volume Manager (VxVM)
- File System (VxFS)
- NetBackup
- NDMP server
- Volume Replicator
- Scheduler tool for extended copy functions
- Optimized SAMBA server for CIFS support
- Extensions to VxFS to incorporate Microsoft Windows NT/2000 Security ACLs
- Cluster Server (for the High Availability configuration, supporting up to 32 nodes)
Evaluator Group Comments:
This solution allows resellers to participate in the NAS marketplace with name-brand products. The value with this solution appears to rest primarily in the VERITAS software stack provided with this solution by providing transparent support for UNIX and Windows NT/2000 clients along with well-known volume, file, backup and cluster management.
This solution may cause some confusion in the Sun sales channels. This packaged solution is basically the same as the Sun N8000 NAS offerings. The extensions to VxFS to incorporate Microsoft Windows NT/2000 Security ACLs, is an excellent addition not available on the Sun N8000 family.
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To view another analysis and commentary in this month's review series from the Evaluator Group, go to http://www.searchStorage.com/tip/1,289483,sid5_gci754174,00.html
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