Rackable Systems adds new NAS to line

Rackable Systems has added to its line of NAS solutions with its new S3116-NAS server appliance. The new NAS server is designed for datacenters looking for a high-performance SATA system at an affordable price, according to Geoffrey Noer, senior director of storage products at Rackable Systems. “Companies using expensive Fibre Channel-based storage can migrate older projects to a lower-cost Rackable Systems NAS,” Noer said. Other uses include disk-based backup, small and medium business workgroups, and applications such as seismic processing and video rendering, he said.

Rackable’s new system includes redundant power and cooling fans and can handle up to 4TB of storage. The S3116-NAS includes a fully-integrated NAS software layer from Mountain View Data. Other software features include file-system-level snapshots, online file system expansion, hardware and software RAID, support for Unix, Linux, Windows and Macintosh clients, and a Web-based user interface. The new product is part of a new, formal OEM agreement between Rackable and Mountain View Data.

Businesses are moving to NAS systems quickly as prices come down and the need for new storage options increases, according to IDC. The NAS market will grow, IDC estimates, to $3.1 billion by 2008, up from $1.8 billion last year. “The emergence of commoditization in the storage market is driving the development of competitive, lower-cost NAS solutions,” said Brad Nisbet, storage program manager at IDC.

The S3116-NAS is available immediately, with prices starting around $20,000, according to company officials.