A product that combines the best features of network-attached
storage (NAS) and storage area networks (San) has been launched by
US company FalconStor Software, writes Nicholas Enticknap
IPStor is a software package that allows application servers to
access virtualised storage over both IP and Fibre Channel networks.
It permits both San-type block-level and NAS-type file-level
sharing over the same hardware infrastructure.
IPStor comes with a suite of management tools. It runs under Linux
on Intel-based servers. FalconStor is working with Fujitsu to port
the software to the Sparc-Solaris platform.
FalconStor was founded last year by former executives of Cheyenne
Software to develop products that would enable access to storage
over IP networks.
Garry Briggs, FalconStor's European general manager, believes
IPStor will open up a new market for Sans. "I see 90% of our
opportunity being with people who don't have a San yet, because of
the cost of going to Fibre Channel," he said.
FalconStor's products will be supplied in the UK by Sagitta
Performance Systems.