EMC has upgraded all its disc arrays and
network-attached storage (Nas) devices, as well as some of its key
storage management applications.
The roll-out includes the second generation of EMC's high-end
Symmetrix DMX arrays, which debuted last February. Raw storage
capacity remains unchanged at 84TBytes, but EMC said it increased
the speed of the processor built into the arrays to 1GHz, doubled
the amount of cache memory to 256GBytes and added 15,000 rpm fibre
channel disc drives.
EMC is also introducing an NS700 Nas device with a file server
head that can be removed and used as a gateway between servers and
storage area networks, in addition to upgraded models of its
Clariion midrange arrays.
The latest hardware and software supports EMC's emerging
information lifecycle management (ILM) strategy, which is designed
to provide tools that can migrate data to different types of
storage devices automatically and manage it from creation to
deletion.
EMC said one of the key ILM-related upgrades being announced is
the addition of support for the Storage Management Interface
Specification to its management software.
SMI-S is a set of common models and protocols designed to let
storage management applications control storage devices made by
different hardware suppliers. EMC is adding SMI-S compliance to
Symmetrix models that date to 1997, and to Clariion arrays from
2000 on, said Chuck Hollis, vice-president of platform
marketing.
Peter Gerr, an analyst at Enterprise Storage Group, said SMI-S
support is important for EMC because some of its top storage rivals
have already announced compliant products.
Gerr added that he was impressed by EMC's ability to choreograph
a complete product relaunch while it absorbs three major software
suppliers it has either bought or agreed to acquire since July.
"Anyone who thought their binge of software acquisitions was
going to distract them from their bread-and-butter business of
selling world-class storage systems is wrong," he said. "This
reinforces the fact that they're still a storage company."
Lucas Mearian writes for Computerworld