Rather than relying on the
internal (captive) storage found in a
NAS appliance, a NAS
gateway offers file-based accesses to
external storage on a disk array -- or a
SAN, where users can take advantage of
superior performance and reliability while maintaining a level
of simplicity. Since storage is moved off of the NAS device,
interoperability and connectivity are crucial issues, and
virtualization is increasingly important for superior scaling
and utilization of the storage resources. The product snapshots
in this chapter highlight key specifications for a cross section
of major NAS gateway products. The following products were
selected based on input from industry analysts and
SearchStorage.com editors, and specifications are current as of
August 2007.
The following specifications have been provided by vendors and
are periodically updated. Vendors are welcome to submit their
updates and new product specifications to
sbigelow@techtarget.com.
Go to the
first
product snapshot, or select the desired product below:
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Product Snapshot
#1
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Product:EMC Corp.; Celerra NS40G/NS80G NAS
gateway
Internal Storage:The EMC Celerra gateway systems
exclusively use external storage via a SAN connection to an EMC
CLARiiON and Symmetrix storage systems.
External Storage:The NS40G supports up to 32 TB usable
capacity per system. The NS80G supports up to 60 TB usable per
system.
Data Throughput:Maximum data throughput is dependent on
system configuration and operating environment. For specific
configuration and performance information, see the EMC systems
listed on www.spec.org.
RAID Support:The Celerra gateway systems provide
multiple RAID levels and disk types in a single array, and support
RAID levels 1, 3, 5, 6 and 10, depending on the storage
platform.
Onboard Cache:The NS40G has up to 8 GB of cache; the
NS80G has up to 24 GB
Management Tools:Management: EMC Celerra Manager (Base
or Advanced edition), Standard Microsoft Management tools (share
management, quotas etc), Celerra specific Microsoft Management
Console snap-ins, Command Line Interface, EMC Control Center,
Management frameworks such as HP Open View and Tivoli via SNMP
support; Archiving: Celerra FileMover (compatible with EMC and 3rd
party HSM applications such as EMC Disk Extender for NAS, EMC
Rainfinity, EMC Centera File Archiver, Arkivio auto-stor and Enigma
Data Systems SmartMove) Business Continuity and Availability:
Celerra Replicator, Celerra SnapSure; Resource Management: Celerra
Automated Volume Management with Thin Provisioning, Celerra
Manager, Celerra Multi-Path File System (MPFS/MPFSi), Smarts
Storage Insight for Availability; Anti-virus: EMC Celerra
Anti-Virus, compatible with many standard external AV Engines such
as MacAfee, Symantec etc.
Backup Features:Backup is through support of the
standard NDMP protocol, or network backups via multiple
commercially available backup products, such as EMC NetWorker,
Symantec NetBackup, CommVault Galaxy, HP OpenView, Atempo Time
Navigator, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) and many others.
Replication is supported as part of the back end CLARiiON and
Symmetrix storage systems.
Operating System:The Celerra products support NAS and
iSCSI access from clients running UNIX, Windows, Linux, Novell
(iSCSI only), Mac (NAS only)
File Systems Supported:The Celerra system ships with a
proprietary filesystem which supports multi-protocol access. From a
client perspective, the filesystem appears to be native Windows
(CIFS) or UNIX/Linux (NFS)
Network Protocols Supported:NFS v2, v3, v4, CIFS, FTP,
SNMP, NDMP, NTP, SNTP, TFTP, iSCSI
Connectivity:NS40G: 4 Copper Gigabit Ethernet ports per
blade or 2 Copper and 2 Optical GigE per blade, maximum 8 ports;
NS80G: 6 copper and 2 optical GigE ports per blade, 10GbE optical
port connectivity add on option for a maximum of up to 36
ports.
Form Factor:NS40G: 2U, fitting into a standard 19-inch
NEMA cabinet; NS80G: 9U, fitting into a standard 19-inch NEMA
cabinet
Vendor Comment:The Celerra gateways are
high-performance, full-function IP-storage platforms which deliver
NAS and iSCSI capabilities to consolidate application storage and
file servers. The Celerra gateway, SAN-connected to CLARiiON and
Symmetrix storage, is the most cost-effective way to leverage EMC
SAN environments. These capabilities distinguish Celerra technology
as the ideal foundation for an IP-based information lifecycle
management strategy, especially when leveraged in combination with
complementary technologies from EMC to deliver policy-based file
mobility and archiving (EMC DiskXtender software), dynamic file
virtualization (EMC Rainfinity software), performance optimization
(EMC MPFSi software), advanced network management (EMC Smarts
software), information classification and IT service management
(EMC Infoscape software ), and IP-based fixed content storage (EMC
Centera systems).
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:U.S. list pricing for EMC Celerra Gateways
begins at $33,000 USD
Detailed Specs:http://www.emc.com/celerra
Vendor URL:www.emc.com
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Product Snapshot
#2
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Product:EMC Corp.; Celerra NSX NAS gateway
Internal Storage:The EMC Celerra gateway systems
exclusively use external storage via a SAN connection to an EMC
CLARiiON and Symmetrix storage systems.
External Storage:The NSX supports up to 168 TB usable
per system
Data Throughput:Maximum data throughput is dependent on
system configuration and operating environment. For specific
configuration and performance information, see the EMC systems
listed on www.spec.org.
RAID Support:The Celerra gateway systems provide
multiple RAID levels and disk types in a single array, and support
RAID levels 1, 3, 5, 6 and 10, depending on the storage
platform.
Onboard Cache:The NSX has up to 28 GB
Management Tools:Management: EMC Celerra Manager (Base
or Advanced edition), Standard Microsoft Management tools (share
management, quotas etc), Celerra specific Microsoft Management
Console snap-ins, Command Line Interface, EMC Control Center,
Management frameworks such as HP Open View and Tivoli via SNMP
support; Archiving: Celerra FileMover (compatible with EMC and 3rd
party HSM applications such as EMC Disk Extender for NAS, EMC
Rainfinity, EMC Centera File Archiver, Arkivio auto-stor and Enigma
Data Systems SmartMove) Business Continuity and Availability:
Celerra Replicator, Celerra SnapSure; Resource Management: Celerra
Automated Volume Management with Thin Provisioning, Celerra
Manager, Celerra Multi-Path File System (MPFS/MPFSi), Smarts
Storage Insight for Availability; Anti-virus: EMC Celerra
Anti-Virus, compatible with many standard external AV Engines such
as MacAfee, Symantec etc.
Backup Features:Backup is through support of the
standard NDMP protocol, or network backups via multiple
commercially available backup products, such as EMC NetWorker,
Symantec NetBackup, CommVault Galaxy, HP OpenView, Atempo Time
Navigator, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) and many others.
Replication is supported as part of the back end CLARiiON and
Symmetrix storage systems.
Operating System:The Celerra products support NAS and
iSCSI access from clients running UNIX, Windows, Linux, Novell
(iSCSI only), Mac (NAS only)
File Systems Supported:The Celerra system ships with a
proprietary filesystem which supports multi-protocol access. From a
client perspective, the filesystem appears to be native Windows
(CIFS) or UNIX/Linux (NFS)
Network Protocols Supported:NFS v2, v3, v4, CIFS, FTP,
SNMP, NDMP, NTP, SNTP, TFTP, iSCSI
Connectivity:NSX: 6 Copper and 2 Optical Gigabit
Ethernet ports per blade and 1 10 GigE Optical, maximum 72
ports
Form Factor:NSX: Comes with cabinet, 75 in. height, 24
in. width, 41.5 in. depth
Vendor Comment:The Celerra gateways are
high-performance, full-function IP-storage platforms which deliver
NAS and iSCSI capabilities to consolidate application storage and
file servers. The Celerra NSX gateway, SAN-connected to CLARiiON
and Symmetrix storage, has industry leading performance and
advanced N+1 clustering to delvers data center class IP storage
capabilities. These capabilities distinguish Celerra technology as
the ideal foundation for an IP-based information lifecycle
management strategy, especially when leveraged in combination with
complementary technologies from EMC to deliver policy-based file
mobility and archiving (EMC DiskXtender software), dynamic file
virtualization (EMC Rainfinity software), performance optimization
(EMC MPFSi software), advanced network management (EMC Smarts
software), information classification and IT service management
(EMC Infoscape software ), and IP-based fixed content storage (EMC
Centera systems).
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:U.S. list pricing for EMC Celerra Gateways
begins at $33,000 USD
Detailed Specs:http://www.emc.com/celerra
Vendor URL:www.emc.com
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Product Snapshot
#3
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Product:Hewlett-Packard Co.; HP StorageWorks EFS
Clustered Gateway
Internal Storage:Up to 2.4 TB using 8 300 GB SAS
disks
External Storage:Over 1000TB of external SAN storage.
The EFS Clustered Gateway is compatible with any SAN
storage.
Data Throughput:Up to 6 GB/s
RAID Support:Yes; Supported RAID Levels: 0, 1, 5,
1+0
Onboard Cache:4 MB
Management Tools:HP Systems Insight Manager, HP Storage
Essentials
Backup Features:Snapshots, replication, remote copy. The
EFS Clustered Gateway is also supported by every major backup
software vendor.
Operating System:Windows Server 2003R2, Windows Storage
Server 2003R2, Suse Linux 9
File Systems Supported:PolyServe File System
Network Protocols Supported:FTP, NFS, CIFS,
HTTP
Connectivity:1Ge, 10Ge, 4 Gb Fibre Channel
Form Factor:2U
Vendor Comment:The HP EFS Clustered Gateway is a high
performance file server that provides high availability and
scalable performance. It leverages existing and/or new
heterogeneous SAN storage or iSCSI storage for either Linux or
Windows.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:$30,000 USD
Detailed Specs:http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/efs/index.html
Vendor URL:www.hp.com
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Product Snapshot
#4
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Product:IBM; N5000 Gateway
Internal Storage:No internal storage other than
cache, all storage is external.
External Storage:Up to 84 TB
Data Throughput:Not provided
RAID Support:RAID levels depend on capabilities of
attached external storage
Onboard Cache:Up to 8 GB
Management Tools:SecureAdmin, FilerView, FlexVol,
AutoSupport, FlexShare, reports into major higher level management
products
Backup Features:SnapVault, SnapMirror,
NDMP/NFS/CIFS/iSCSI
Operating System:Data ONTAP
File Systems Supported:WAFL (Write Anywhere File
Layout)
Network Protocols Supported:NFS V2/V3/V4 over UDP or
TCP; PCNFSD V1/V2 for (PC) NFS client authentication; CIFS; VLD;
FTP; HTTP 1.0, HTTP 1.1 virtual hosts
Connectivity:Up to 8 2Gb Fibre Channel (4 Gbps
available) and 8 1Gb Ethernet
Form Factor:19" rackable, 3U or 6U depending on
model
Vendor Comment:The IBM System Storage N5200 and N5600
storage controller gateways each include have a Model G10, a
single-node base unit, and the Model G20, a clustered,
high-availability, dual-node base unit. They are designed to
support entry-level and midrange customers requiring Network
Attached Storage (NAS), Internet Small Computer System Interface
(iSCSI) and Fiber Channel Protocol (FCP) attach.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:US list $34,650 to $54,450 depending on model
and number of nodes
Detailed Specs:http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/storage/network/n5000/gateway/
Vendor URL:www.ibm.com
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Product Snapshot
#5
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Product:IBM; N7000 Gateway
Internal Storage:No internal storage other than
cache, all storage is external
External Storage:Up to 504 TB
Data Throughput:Not provided
RAID Support:RAID levels are provided by the attached
external storage
Onboard Cache:Up to 4 GB
Management Tools:SecureAdmin, FilerView, FlexVol,
AutoSupport, FlexShare, reports into major higher level management
products
Backup Features:SnapVault, SnapMirror,
NDMP/NFS/CIFS/iSCSI
Operating System:Data ONTAP
File Systems Supported:WAFL (Write Anywhere File
Layout)
Network Protocols Supported:NFS V2/V3/V4 over UDP or
TCP; PCNFSD V1/V2 for (PC) NFS client authentication; CIFS; VLD;
FTP; HTTP 1.0, HTTP 1.1 virtual hosts
Connectivity:Up to 16 2Gb Fibre Channel (4 Gbps
available) and 12 1Gb Ethernet
Form Factor:19" rackable, 6U or 12U depending on
model
Vendor Comment:The IBM System Storage N7600 and N7800
storage controller gateways each include have a Model G10, a
single-node base unit, and the Model G20, a clustered,
high-availability, dual-node base unit. All models are designed to
provide fast data access, simultaneous multiprotocol support,
expandability, upgradability, and low maintenance
requirements.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:US list $113,500 to $170,000 depending on
model and number of nodes
Detailed Specs:http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/storage/network/n7000/gateway/
Vendor URL:www.ibm.com
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Product Snapshot
#6
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Product:Neopath Networks Inc.; File Director
220
Internal Storage:Six 146GB Ultra SCSI disks
External Storage:Not provided
Data Throughput:Up to 50,000 IOPS
RAID Support:RAID-5
Onboard Cache:Not provided
Management Tools:Web-based management GUI via HTTPS or a
command-line interface via SSH. An SNMP MIB is also
provided.
Backup Features:Not provided
Operating System:NetApp, EMC, Solaris, Windows,
Linux
File Systems Supported:Not provided
Network Protocols Supported:NFS, CIFS
Connectivity:6 GbE ports
Form Factor:2U
Vendor Comment:NeoPath's File Director family of file
virtualization appliances helps organizations utilize file storage
more effectively. The File Director 220 with SMARTtouch software,
create a virtualized namespace that enables companies to implement
heterogeneous global namespace, perform non-disruptive file
migrations, consolidate file servers and aggregate storage servers
across departmental-level to enterprise data centers.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:$45,000 USD
Detailed Specs:http://www.neopathnetworks.com/products
Vendor URL:www.neopathnetworks.com
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Product Snapshot
#7
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Product:Neopath Networks Inc.; File Director
7200
Internal Storage:Two 73 GB SAS disks/blade
External Storage:Not provided
Data Throughput:Up to 500,000 IOPS
RAID Support:RAID-1
Onboard Cache:Not provided
Management Tools:Web-based management GUI via HTTPS or a
command-line interface via SSH. An SNMP MIB is also
provided.
Backup Features:Not provided
Operating System:NetApp, EMC, Solaris, Windows,
Linux
File Systems Supported:Not provided
Network Protocols Supported:NFS, CIFS
Connectivity:4 GbE ports/blade
Form Factor:7U
Vendor Comment:NeoPath's File Director family of file
virtualization appliances helps organizations utilize file storage
more effectively. The high-density blade-server File Director 7200,
based on Dell blade server technology, with SMARTtouch software,
create a virtualized namespace that enables companies to implement
heterogeneous global namespace, perform non-disruptive file
migrations, consolidate file servers and aggregate storage servers
across departmental-level to enterprise data centers.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:$90,000
Detailed Specs:http://www.neopathnetworks.com/products
Vendor URL:www.neopathnetworks.com
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Product Snapshot
#8
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Product:Network Appliance Inc.; V-Series NAS
gateway
Internal Storage:504 TB
External Storage:504 TB
Data Throughput:See test results:
http://www.spec.org/osg/sfs97r1/results/sfs97r1.html
RAID Support:Yes
Onboard Cache:Not provided
Management Tools:MultiStore, SnapMover, SnapDrive,
SnapManager for Microsoft Exchange, SnapManager for Microsoft SQL
Server, Single Mailbox Recovery, VFM (Virtual File Manager),
SnapValidator, FlexClone, FlexCache. DataFabric Manager,
SecureAdmin, ApplianceWatch for HP OpenView, ApplianceWatch for
Tivoli, HiScan Agent for HDS HiCommand (applicable only to HDS
arrays)
Backup Features:NetApp V-Series systems support a range
of data protection software including: SnapRestore, SnapMirror,
SnapVault, SnapLock Enterprise, LockVault Enterprise
Operating System:Network Appliance Data ONTAP® 7G
software
File Systems Supported:FC SAN, IP SAN, and NAS
Network Protocols Supported:File and block
Connectivity:Not provided
Form Factor:6U and 12U
Vendor Comment:NetApp V-Series systems seamlessly
integrate into mission-critical enterprise class SAN
infrastructures, allowing users to deliver NAS as well as block
solutions, while dramatically increasing utilization of your
infrastructure. Companies gain the advantages of enterprise Fibre
Channel storage connectivity without the costs of physically
connecting each host to the SAN infrastructure, thereby optimizing
storage usage and preserving future scalability. The NetApp
V-Series product line also supports a broad range of IBM, Hitachi
Limited, and HP storage subsystems, including the IBM Enterprise
Storage Server (ESS) series, IBM TotalStorage DS4000 series,
Hitachi Limited SANRISE, and HP StorageWorks XP series.
Availability:Currently available
Base Cost:Pricing varies based on deployment
Detailed Specs:http://www.netapp.com/products/v-series/
Vendor URL:www.netapp.com
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Product Snapshot
#9
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Product:ONStor, Inc.; ONStor, Inc.; Bobcat Series NAS
Gateway
Internal Storage:No internal storage. Nodes are
completely stateless
External Storage:40,000 TB, SATA, SATA, or FC disk from
ONStor, EMC, HDS, 3PAR, HP, Compellent, Xiotech, Nexsan
Data Throughput:Up to 300GB/sec per node, 2.4GB/sec per
cluster
RAID Support:RAID is supported on external
storage
Onboard Cache:2 GB to 8 GB
Management Tools:Single-pane-of-glass graphical user
interface manages entire cluster; includes capacity and performance
reporting, and remote monitoring and support
capabilities.
Backup Features:Snapshot, disk-to-disk data replication,
NAS system replication, including replication of virtual
servers.
Operating System:Client support includes Windows, Unix,
Linux, Mac
File Systems Supported:Integrated 64 bit file system;
100TB/file system; up to 400 file systems per cluster.
Network Protocols Supported:CIFS, NFS
Connectivity:Four GigE ports, two 2Gb FC ports
Form Factor:1U per node; 8U for a fully populated
cluster
Vendor Comment:Industry's broadest storage
interoperability; incorporates virtualization that enables
completely non-disruptive growth from 1 node to 8 node
clusters.
Availability:Currently availability
Base Cost:Starts at $20,000 USD including all required
software
Detailed Specs:http://www.onstor.com/bobcat_series.php
Vendor URL:www.onstor.com
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Product Snapshot
#10
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Product:Sun Microsystems Inc.; StorageTek 5320 NAS
Gateway
Internal Storage:Not provided
External Storage:Supports the following arrays: ST6140,
ST6540, SE6130, ST6920, SE9970, SE9980, ST9985, ST9990, FLX 210,
240, 280, 380. Capacity is as per the back-end array
specifications.
Data Throughput:Not provided
RAID Support:RAID-5 (all StorageTek 5000 Family
models)
Onboard Cache:Memory 4 GB DDR1/400 ECC registered
DRAM
Management Tools:Intuitive, browser-based GUI Interface
with wizard-driven menus; Optional CLI; Sun StorageTek Compliance
Archiving software addresses the most stringent regulatory
requirements for electronic storage media retention and
protection.
Backup Features:Not provided
Operating System:Not provided
File Systems Supported:File system 64-bit journaling
file system, checkpoints, online extensible/expandable capacity,
NTFS streams support, quotas: user, group, and directory tree,
Unicode
Network Protocols Supported:CIFS/SMB, NetBIOS, NFS v2
and v3, FTP Block access protocol iSCSI target; Directory and name
services ADS (LDAP, Kerberos v5), NT 4.0 multiple master; domains
(MMD), DNS, WINS, NIS, NIS+, local files; Network services DHCP,
NTP, RDATE, network status monitor
Connectivity:Four standard 10/100/1000 BaseT Ethernet
ports; Up to 2 optional dual-port 10/100/1000 BaseT or Optical
Gigabit Ethernet NICs; One optional Ultra 320 SCSI multimode
(SE/LVD); Two USB ports (bottom for UPS connection, top for factory
use only); Five internal PCI-X 64 bit (3 available for expansion);
Two dual-port 2-Gb/sec FC HBAs
Form Factor:Enclosure Fits into a standard 19-inch
rack
Vendor Comment:Not provided
Availability:Not provided
Base Cost:Not provided
Detailed Specs:Not provided
Vendor URL:www.sun.com
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