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Quantum upgrades big data storage to StorNext 5

By Antony Adshead

Quantum has announced an upgrade to its StorNext range of big data-targeted file management appliances based around a rewrite of its operating software.

Version 5 of StorNext promises an increase in scalability to five billion files with a 10x boost in performance as a result of the operating software being re-engineered for better cache management and multi-threaded CPU operations.

The StorNext range of appliances comprises:

• M Series metadata appliances
  These are the brains of the StorNext environment, maintaining the file system, creating shared data pools and managing access to and location of files, as well as tiering/migrating data to StorNext disk and tape resources. Four models exist with differing options for on-board storage, connectivity and numbers of clients they can support;
• Q Series hardware
  These Fibre Channel-connected disk storage arrays are the primary storage tier in the StorNext world, with models that range from the maximum 173TB QX-2400 to the 1.1PB QD6000 with nearline-SAS and 10,000rpm SAS drives;
• AEL series tape archives
  For the longest-term storage, AEL series tape archives are configurable up to thousands of slots, with StorNext Storage Manager tiering and management software.

Protocol options include SAN and NAS with support for Quantum’s Lattus object storage, the LTFS tape archive file system, and the cloud.

The StorNext range is aimed at big data and particularly big file applications ranging from medical research through movie production to oil and gas exploration.

StorNext 5 appliances will be available in December 2013, with software-only products available in 2014.