Something "nStor" For Storage - AdminiStor Plus from nStor Technologies - Product Announcement

Computer Technology Review, April, 2001 by Nick Schultz

nStor Technologies has shown what is in store for storage with the release of its AdminiStor Plus, a new RAID configuration and storage management software suite fully integrated for use with nStor storage solutions. Its advanced capabilities give customers the ability to configure, monitor, and manage their nStor storage resources via web browsers on a LAN/SAN network or over the Internet. The provider of integrated, enterprise-class storage solutions for computing operations that include Windows NT, Windows 2000, Unix, and Linux platforms expects AdminiStor to reduce the costs associated with storage management.

A typical network today has several servers running different types of operating systems, storage systems, and workstations, making storage monitoring in these environments a difficult task," said Jim Fernandes, AdminiStor product manager in a recent press release. "AdminiStor Plus simplifies the task by giving users the ability to view and manage storage resources from anywhere in the world via web browsers over the Internet or Intranet. Users can choose to view the storage as individual units, or opt for a centralized view of all resources in the SAN."

The sofware suite consists of four modules, including: AdminiStor Host; which systematically monitors all programs; AdminiStor Server, which coordinates and monitors database activity; AdminiStor GUI, which provides browser access to system administrators; and AdminiStor Data Base, which logs all events in chronological order. Amongst its features are support for heterogeneous environments--Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Solaris (Sparc), and Linux operating systems--, integration with nStor storage solutions, and local and/or remote access by system administrators. Also included is the setup of any standard RAID configuration without interruption of server operations, full monitoring of component health via SES and SAF-TE industry standards, full Logical Unit Mapping (LUN), and a permanent database that provides means for tracking problem areas, balancing storage usage, and scheduling routine maintenance. AdminiStor Plus concurrently monitors all devices within a "storage pool" and allows for full RAID configuration capabilities from the same interface GUI.