Storage: Scalable Fibre Channel Network RAID Storage System: Clocking in at a Staggering 185MB/sec

EDGE, On & About AT&T, July 27, 1998

DataDirect Networks Inc., leading the industry into the era of high-performance network data access for image-intensive applications, Last week unveiled the next generation high-performance, scalable network RAID -- the EV-5000.

The MegaDrive EV-5000 Fibre Channel Network RAID System is a cross-platform, network data access storage solution optimized for image-intensive Digital Media applications, Internet applications and intense online transaction processing (OLTP).

Based on the next generation E-8 LVD (introduced this week at Siggraph) and the latest in Ultra2 SCSI technology (Low Voltage Differential), the EV-5000 Fibre Channel Network RAID System is twice as fast as its predecessor, the EV-1000.

185MB/sec. demonstrated sustained throughput provides IS professionals with massive cross-scalability and modular flexibility (scalability in terms of performance, capacity and platforms).

EV-5000 systems can be upgraded from a single Fibre Channel controller to multiple controller sets for performance of more than 2GB/sec. RAID level performance can be scaled to mix-and-match levels simultaneously and to provide the advantage of on-the-fly RAID level migration. The 500MB/sec. RAID Engine and 480MB/sec. LVD drive channel throughput supports maximum Fibre Channel performance and scalability over multiple platforms.

The MegaDrive EV-5000 capacity can be scaled as easily as performance. The EV-5000 broad capacity range is derived from its controller and storage array design which supports configurations from 36GB to 3.8 Terabytes of online, high availability storage. This massively scalable product integrates easily into existing networks and complements the power of Silicon Graphics, Sun, IBM RS/6000, DEC Alpha, Windows NT and Macintosh servers and workstations.

In addition, the MegaDrive EV-5000 provides the key component for customers to begin implementing DataDirect Networks' revolutionary CDNA architecture. CDNA combines the traditional attributes of high-quality MegaDrive storage systems with the connectivity and distributed file access benefits of network data access.

DataDirect Networks delivers networks for the new millenium. Leading the industry into the era of high performance data access solutions, the company's systems are designed specifically to address the most demanding requirements of high performance, cross-platform shared data access, network computing, and integrated data management services.

The company's focus is on data access solutions for high-performance, image intensive network computing that eliminate performance bottlenecks, remove the barriers to collaborative processing and offer uncompromised data integrity and data management capabilities. FMI: http://www.datadirectnet.com.