Windows-Based Gateways Provide End-to-End IP for LANs and SANs, Eliminate Internal Drives as Points of Failure
Hayward, CA — March 25, 2008 – StoneFly, Inc., a leading supplier of integrated IP storage area network (SAN) systems and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dynamic Network Factory, Inc. (DNF), today introduced StoneFlex™, a new line of Windows-based, network-attached storage (NAS) gateways designed for use with all StoneFly IP SANs to provide scalable, flexible and robust file serving. Three StoneFlex models are now available, including entry level, standard and enterprise systems, with the enterprise model supporting clustering for up to eight nodes.
The diskless StoneFlex systems boot directly from the SAN, taking advantage of hardware iSCSI initiators to simplify storage administration and eliminate internal drives as a point of failure, while also providing the file server with maximum resources to support client connections and requests.
According to Bahman Jalali, director of product management for StoneFly, StoneFlex was developed for enterprise customers looking to augment their IT environments with both SAN storage and file servers. “The gateways allow end-to-end IP deployment across the LAN and the SAN,” Jalali said. “In addition, because they are diskless, they eliminate points of failure for customers who boot all of their servers from the SAN.”
Each system includes StoneFly Volume Snapshot Service (VSS) agents, which integrate with Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Copy Service to ensure data protection and eliminate interruptions to disk access when snapshots are taken. The StoneFlex systems also take advantage of Microsoft Multipath I/O (MPIO) to allow tight Windows integration and multiple connections to the LAN and the iSCSI storage network for enhanced redundancy, availability and performance. To support higher bandwidth networks, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GigE) configurations are also available as an option with StoneFlex.
The entry-level StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1e model features a high-speed, 64-bit quad-core processor and 2GB ECC fully buffered system memory. It supports Windows Storage Server R2 and offers dual Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for NAS connectivity, and dual Gigabit Ethernet connectivity with remote from the StoneFly IP SAN. The StoneFly VSS Agent capability is available for a single server.
The standard StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1s is similar in design, but offers 4GB of ECC fully buffered system memory and dual high-speed, 64-bit quad-core processors. The enterprise-level StoneFlex NAS Gateway M1h comes with all of the standard model features, including dual high-speed, 64-bit quad-core processors, but its ECC fully buffered system memory is increased to 8GB. In addition, it features an internal DVD ROM and floppy disk drives as well as load-sharing, 650-watt hot-swappable dual redundant power supplies with PFC. It also offers clustering for up to eight nodes.
With suggested list prices ranging from US$5,000 to $11,000, the StoneFlex NAS Gateway systems are immediately available through StoneFly’s worldwide reseller network. They are compatible with StoneFly’s wide variety of IP SANs for Windows environments, ranging from entry-level, IP SAN-in-a-box systems, to modular high-availability, high-capacity IP SANs.
About StoneFly, Inc. and Dynamic Network Factory, Inc.
StoneFly, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, was founded in April 2000 to deliver upon the vision of simple and affordable storage optimization and disaster recovery protection through IP SAN solutions. StoneFly is a subsidiary of Dynamic Network Factory, Inc. (DNF), a leading maker of high-performance network attached storage, storage area networks, RAID and iSCSI systems. For more information on StoneFly, please visitwww.stonefly.com or www.iscsi.com.
Founded in 1989, Dynamic Network Factory, Inc. (DNF) is a privately held company based in the Silicon Valley (Hayward, Ca.). DNF carries a variety of products to assist companies in meeting their mission-critical storage needs with cost-effective, high performance solutions. DNF started as a U.S. subsidiary of the publicly traded Japanese IT conglomerate, CSK Electronics, in 1989. In 1998, the company refined its strategy and began to focus the hardware group on storage solutions. Within a year, DNF’s rapid growth resulted in its emergence as an independent, privately held spin-off. DNF has thousands of customers ranging from consumers and small-to-medium businesses, to government agencies, universities, hospitals, financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies. In 2006, DNF completed its acquisition of StoneFly Networks, an iSCSI storage pioneer and developer of complete, turnkey IP SAN solutions. For more information, visitwww.DNFcorp.com
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StoneFly, StoneFusion, StoneFly Reflection, StoneFly Snapshot, StoneFlex and Storage Concentrator are trademarks or registered trademarks and the property of StoneFly, Inc. All other company and product names contained herein are property of their respective owners.