Quantum to Expand StorNext Appliance Family to Simplify Big Data File Sharing and Archiving

Quantum Corp. (NYSE:QTM), the leading global specialist in backup, recovery and archive, today announced it is adding new products to its StorNext^® appliance family. The expanded family will use the power of StorNext and market-leading hardware to offer predictable high-performance file sharing and archiving in purpose-built configurations of metadata controllers, expansion appliances and disk, and archive enabled libraries. The StorNext solutions will be simple to deploy and architected to deliver scalable, industry-leading performance; drive lower operational costs; and provide a flexible, open system for enabling third-party applications. The new products will also work seamlessly with traditional StorNext software and partner hardware offerings to offer additional options for building a shared SAN and scale-out NAS environment. Quantum’s StorNext appliances are intended to serve a wide range of markets where the highest performance and lowest long-term cost for sharing big data files – such as streaming rich media content or large analytical data files is a critical part of the operational workflow.

Quantum will showcase its StorNext software and appliances in Hall 7, booth G30 at the IBC 2011 Conference held in the Amsterdam RAI on 8-13 September.

High-performance metadata controllers

• The recently announced StorNext M330 is the first in a series of metadata controller appliances from Quantum. The StorNext M330 appliance is ideal for mid-range performance requirements in the most demanding rich media environments. Future releases will address additional performance use cases.
• Metadata controller appliances serve as the foundation for StorNext functionality in a high-performance shared SAN. The appliances deliver the proven speed, scalability, and archive-ready capabilities of StorNext in a simple, flexible and extensible platform.
• By separating metadata from data input/output (I/O) processing, Quantum’s metadata controller appliances enable predictable enterprise scale and performance, which can be increased independently from capacity, while reducing in-house operations cost.

Expansion appliances and disk

• These purpose-built system attachments will be designed to easily add greater performance and allow users to scale their StorNext environments.
• The StorNext G300 Scale-Out Gateway Appliance with unlimited StorNext LAN client licensing will deliver streaming client performance beyond any traditional scale-out NAS solution in the industry. 1 GbE and 10 GbE models will offer high-performance and resilient data sharing over an IP network. A conversion kit between the 1 GbE and 10 GbE models will be available to provide investment protection. Additionally, automated load balancing between multiple StorNext G300s will be a standard feature, offering customers availability and optimal performance.
• The scalable StorNext QM1200, QS1200 and QD6000 Storage Systems will be optimised, validated, and supported by Quantum for use in StorNext environments.
  The StorNext QM1200 Storage System will be ideal as fast disk for metadata. The StorNext QS1200 – with its 600 GB 15K drives – is designed for small primary data pools. The StorNext QD6000 will scale to over 1 PB of data in a single array, allowing dense 3 TB drives with 180 TB per 4U – and delivering industry-leading, single-streaming write/read performance. Customers will also be able to use the scalable StorNext QD6000 in any storage tier to enable StorNext Storage Manager™’s automated tiering capabilities.

Fast, economical archives

• Quantum’s unique enterprise StorNext Archive Enabled Library tightly integrates policy-based data management and archiving software to automatically and continuously monitor and validate archived tape integrity. If a low quality suspect tape is discovered, the appliance uses the power of StorNext Storage Manager to automatically migrate content from the suspect tape to a new tape, and make the content accessible.
• The StorNext Archive Enabled Libraries are available with a slot-based pricing model that enables cost-effective capacity growth and long-term investment protection for future LTO tape standards such as LTO-6.
• The StorNext Archive Enabled Libraries can be purchased with as few as 41 activated slots or as many as 5,000 activated slots, protecting data sets that can range from 60 TB to over 7.5 PB.

Product availability

The StorNext M330 Metadata Controller and enterprise StorNext Archive Enabled Library are available now from Quantum, as well as from its worldwide channel and distribution partners. The StorNext QD6000, StorNext QS1200 and StorNext QM1200 Storage Systems will be available in CQ4’11. The mid-range archive enabled library will be available in CQ4’11, with follow-on delivery of the archive enablement feature to customers in 1H2012. The StorNext G300 Scale-Out Gateway Appliance will be available in CQ1’12.

Supporting quote

Janae Stow Lee, senior vice president, filesystem and archive product group, Quantum: “We’ve taken our industry-proven StorNext software and incorporated it into a family of powerful scale-out appliances that can tackle the growing problem of managing big data files. The new StorNext offerings will bring greater flexibility, unparalleled high-performance, and long-term cost effectiveness to a shared SAN or NAS environment – something that no other vendor can provide.”

Additional resources

• Read more about Quantum’s expanded StorNext appliance offerings: http://www.quantum.com/products/DataManagement/index.aspx
• Discover the automated features of a StorNext Archive Enabled Library: http://www.quantum.com/products/DataManagement/StorNextAEL/index.aspx
• Understand how the StorNext M330 metadata controller appliance manages and shares big data: http://www.quantum.com/stornextm330
• Learn more about the StorNext File System and StorNext Storage Manager: http://www.quantum.com/products/software/stornext/index.aspx
• Follow the latest Quantum StorNext happenings on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stornext
• Join the Quantum StorNext conversation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stornext

About Quantum

Quantum Corp. (NYSE:QTM) is the leading global specialist in backup, recovery, and archive. From small businesses to multinational enterprises, more than 50,000 customers trust Quantum to solve their data protection, retention and management challenges. Quantum’s best-of-breed, open systems solutions provide significant storage efficiencies and cost savings while minimising risk and protecting prior investments. They include three market-leading, highly scalable platforms: DXi^®-Series disk-based deduplication and replication systems for fast backup and restore, Scalar^® tape automation products for disaster recovery and long-term data retention, and StorNext^® data management software and appliances for high-performance file sharing and archiving. Quantum Corp., 1650 Technology Drive, Suite 800, San Jose, CA 95110, (408) 944-4000, www.quantum.com.

Quantum, the Quantum logo, DXi, Scalar, StorNext and StorNext Storage Manager are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.