Dot Hill Unveils Newest RAID Storage Architecture
Dot Hill Systems Corp. today unveiled its next-generation RAID storage architecture. Dot Hill's ninth-generation storage controller platform will be introduced across its entire entry level and midrange portfolio, with product-specific announcements to come in the months ahead.
The technology includes numerous new features and first-to-market innovations:
- Converged Network Interface
- Leading edge 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb iSCSI, and 12Gb SAS connectivity
- ASIC based RAID Companion Processor
- Forward and backward meta data compatibility
- Full Disk Encryption (FDE) support
- Flash SSD drive support
- Full complement of Data Management Software
A significant aspect of the dramatic performance gains realized from this platform is the Dot Hill RAID Companion Processor (RCP), implemented as a system-on-a-chip, into this architecture. Previously, the RCP was implemented with field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology; the ASIC implementation provides Dot Hill with a distinct advantage in manufacturing costs and allows the company to deliver very high performance storage systems at competitive prices.
Configuration Flexibility
QLogic - Leveraging QLogic's FlexSuite dual-personality adapter technology, this is the industry's first storage array architecture to support midrange solutions with the flexibility to run on 16Gb Gen 5 Fibre Channel, 8Gb Fibre Channel, 4Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb iSCSI and 1Gb iSCSI networks using the same hardware.
LSI - Incorporating SAS controller technology from LSI, the new Dot Hill platform also serves as the foundation for very high performance direct attached solutions with eight ports of 12Gb SAS connectivity. Increasingly, applications including cloud storage services, big data, and HPC are utilizing high bandwidth SAS interfaces as an efficient solution for storage connectivity.
Data Security Through Full Disk Encryption
The Dot Hill platform also includes support for HGST and Seagate Full Disk Encryption (FDE). Self-encrypting drives encrypt every write operation and decrypt every read operation without user intervention. With drive-level protection of data, FDE drives remain fully protected even if they are stolen, taken out of service, or repurposed.
Innovation that Enables Flexibility
This new platform will enable the next generation of storage systems to help customers in general purpose markets and specific vertical markets solve their storage problems and improve business competitiveness. The technology that Dot Hill has developed enables a range of storage products utilizing a common architecture that serve customers across price bands 2 through 6 with a seamlessly scalable family of systems. The first products will be announced this year for both OEM and Dot Hill branded channel customers. Privately branded configurations for one of our large OEM's are currently shipping worldwide. Compatible with existing AssuredSAN products, the new products enable easy update-in-place functionality, eliminating the need to replace an entire storage array. Existing products that utilize Dot Hill's Data Management Software, RAIDar, and RealStor will also be compatible to a simple and smooth upgrade experience.
With a quick swap of a transceiver module IT administrators can configure their storage in the field to 16Gb Fibre Channel or 10Gb iSCSI. The converged interface includes a four-port controller that can be configured with four 16Gb Fibre Channel ports, four 10Gb iSCSI ports, or a combination of both Fibre Channel and iSCSI ports.
Innovation that Aligns to Client Priorities
Like previous generation Dot Hill products, the next generation will deliver 99.999 percent data availability, assuring organizations of round-the-clock access to data. Designed with an even more powerful processor than its predecessor, the new platform provides accelerated performance from 4GB/sec to 12Gb/sec for sequential read workloads, making it the ideal architectures for Dot Hill's vertical markets such as oil & gas, telecommunications, media and entertainment, big data analytics and digital image archiving. Gallium-based products will meet the same rugged design specifications, such as NEBS and MIL-STD-810F compliance, which customers in telecommunications and government markets expect from Dot Hill.
The new technology platform will support all of Dot Hill's software technologies including RealStor real-time tiering software, and data management software comprised of AssuredSnap for point-in-time snapshots, AssuredCopy for creating volume copies and AssuredRemote for array-based remote replication. Consistent with the previous AssuredSAN architecture, flash based SSD drives will continue to be supported across the Dot Hill product line.
