Storage Digest: News from XOsoft, Fujitsu, Bell Microproducts, Sun

Deal strengthens Sun's competitive position in NAS by buying Procom ... Fujitsu delivers first 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive ... Bell Microproducts announces new replication solution for Linux database deployments ... XOsoft announces software that perfo

The storage market inched forward this week with announcements on new replication and application recovery solutions and a 100GB 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive, while Sun furthered its position in the NAS market through the acquisition of a NAS storage systems vendor.

XOsoft Announces Assured Recovery

XOsoft of Waltham, Mass., has introduced a product company executives say will makes testing the accuracy of replicated data easier while drastically reducing the cost.

Assured Recovery, which comes bundled with XOsofts WANSync and WANSyncHA for Exchange, Oracle and SQL, performs ad hoc or scheduled tests of data and application recoverability on replicated systems without shutting down or disturbing the production system. The software checks the recoverability of data by starting applications that use the data and verifying that all services, information stores and database are operating properly, said XOsoft CEO Leonid Shtilman. IT managers also can add their own tests, Shtilman said, and can trigger other automatic actions, such as running a snapshot or backup of verified data on a remote site. For more information, visit http://www.xosoft.com/press/f_pr050905.shtml.

Fujitsu Introduces 100GB 2.5-inch Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive Fujitsu Computer Products of America Inc. has introduced a 100GB 2.5-inch Serial ATA hard disk drive featuring a hardware accelerator that maximizes NCQ (Native Command Queuing) performance. That feature, said Joel Hagberg, vice president of marketing and business development at the San Jose, Calif., company, allows the hard disk drive controller to intelligently and simultaneously queue and reorder up to 32 instructions, which can greatly improve hard disk drive performance. The new MHV2100BH series hard disk drive, which previously came in 40GB, 60GB and 80GB versions, also provides low power consumption, higher shock tolerance, quiet operation, and complies with the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) standards. Along with this announcement, Fujitsu announced Extended Duty configurations of its 2.5-inch SATA and PATA hard disk drive families, featuring up to 80BG of capacity. For more information, visit http://www.fujitsu.com/us/fcpa/news/pr/20050510-02.html.

Bell Microproducts Announces Replication Product for Linux Database Deployments The enterprise division of San Jose, Calif.-based Bell Microproducts Inc. has introduced the Replication Solution Recipe Package, built on Hewlett-Packard Co.s Integrity and ProLiant BladeSystems and DL server platforms with MSA/EVA storage. The package also includes Radiant Datas PeerFS replication software for Linux, which guarantees a consistent copy of data and continuous access to that data at any time, from anywhere in the network. The solution, geared to the SMB (small and midsize business) market, is sold through solution providers. For more information, visit http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=94147&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=707545&highlight=.

Sun Strengthens NAS Position With Acquisition Sun Microsystems Inc. this week agreed to purchase all intellectual property rights of Procom Technology, a manufacturer of intelligent network storage solutions and NAS (network attached storage) specialist based in Irvine, Calif. By purchasing Procoms NAS engineering expertise and solutions, Sun hopes to build its portfolio of NAS-related products and technology beyond its Sun StorEdge 5000 family of NAS appliances, in which Procom technology is already embedded, said Jonathan Schwartz, president of Sun of Santa Clara, Calif. The purchase of Procoms intellectual property will allow the company to build NAS and next-generation file-based storage systems faster and more cost-effectively, Schwartz said. For more information, visit http://www.sun.com/smi/Press/sunflash/2005-05/sunflash.20050509.1.html. Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on enterprise and small business storage hardware and software.