Brocade Communications Systems acquired all outstanding shares of standards-based file data management software provider NuView for approximately $60 million in cash on March 6.
The move occurred on the same day that Brocade rolled out its two new 4G bps SilkWorm switches and new iSCSI Gateway targeted at simplifying SAN (storage area network) infrastructures.
As part of the acquisition—which formally closes as of March 6—Brocade will absorb all of NuViews 60 employees and keep the companys Houston, Texas-based operations facility active.
NuViews five file management products in its software suite will be added to and compliment Brocades existing Tapestry WAFS (Wide Area File Services) product line, said Michael Klayko, CEO of San Jose, Calif.-based Brocade.
Rahul Mehta, formerly CEO of NuView, will stay on board with Brocade and report directly to Don Jaworski, Brocades executive vice president of Engineering.
Targeted at remote office branch users and data centers environments, Brocade Tapestry WAFS consists of a Core Appliance and the Edge Appliance at central and away sites respectively.
The hardware offers read-write access to shared files across WANs (wide area networks) to centralize print, network and Web caching file data management and consolidate storage.
“The acquisition of NuView will add another key element to drive our strategy in several adjacent markets,” said Klayko of his traditionally SAN-focused business model.
“We have no intention of getting into the NAS or file server business…instead well rely on our partners,” to sell and re-package its growing software product portfolio.
NuViews software suite is anchored by StorageX, its flagship product, which features Microsoft Distributed File System capabilities.
The technology offers easier file access, migration and consolidation by pinpointing its physical access and can move files from one server or NAS device to another.
Other products in NuViews arsenal include: File Lifecycle Manager, which provides automated policy management of files; MyView, which gives users a central view of files based on authorized access; Data on Demand Manager to reduce recovery times of file retrieval on a primary NAS device or file server; and Universal Naming Convention Update to help customers find and move embedded files such as spreadsheet documents.
On the product front, Brocade announced on March 6 its 64-bit, 4G bps SAN switch, the SilkWorm 4900.
Currently available, the 4900 fabric switch comes in a 2U package and can scale from 32 to 64 ports within a single domain.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers and Silicon Graphics are the first OEMs to make the switch generally available.
In addition, Brocade debuted its new 8-slot SilkWorm 48000 Director.
Enhanced capabilities wrapped around the director include 4G bps SAN routing to push SAN data over long-distance IP networks via Fibre Channel connectivity.
Thats made possible through an 18-port blade option called the SilkWorm FR-18i, that attaches to the 48000 Director, noted Brocade officials.
With midrange and SMB (small to midsize business) customers in mind, Brocade introduced its iSCSI Gateway.
Built to tie together entry-level servers to shared storage networks, the Brocade iSCSI Gateway opens up SAN access to more easily manage, protect and back up data. The appliance offers two Fibre Channel ports, and a single unit is capable of scaling up to 100 servers.
Now available, the iSCSI Gateway comes with native iSCSI drivers supported by Windows, IBM AIX, HP-UX, Novell Network, and Sun Microsystems Solaris platforms.