Artecon Introduces RAIDScape; Delivers a Centralized Management Tool for Distributed Storage Systems.MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 1998-- Single Comprehensive Tool for Configuration and Management of Networked Storage Simplifies Administration and Reduces Total Cost of Ownership Artecon (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :ARTE), the leader in high-availability open systems network- and server-attached storage solutions, today introduced RAIDScape(TM) 1.0, Java-based enterprise storage management software that provides centralized administration of distributed network storage and dramatically lowers the total cost of storage ownership. From a single management console A terminal or workstation used to monitor and control a network. See Microsoft Management Console. , RAIDScape enables a network administrator to configure, maintain, and monitor Artecon disk array products attached to multiple server platforms running different operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. , thus simplifying storage management and reducing costs. RAIDScape is the first product announced by Artecon since the Company's March 1998 merger with Storage Dimensions. Initially, RAIDScape will allow for remote administration of Artecon's SuperFlex(TM) and entry-level RAIDPro(TM) disk arrays (from the Storage Dimensions product line) attached to Windows NT (Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows). Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and preemptive multitasking. and NetWare servers located anywhere on a local or wide area network, including networks accessed via the Internet or intranets. Artecon plans to extend RAIDScape's storage management capability to all of the Company's storage product lines and to other operating systems including Solaris and other Unix derivatives. RAIDScape will become the software manager for all of Artecon's network-attached and server-attached storage systems. "Our research shows that the task of managing distributed storage Storing data in multiple computers or in computers that are geographically dispersed. This was an early term for storage that evolved into SANs and storage virtualization. See SAN and storage virtualization. is increasingly falling to IT organizations," said Farid Neema, president of Peripheral Concepts, an analyst firm specializing in network storage. "What these organizations need is an affordable set of tools for centrally managing this storage. With RAIDScape, Artecon is fulfilling the need with a solid management package that works with industry-leading enterprise management software and can scale as a customer grows." "Our goal is to provide the best systems and tool sets for managing distributed storage at the lowest total cost of ownership," said Ted Chen, vice president of marketing for Artecon. "RAIDScape delivers on this goal. It is the first network storage management software to provide a common framework for managing our broad range of storage arrays -- from single controller arrays to high-end dual controller arrays used for clustering. RAIDScape reduces our customers' total cost of ownership by putting detailed access to globally distributed systems Distributed systems (computers) A distributed system consists of a collection of autonomous computers linked by a computer network and equipped with distributed system software. at their fingertips "Fingertips" is a 1963 number-one hit single recorded live by "Little" Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label. Wonder's first hit single, "Fingertips" was the first live, non-studio recording to reach number-one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States. through a common management tool." RAIDScape Provides Advantages Over Other Storage Management Software RAIDScape provides a number of advantages over server-platform storage management software. It simplifies storage management by providing a single application to support different server platforms and multiple operating environments. In contrast, storage management tools from server vendors support only their own servers (e.g., Compaq's Insight Manager will only support Compaq servers). Many management systems also require separate applications for managing various storage systems within a product family. As a result, a network administrator may end up dealing with variety of storage management tools. RAIDScape also works within a customer's existing IT framework by reporting storage system status to enterprise management software such as HP OpenView HP OpenView was a Hewlett Packard product range consisting of an extensive portfolio of network and systems management products. In 2007 the entire HP OpenView portfolio was rebranded under the strengthened HP Software name. , IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) Tivoli TME See Tivoli Systems Management Software. , or CA UniCenter via SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) A widely used network monitoring and control protocol. Data are passed from SNMP agents, which are hardware and/or software processes reporting activity in each network device (hub, router, bridge, etc. traps. This enables administrators to manage network servers and storage devices from a single console. Virtually any platform that can receive SNMP traps can get RAIDScape alerts and view status information. In addition, RAIDScape provides a greater level of detail than many storage management tools. For example, RAIDScape collects disk drive serial numbers, as well as drive and controller firmware levels, facilitating asset management and troubleshooting. For instrumented storage enclosures, such as SuperFlex and RAIDPro, the software also displays enclosure environmental conditions and faults. RAIDScape Provides a Common Interface Across Platforms Since RAIDScape has been developed as a Java application A Java program that is run stand alone. The Java Virtual Machine in the client or server is interpreting the instructions. Contrast with Java applet. See servlet. , it allows storage configuration information to be presented in a common interface across server platforms. Previously, network administrators have had to deal with a variety of interfaces to accomplish configuration of storage systems. Java's cross-platform nature will also ease the migration of RAIDScape across the Artecon product family and across additional operating systems. RAIDScape Simplifies Configuration and Maintenance With Remote Administration RAIDScape makes it easy to perform remote configuration and maintenance of disk storage systems located anywhere on a local or wide area network. An authorized network administrator can login Signing in and gaining access to a network server, Web server or other computer system. The process (the noun) is a "login" or "logon," while the act of doing it (the verb) is to "log in" or to "log on. to RAIDScape from any computer on the network to configure a new array or to perform routine maintenance such as scheduling parity checks, designating hot spares, and performing online capacity expansion or RAID level tuning. RAIDScape Enables Monitoring of Storage Across Global Networks RAIDScape allows for monitoring of disk arrays throughout large, multi-server global networks utilizing LANs, WANs, the Internet, or intranets. From a single console, a network administrator can view system configuration information, drive and controller inventory, and array status for any disk array on the network. Administrators can "drill down" to view each disk array's SCSI SCSI in full Small Computer System Interface Once common standard for connecting peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, etc.) to small and medium-sized computers. SCSI has given way to faster standards, such as Firewire and USB. components and get confirmation of normal operation, degraded operation, and data reconstruction activity. RAIDScape provides real-time alerting of system events via pager or email, enabling immediate response to conditions that threaten or put the storage system in a degraded mode. Alert notification also allows for "lights out management," which reduces system administration costs by eliminating the need for around-the-clock on-site personnel. Remote Administration Reduces Downtime and Staffing Costs IDC estimates that system downtime can average at $78,000 per hour, or more than $1 million per year in a typical medium-sized organization. RAIDScape helps network administrators respond to storage system changes before costly downtime occurs by providing remote administration, visibility to key storage system characteristics on a real-time basis, and immediate notification of problems. RAIDScape also reduces the expertise level of staffing required for remote locations, as well as travel required for higher-level staff to remote locations. As a result, organizations save on annual personnel costs, travel expenditures, and productivity losses due to travel time. Availability, Pricing, and Support RAIDScape for SuperFlex and RAIDPro, the first of several RAIDScape software releases planned for 1998, will ship beginning May 4. A single server RAIDScape software configuration will be included with each Artecon SuperFlex and RAIDPro storage system. Additional server licenses are available for $995 each. Site licenses are also available ranging in price from $1,414 for a five-server license to $20,220 for a 250-server license. About Artecon Founded in 1984, Artecon designs, manufactures, markets, and supports a broad range of enterprise storage solutions to satisfy the high availability Also called "RAS" (reliability, availability, serviceability) or "fault resilient," it refers to a multiprocessing system that can quickly recover from a failure. There may be a minute or two of downtime while one system switches over to another, but processing will continue. , performance, and capacity requirements of the open systems market. On March 31, 1998, Artecon completed a merger with independent RAID storage vendor Storage Dimensions, creating one of the world's largest third-party storage See online storage. companies serving the PC-LAN PC-LAN Personal Computer Local Area Network and Unix markets. The combined Company's products consist of server-attached as well as network-attached storage See NAS. systems. In addition, the Company's EXTREME product line includes disaster-tolerant RAID systems for telco Central Office and Internet applications. Artecon has two international subsidiaries with offices in Japan, France, England, and the Netherlands. The Company also operates through reseller and distributor channels worldwide. Additional information on Artecon can be found on the Internet at http://www.artecon.com. This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company's product development plans, which are subject to change. The actual results may differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statement. CONTACT: Artecon Liz Wageck, 925/449-7915 liz.wageck@artecon.com or Dovetail dovetail (dov´tāl), n a widened or fanned-out portion of a prepared cavity, usually established deliberately to increase the retention and resistance form. Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Mark Coker/Corey Oiesen, 408/395-3600 dovetailpr@aol.com |
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