Asia's 1st multivendor NAS-SAN integration project goes live.

Auspex Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASPX), a leading provider of enterprise storage solutions, and CVSI, Auspex's distributor in Singapore, recently announced the successful completion of Asia's first multivendor Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN) integration project in the new Network Storage Laboratory (NSL) at Singapore's Data Storage Institute.

The groundbreaking project involved the installation of the Auspex NSc3000 Network Storage Controller, the first non-proprietary solution for supplying file services to SANs, into NSL's existing SAN infrastructure consisting of two Hitachi Data Systems HDS9910 and Brocade switches.

Launched worldwide in April 2002, Auspex's NSc3000 enables companies with existing SAN infrastructures to access and share files via NAS protocols without investing in a complete NAS system, even if the organization has a heterogeneous SAN with storage subsystems from different vendors. This interoperability enabled the NSL implementation to be completed in just a month.

NSL's converged SAN and NAS system will be used both for research purposes and in new technical courses on network storage technology being offered at NSL's state-of-the-art 6,000 square feet laboratory. NSL's courses, also known as OSN Prep, were launched this month as part of a governmental push to establish Singapore as a data storage hub in the region. The courses are designed to equip participants with essential skills and knowledge in network storage technologies and their solutions deployment.

Thomas Garofalo, Vice President & General Manager of Auspex Asia Pacific, said: "I am excited that the Auspex NSc3000 is available to researchers and students in Singapore's premier storage research centre. This project constitutes a strong endorsement of Auspex's vision of creating a simpler and cost-effective network storage system by converging NAS and SAN technology."

Auspex's NSc3000 is the first SAN-to-NAS gateway capable of storing and accessing files on heterogeneous storage subsystems, providing simpler and less expensive management of data assets. The system is fully interoperable with almost all SAN platforms, including those from Hitachi Data Systems, LSI Logic, EMC and Compaq.

NSL, officially opened in June 2002, is designed to demonstrate, test and train information technology professionals in network storage technology. Laboratory facilities are available for independent benchmarking and interoperability testing, proof-of-concept and product demonstrations, collaboration projects on solution development or customization test beds, and as a training venue with hands-on sessions for enterprises implementing network storage technology.