Hello,
IT Pro magazine in the UK posted a new review of Boston’s newest Igloo, a Windows Storage Server 2012-based appliance. Something about a 2U form factor with 24TB of storage that makes me smile. They posed a great question: “Boston’s Igloo combines Windows Storage Server 2012, a high capacity and Xeon E5 performance. Is this the perfect storage partnership? I couldn’t help but to think of Stephen Colbert’s famous line when I read this and in my head I rewrote it... “A great partnership? or the greatest partnership?”
Storage demand is growing at an astronomical pace with most analysts confirming that in the next three years the demand for storage will not only double, it will triple or quadruple today’s rate of consumption to over 120 million terabytes per year! Most business are used to paying a lot for storage, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Using industry standard hardware you can now enjoy storage at low prices. With Windows Storage Server 2012, users can enjoy a full suite of storage management capabilities and get the latest high-speed network storage protocols.
Boston (http://www.boston.co.uk) has done a great job putting together the Igloo 2U-24T-Stor Read the review here: http://www.itpro.co.uk/server/19863/boston-igloo-2u-24t-stor-review
My favorite section:
Windows Storage Server 2012 (WSS2012) is now a formidable force in the network storage market and a good choice for SMBs thanks to the raft of features introduced by Microsoft. Along with combined NAS and IP SAN services, it introduces block-level deduplication, thin provisioning, storage pools and much more.
Boston has always been a keen supporter of Microsoft’s storage software and its latest Igloo 2U-24T-Stor teams Windows Storage Server 2012 up with a powerful hardware package. This 2U rack appliance delivers 24TB of raw storage in a Xeon E5 equipped appliance and all at a very reasonable price.
It has twelve hot-swap drive bays at the front all kitted out with 2TB Seagate Constellation SAS2 hard disks. All 24TB is up for grabs as the OS is loaded on a pair of mirrored 250GB Seagate SATA SFF hot-swap drives lurking at the back alongside the dual redundant 920W PSUs.
Here are some of my favorite points from the product overview page:
The Boston Igloo 2U-24T-Stor has up to 12 x 3.5" hot-swappable SAS/SATA drive bays at the front of the chassis, each fully populated as standard with 2TB hard drives. This provides an exceptional storage capacity of 24TB per 2U enclosure. The chassis, designed by Supermicro, is also equipped with a dual-expander SAS2 backplane, giving redundant paths to each disk through separate cables, enabling higher bandwidth and better performance.
The operating system is installed on a mirrored pair of hot pluggable 2.5” drives. These drives are rear-mounted, ensuring vital 3.5” drive bays are not wasted and data-storage capacity is maximized.
This high performance storage server is powered by an Intel Xeon E5-2609 processor, providing 4-cores and PCI Express 3.0 functionality for improved I/O throughput. Memory bandwidth and capacity are both in abundance with the inclusion of four memory channels and the provision to upgrade to up to 512GB of DDR3 ECC Registered memory respectively.
The Igloo 2U-24T-Stor is also 10GbE enabled with 10GbE Base-T ports. This means that it can be directly utilized in an already deployed 1GbE Base-T infrastructure, ready for the 10GbE upgrade of tomorrow. 10GbE delivers a significant step forward in connectivity, offering improvements in latency and network bandwidth.
I also noticed that Boston received Storage Magazine’s (www.storagemagazine.co.uk) stamp of approval:
Congratulations to the entire Boston team and I can’t wait to hear stories from customers that deploy them!
Scott M. Johnson Program Manager Windows Storage Server
By Scott M. Johnson – June 7th, 2013
Hi Folks –
The Register recently published a great article on Fujitsu’s new PRIMERGY CX420 S1 system, which can run Windows Server 2012 or Windows Storage Server 2012. Fujitsu bills the CX420 as “an out-of-the-box dual-node cluster server for Microsoft Windows Server 2012, enabling small and medium enterprises or multi-site organizations to provide continuous uptime for their business applications and data.”
Some clear benefits are provided by the CX420 S1 system including:
The CX420 S1 dual-node cluster includes two half-width, double-height SX272 S1 server nodes (spec sheet for these nodes can be found here). Based on Intel's C600 chipset and Xeon E5-2600 processors, each server node supports 16 to 256 GB of RAM. Per the article, a two-node cluster-in-a-box starts at under $12,000 in its base configuration and will begin shipping in North America in June! That is a sweet price for high-availability in a single chassis. These pictures show the front (disk drives) and rear (controllers and PSUs) views of the CX420 chassis.
While we’re talking about Fujitsu, I should also mention that you can get its “powerhouse” Fujitsu PRIMERGY BX400 S1 running Windows Storage Server 2012.
Fujitsu outlines how the BX400 delivers:
Other noteworthy specs for the BX400 include:
With these offerings based on Windows Storage Server 2012, Fujitsu is delivering both cost-effective HA solutions and powerhouse blade servers in a true Cluster-in-a-box package that results in reliable, easily-managed storage for companies of all sizes. If you’re looking for continuously available storage solutions, you may want to check out what Fujitsu has to offer.
Cheers, Scott
Outside of my awesome wife and two adorable little girls, nothing makes me happier than reading another great review on a storage appliance running Windows Storage Server 2012! On that note, I was pleased to see this PC Pro review of the Broadberry CyberStore 316S-WSS, which says that the system “offers good value, great performance and massive expansion potential.”
Another review by IT Pro calls the same model “a cost-effective network storage appliance built on a solid hardware platform offering a remarkable expansion potential.” It goes on to say that the system “delivers an impressive range of unified storage features and teams this up with high data reduction ratios.”
Broadberry Data Systems, one of our partners in the U.K., is now offering Windows Storage Server 2012 across its entire WSS line of storage appliances. Each system from Broadberry is custom-configured and built-to-order, enabling customers to get exactly what they want in reliable, cost-effective storage.
All CyberStore WSS models are rack-mount and are delivered ready-to-deploy, with Windows Storage Server 2012 preinstalled. All systems are subjected to a 48-hour testing period prior to shipping.
Broadberry CyberStore 104S WSS and CyberStore 436S WSS.
One thing I really like about Broadberry is the number of configuration options they provide. For example, in checking out the company’s CyberStore 104S WSS, I counted seven processor options and dozens of hard drive options—including SAS and SATA drives from Seagate as well as SSD drives from Toshiba, Intel, sTec, and Seagate. You can even chose from three SSD caching kits!
Options for larger systems are even more extensive. The CyberStore 436S WSS provides 14 processor options, similar drive options to the 104S, and your choice of 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB DIMMs. You can also choose from three LSI RAID controllers/application accelerators and 19 different network adapters, including 1GbE and 10GbE NICs Intel, 10GbE NICs from Solarflare, and Fibre Channel to PCI-E (4x and 8x) host bus adapters from Qlogic.
Customers that need more storage can connect any of these storage appliances to one of the company’s JBOD enclosures. Broadberry offers models ranging from a 12-disk unit to a 45-disk unit.
Colin Broadberry, the company’s CEO, says that the 316S WSS (3U, 16x3.5” drives) and 424S WSS (4U, 24x3.5” drives) are most popular—and becoming more so every day. He attributes the increasing popularity of storage appliances based on Windows Storage Server 2012 to:
Broadberry is a great example of a Windows Storage Server 2012 partner—and the reason we built the product the way we did. The company’s mission is to give customers exactly what they want, and Broadberry is taking advantage of Windows Storage Server 2012 running on industry standard hardware to do just that. Congratulations to the Broadberry team! They’ve been selling Windows Storage Server solutions for as long as I can remember, I highly recommend you check them out in the UK.
Cheers, Scott M. Johnson Program Manager Windows Storage Server
Hi Folks,
Today I am highlighting the Dell PowerVault NX family, which the company describes as “an affordable NAS appliance harnessing the innovations of Windows Storage Server 2012.” Dell goes on to describe Windows Storage Server 2012 as “an affordable enterprise-class operating system which simplifies setup, integration and maintenance of your NAS system” that “fits seamlessly into Windows environments through native Active Directory (AD) integration.”
The PowerVault NX family includes three models, enabling you to meet a broad range of requirements. All of them:
Here’s a quick look at each model in the PowerVault NX family…
Dell calls its PowerVault NX400 “an entry-level, easy-to-use appliance that enables you to store, organize and share your essential files, documents, presentations and spreadsheets.” Other highlights include:
For external expansion, Dell recommends the PowerVault MD1200 or MD1220.
Dell describes its PowerVault NX3200 “a capacity-dense, dedicated NAS solution integrated with enhanced file-sharing capacities designed to help smaller offices stay efficient and productive.” It’s also flexible enough to support applications (via included iSCSI Target or SMB 3.0 for Applications) to make sure people with limited resources save time and don’t have to manage separate types of storage. Other highlights include:
The NX3200 is available only with Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard (or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Standard, if you prefer.)
The Dell PowerVault NX3300, a NAS gateway, is designed to connect to one or more external storage arrays and does not have its own internal data storage. Other highlights include:
As a NAS gateway, the NX3300 can take advantage of Clustered Shared Volumes (CSV) for clusters of up to 8 nodes, or using the traditional active/passive model, you can deploy up to 64 nodes when connected to PowerVault MD3, EqualLogic, or Dell Compellent storage arrays. The NX3300 is available with Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Standard.
Additional specs on the NX400, NX3200, and NX3300 can be found here. Of course, with all models, you’ll benefit from Dell’s world-class global services and support. Congratulations to the Dell NAS team for another great release!
Cheers, Scott M. Johnson @SuperSquatchy
A few weeks ago, I blogged about how I was working with IBM on a new webcast that focused on Windows Storage Server 2012 running on IBM System x hardware. The webcast is now available online here. (Note: Registration is required.)
The one-hour webcast included presentations by yours truly and by Joshua Jankowsky, IBM North America Storage Product Manager. In a nutshell, it covered how customers who buy from IBM Business Partners can get storage solutions custom-tailored to their needs via the IBM Reseller Option Kit (ROK) program, to which IBM has recently added a Windows Storage Server 2012 offering.
Josh kicked things off, covering the following topics:
At this point I took over, covering the following topics:
You can download the slide deck we used in the webcast here.
Combined with the IBM System x servers powered by the latest Intel Xeon processors, the addition of Windows Storage Server 2012 to the IBM Reseller Option Kit enables IBM Business Partners to provide preinstalled, custom-tailored, affordable, all-in-one solutions. It’s good news for companies of all sizes—from first-time users of network-attached storage to companies that require advanced storage solutions.
Cheers, Scott M. Johnson Program Manager Windows Storage Server @SuperSquatchy
NEC has begun refreshing its iStorage NS model line to include solutions based on Windows Storage Server 2012. The iStorage NS500Rd is the first such product.
According to the NS500Rd product page and the NS series product catalog (available here in Japanese), the 2U rack-mount system is based on the Intel Xeon processor E5-2400 product family, supports up to 384GB of RAM (6GB standard), and is offered in two models:
NEC positions the appliance as designed to “meet the needs of midsized enterprises” and delivers benefits that include “improved availability and efficient administration of NAS consolidation.” The company’s “Learn about the superiority of Windows Storage Server 2012” information page shows that NEC is hitting on all cylinders in promoting its many features and benefits, including:
I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with NEC since I started working on Windows Storage Server in 2006. While iStorage NS systems are specific to Japan, they’re still a great example of how Windows-based NAS appliances are continuing to gain momentum outside of North America. It’s clear to me that businesses around the globe are looking for ways to store more data with lower costs and less complexity, and that OEMs see Windows Storage Server 2012 as a way to meet those customer needs. Congratulations to the NEC team for another great release!
I just returned from my fifth HP Discover conference in Las Vegas, where Microsoft was a diamond sponsor. The Microsoft pavilion was right in the center of the action, giving me the opportunity to talk to tons of people about Windows Storage Server 2012. As you might imagine, there was a lot of interest in storage. Put another way, people were hungry for highly available, cost-effective solutions.
I like how they filled the conference floor with hundreds of thousands of these tiny light squares.
Big Data, small data, all types of data. Storage was a major focus at HP Discover.
For me, one of the highlights of HP Discover was the company’s announcement of its new HP 3PAR StoreServ File Controller running Windows Storage Server 2012. You can find the specs for it here.
HP 3PAR StoreServ File Controller
The new HP 3PAR StoreServ File Controllers can be bundled with any of the new 3PAR 7000-series storage systems, such as the new HP 3PAR StoreServ 7400 4-node Storage Base (QR485A). In a recent InfoWorld review of the StoreServ 7400, they called it “powerful storage magic,” giving the StoreServ 7400 an “excellent” overall score of 9.2 out of 10 points. (Sub-scores were 10/10 for management and 9/10 for performance, reliability, scalability, interoperability, and value. No wonder the StoreServ 7400 earned an Editor’s Choice award!)
HP 3PAR StoreServ 7400 Storage Base
At the conference, I snapped this picture of two clustered File Controllers attached to an HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200-series array. This is a pretty awesome combination, in that you get a best-in-class file gateway based on Windows Storage Server 2012 together with the “powerful storage magic” of the HP 3PAR StoreServ 7000 array. The combination includes ODX support , which can deliver performance gains of up to 7x on copy operations.
Picture of two HP 3PAR StoreServ File Controllers connected to an HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200 .
HP also includes an SMI-S provider, so that administrators can use Server Manager in Windows Storage Server 2012 to quickly carve up LUNs and create volumes instead of having to use a web-based UI or BIOS configuration utility. Administrators can use Server Manager to provision storage locally or remotely, or they can use the new PowerShell scripts in Windows Storage Server 2012 to do everything from creating a LUN to setting up CSV volumes for a scale-out file server cluster. (If you’re into PowerShell, you may want to check out this laminate-worthy Storage PowerShell reference sheet. The Storage PowerShell reference on Technet and Jose Barreto’s blog also provide some excellent examples of useful PowerShell scripts for storage management.)
On a related note, in another review, InfoWorld talks about how HP brings sizzle to Windows Storage Server using the new StoreEasy 5530 with a solution that “puts serious muscle behind Windows file serving, Hyper-V virtualization, and SQL Server workloads.”
The HP team deserves a big congratulations for making highly available storage more cost-effective. I predict that will be a great year for HP’s storage business. Customers are getting ready to update to HP’s new models, and I hear that they’re bringing a lot of data with them.