EMC to update security, performance of storage array lines

Computerworld - EMC Corp. Monday is set to unveil a variety of performance, security and energy-saving updates to its Symmetrix, Celerra, Centera and Clariion lines of storage systems.

For very large companies, the new EMC Symmetrix DMX-4 storage array will offer end-to-end 4Gbit/sec. functionality and a Fibre Channel back-end plane. The product ships next month with a $250,000 price tag, EMC said.

The DMX-4 array will include an updated Enginuity storage operating system that includes a performance boost and links to the RSA enVision platform, which can feed Symmetrix audit logs into a broader enterprise audit log repository for compliance and eDiscovery purposes, said Pete Lavache, director of storage product marketing for the Hopkinton, Mass.-based company.

The high-end array will also support new 750GB Serial ATA II disk drives when they become available later this year. Lavache said combining new SATA II disk drives and the DMX-4 array can reduce the device's energy consumption by as much as 33%, easing corporate pressure on storage and IT administrators to slice energy dependency within the data center.

EMC officials also announced that thin-provisioning capabilities will be added to the Symmetrix DMX-4 and Symmetrix DMX-3 arrays during the first quarter of 2008, fulfilling a promise made by CEO Joe Tucci to users attending the EMC World user conference in May. 

The company is also set to unveil a new entry-level model, the DMX-4 950, which is designed and constructed specifically in mind for organizations running mainframes, said Lavache.

EMC officials said the company plans to add new 4 LP, or Low Power, nodes to the content addressed storage-based Centera family. Lavache said the 4 LP nodes should minimize power expenditure and along with new 750GB SATA disk drives, provide 50% more storage capacity per node -- from 2TB to 3TB. New security, authentication and system-logging abilities have also been added to Centera, Lavache said.

EMC will bring out a revamped Clariion Flare storage operating system with new IP address filtering, a secure command line interface to encrypt communications and login attempt auditing features that improve its security, Lavache noted.

Finally, Lavache said, EMC will introduce new EMC Celera NS20 and NS40 multiprotocol storage systems, along with Celera Startup Assistant software to simplify implementation and management. Set to begin shipping in August, the entry-level Celerra NS20 begins at $34,000 while the Celerra NS40 starts at $50,000.

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