Cleversafe expands its dispersed storage network system

Computerworld - Cleversafe Inc. today announced an upgraded version of its dispersed data archive system that doubles storage capacity and adds an all-in-one cabinet for enterprise-class data centers.

Cleversafe introduced the dsNet Cabinet 2200, its largest storage array system; new versions of its Accesser data backup appliance; and two Slicestor Storage Servers, the 2100 and 2200.

Cleversafe has doubled the capacity of its Slicestor servers by offering 2TB drives. The model 2100 is a 1U server that can be configured with up to 8TB capacity; the model 2200 is a 2U server with up to 24TB capacity.

Slicestor 2100 and 2200 Storage Servers store slices of data from the Accesser backup appliance and can be deployed in a single rack in a data center or distributed to remote locations in a multisite environment. "We're well suited for 50TB capacities and larger. We don't do small very well," said Julie Bellanca, director of marketing at Cleversafe.

Cleversafe's systems are designed to address nearline and archive storage that users deploy and manage through a single interface across one or multiple data centers.

Through its Accesser appliance, Cleversafe uses an algorithm that, akin to RAID, slices data into many pieces and then distributes it across multiple Slicestor servers. When a storage administrator calls to recover data, only a threshold number of slices is required. For example, a typical configuration may distribute stored data in 16 individual "slices," though only 10 are required for rebuilding the file.

"The data only increases 60% of its original size. So compared to RAID and replication, our storage technology is much more efficient," Bellanca said. "By going across multiple data centers, you also avoid the need to replicate data."

Cleversafe's new dsNet Cabinet 2200 includes 18 Slicestor servers, two Accesser appliances and an Omnience Manager appliance. The cabinet comes with a 48-port multilayer Ethernet switch and 432TB of storage capacity.

"Customers like that it's a turnkey solution," Bellanca said.

Cleversafe's Omnience Manager 2000 has a starting list price of $9,230. The Accesser 2100 lists for $ 8,790. A dsNet Cabinet 2200 with a base configuration of 64TB of capacity lists for $430,600.

Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian or subscribe to Lucas's RSS feed . His e-mail address is lmearian@computerworld.com.

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