Dell extends industry leadership in simple, low-cost networked storage with iSCSI technology

Small organisations and workgroups can now have the performance, expandability and value of the award-winning Dell/EMC AX100 networked storage solution at about half the cost by using iSCSI technology.

iSCSI is a standards-based connectivity technology that eliminates the need for a dedicated Fibre Channel network and thus enables customers to deploy entry-level storage area networks (SANs) on the same Internet Protocol (IP) networks they use to connect their servers and computer systems.

The Dell/EMC AX100i extends the value of the award-winning and easy-to-use Dell/EMC AX100 by reducing the acquisition and operational costs of an entry-level SAN solution. The AX100i eliminates the need for specialised Fibre Channel equipment and skills by utilising inexpensive networking components such as a Dell PowerConnect Ethernet switch. By replacing Fibre Channel networking components with Ethernet networking components, customers can cut the cost of a complete entry-level SAN by up to 50%.

Demand for IP-based SANs is expected to grow as small organisations and remote workgroups recognise the simplicity and value that iSCSI can provide. In fact, industry analyst firm IDC predicts that in 2005, nearly 20% of the revenue in the sub-$15 000 external storage array market will come from iSCSI technology.

"Dell and EMC have collaborated to extend the award-winning AX100 to a robust iSCSI-based platform available today," said Tiny Maubane, Enterprise Product Manager of Dell SA. "Small organisations and workgroups that viewed SAN technology as too complex or expensive in the past can now easily deploy and enjoy the benefits of networked storage such as increased staff productivity, improved backup, utilisation and manageability."

The Dell/EMC AX100i is engineered to support applications such as Exchange and SQL for small organisations and workgroups and extends the key benefits of the award-winning AX100 with simplified set-up, management, scalability and streamlined backups. Like the Dell/EMC AX100, customers can set up the AX100i on their own, connecting to a standard Ethernet network in just a few steps using intuitive wizard-based tools.

For less than R45 000, the AX100i offers advanced features for data security such as cache vaulting and data scrubbing as well as advanced functionality software for automated failover and snapshots normally found in higher-cost, enterprise-class systems. Customers can easily scale the AX100i to support up to eight servers on a network without additional software costs.

The AX100i provides the flexibility and scalability that rapidly growing organisations require, with features such as:

* 2U Dell/EMC AX100i array with up to two controllers and up to 12 SATA drives, providing storage capacities ranging from 480GB to 3TB;
* iSCSI network interface module;
* Support for Microsoft Windows.

The Dell/EMC AX100i is available worldwide now, starting at R40 575. Customers can tailor their product support from a broad range of service options that best fit their business needs. For more information on Dell/EMC networked storage solutions, services and tools, please visit www.dell.com/storage.