LogTek Group company Satellite Data Networks (SDN), a value-added network service provider in the communications industry, has installed three Auspex network data servers from Computer Configurations in a deal worth more than R1,3m.
The three servers, running at centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, will be used as high-speed data servers for distributing an information service to corporate users. In total, the machines are equipped with 450GB of data storage capacity.
SDN director Peter Lewis says the Auspex servers are delivering data throughput at more than 100Mb per second, despite the data being passed through two firewalls.
"With a sustained response like this we are able to service our clients with very high response rates as well as a high degree of reliability," says Lewis.
The Auspex servers are configured with data mirroring, RAID 0, 0+1 and 5, and hot standby disk.
The Auspex is designed to provide high-speed data throughput with maximum data reliability and security by separating file management from applications. In this way data access speeds and data reliability across a network can be greatly increased.
Up to five network processors accommodate up to three boards each, giving each server a maximum capacity of 15 network connections. These can be FDDI, ATM, various Ethernet flavours, or a combination of all. The Auspex range has many levels of fault tolerance and data redundancy. Storage processor board backup systems can be attached, achieving 100MB/hour backup fully configured while the system is online. Disk mirroring is available for very high uptime data.
Disks can be partitioned for RAID 5 (slightly lower availability) and straightforward disk backup for historical data. This partioning can be conducted while the system is live. The combination of these features allow for 24x7 availability to network users.
30% to 35% of disruptions come from problems in Unix, such as kernel panics and finger problems. Auspex`s DataGuard software prevents disk inaccessibility due to Unix problems by rerouting the request from the network processor directly to the storage processor. In effect the operating system is disabled, so even if the system hangs a user on the network can still access data.
"Auspex is ideal for a network communications environment where fast throughput, high reliability and built-in redundancy contribute to providing a 100% reliable service," says Computer Configurations director Ronnie Sarkin. "The Auspex is a perfect fit in any non-mainframe network environment. To put it in a nutshell, any computer that runs a Unix file system and/or an NT file system - including Silicon Graphics, Sun, HP 9000, RS/6000, Digital, Tandem and more - can coexist with Auspex."
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