The V-Switch solutions that have been introduced by SANRAD, the Delaware-based IT storage multinational storage solutions provider in the RAD group of high-technology conglomerates, will help to accelerate the adoption of iSCSI, according to a leading storage industry analyst.
Nancy Marrone-Hurley, senior analyst at Enterprise Storage Group, an independent US storage analyst company and frequently quoted source of industry intelligence, said SANRAD is bringing a "great deal more value" to customers than "simply allowing them to share data across FC and IP networks".
Referring to SANRAD's V-Switch 3000 and the recently introduced cost barrier-breaking V-Switch 2000, Marrone-Hurley commented: "I believe this type of solution will help accelerate the adoption of iSCSI."
The SANRAD V-Switches are marketed and sold in SA by the Sandton-based, JSE-listed distributor, Square One Solutions Group Limited. Luca Ambrosi, national practice manager, storage at Square One, said Marrone-Hurley classes SANRAD's new V-Switches as being distinct from products offered by McDATA, Cisco and others that she describes as "simply iSCSI/IP gateways".
Marrone-Hurley said that while SANRAD calls its products switches, she believes "they are certainly more than a switch".
The SANRAD V-3000 has a number of advanced features, such as replication, snapshot, migration and volume management capability that Marrone-Hurley said "move this into more of an intelligent platform category, which we define as switches that can run intelligent storage services. This type of product enables users to set up highly functional IP SANs, with many of the features and benefits of advanced FC SANs."
The V-Switch 2000 and 3000 run on the same SANRAD StoragePro software, for full availability and network-based management of storage resources across standard Ethernet environments. The multi-protocol/multi-port V-Switch 2000 includes protocol bridging, routing, switching, security, load-balancing, high availability, virtualisation and volume management within a single management platform.
Ambrosi said iSCSI SANs have "shattered the cost barriers for SAN deployment", enabling any business to install an IP-based SAN for a fraction of the cost of a similar capacity Fibre Channel solution. "The new V-Switch 2000 moves the cost advantage to the next level, opening up the benefits of storage networking and centralised administration to a much wider range of customers."
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The Square One Solutions Group focuses on providing IT-based business enabling solutions. The company has a national footprint and more than 18 years of experience of the South African market. Square One offers value-based solutions centred around biometric authentication; integrated wireless and mobile applications; enterprise storage and backup/recovery; enterprise power; coding and marking; and enterprise LAN, WAN and infrastructure for the corporate, SME and government markets. The company also distributes document solutions, colour input and output devices and provides 24x7 national support and service.
SANRAD
SANRAD was founded in 2000, and is a multinational company with offices in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is incorporated in Delaware, US. The company is a member of the RAD Group, one of the largest multinational high technology conglomerates and founder of over 20 successful networking companies.
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