STORAGE

Panasas, Inc., today announced the next generation of the Panasas Storage Cluster Platform, enabling customers to further maximize the benefits of Linux clusters by breaking the storage bottleneck created by legacy storage technologies. The announcement includes the release of Panasas ActiveScale File System 2.0, new hardware bundles and expanded services that further simplify the purchase, deployment and management of the Panasas Storage Cluster. Panasas' solutions complete the cluster computing paradigm, increasing the speed and accuracy of customers' business decisions, and enabling real world breakthroughs that improve people's lives. Today, the deployment of Linux clusters is exploding as businesses look for more cost-effective ways to implement technical computing. According to IDC, an industry consultant firm in Framingham, Mass., Linux clusters are growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 44 percent per year. Companies are using Linux clusters to exploit data-driven opportunities and simulate the world around them -- the faster they can analyze data, the faster they can get to the results they need to make the best possible business decisions. The full power of Linux cluster computing has been hindered by a bottleneck created by outdated storage technologies resulting in "Incomplete Computing." "Many companies in the network storage market today are selling the past. They sell legacy systems that create a storage bottleneck for the Linux cluster architecture. Panasas breaks that bottleneck," said Victor Perez, chief executive officer at Panasas. "Panasas is bringing Linux cluster computing out of the labs and into real-world enterprise applications by driving the complexity out of network storage." The Panasas Storage Cluster Platform The Panasas Storage Cluster is powered by the groundbreaking Panasas ActiveScale File System(TM) and the company's object-based storage architecture. The Panasas Storage Cluster Platform is the only solution that combines industry-standard hardware and software with professional services. Available immediately, the company is announcing significant additions to each portion of the platform. Next Generation Software -- The Panasas ActiveScale File System is at the heart of the Panasas Storage Cluster Platform. With the newest version, ActiveScale File System 2.0, customers get a series of new capabilities to drive faster time to results and protect their investments, including: -- Enhanced load balancing for superior legacy performance and business continuity; -- Comprehensive file locking for improved application compatibility; -- Parallel data access breaks the bottleneck associated with data backup and restore; -- DirectFLOW support for Novell's SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 operating system and for Linux servers based on the AMD Opteron processor to provide compatibility with leading HPC platforms; -- Media monitor continuously analyzes disks to deliver enterprise-class reliability; -- Thin provisioning using flexible quotas to maximize utilization of disk space; New Hardware Bundles -- Panasas' hardware offerings are the foundation of the platform that enables seamless system installation and management and scales performance with capacity. Panasas is announcing a new Parallel NAS bundle, which provides 5 TB of capacity per 7" shelf (4 Rack Units), and is optimized to offer massively parallel data paths with DirectFLOW protocol support. The system allows seamless integration with existing infrastructures through support for CIFS and NFS. The company is also launching a new Scalable NAS bundle that provides the fastest and most scalable traditional NAS solution on the market, and features 4.5TB of capacity shelf, and protocol support for CIFS and NFS. Both bundles can scale seamlessly in capacity and performance to hundreds of Terabytes to meet the needs of the most demanding applications. Enhanced Services -- The company has introduced a new range of professional services to help customers optimize their storage solution's effectiveness through installation, consulting and a new four-hour global response and support service. Partnership/Technology Integration -- By developing a world-class list of technology integration and certification partners, Panasas can tailor offerings to leverage best-in-class products and offer the most complete Linux cluster computing solution. Panasas is announcing a partnership with CommVault Systems, Inc. for parallel data back-up to provide customers with superior business continuity solutions. Panasas is also working with AMD to support Linux servers based on the AMD Opteron processor with Direct Connect Architecture. "The high-performance computing market has seen an accelerating trend toward the adoption of Linux clusters, but many users cite I/O throughput and scalability as issues in cluster management," said Addison Snell, research director, high-performance computing at IDC. "The prevalence of inexpensive solutions for Linux cluster computing has created a market opportunity for a company like Panasas to address the full range of cluster storage management requirements for those users."