STORAGE

Verari Systems, the premier developer of powerful, platform-independent blade computing systems, announced today that it is shipping the PUREcluster ipSAN, an intelligent, clustered iSCSI-based SAN storage system that combines a powerful storage server, automated virtualization software features, and disk capacity into a single pool of shared storage. The PUREcluster ipSAN system utilizes iSCSI, open architectures based on industry-standard technologies and new management tools to lower the cost of SAN systems, making storage area networks a practical solution for enterprise customers' increasing storage requirements. Verari Systems will unveil the new PUREcluster ipSAN at SEG Exposition 2004 booth #231 in Denver Colorado, October 11-15, 2004. The intelligent storage virtualization of the PUREcluster ipSAN system automates previously manual tasks, providing unprecedented simplicity in scaling both performance and capacity for rapidly growing data and digital content. This simplified storage administration enables automated snapshots, remote replication, and easy provisioning of additional capacity and performance on a modular pay as you grow basis. The PUREcluster ipSAN provides the advantages of a SAN without the complexity and expense of fibre channel and offers significant cost savings relative to acquisition costs, installation, maintenance, and streamlined data management processes. The PUREcluster ipSAN leverages existing IP network investments, including familiar network management tools, and is a cost-effective alternative in areas of the datacenter infrastructure where a fibre channel SAN would be economically unfeasible. "Many of our enterprise customers are facing data storage requirements that are fast exceeding their existing storage capacity and they are looking for cost effective alternatives to existing storage networking paradigms," said David Driggers, CEO of Verari Systems "In the past, high equipment and operations costs associated with fibre channel storage networking technologies have put SANs beyond the budget of many datacenter cluster-computing environments. With the PUREcluster ipSAN, Verari Systems addresses the total cost of ownership equation." Each self-contained PUREcluster ipSAN System Storage Module (SSM) contains up to 4TB of storage capacity along with a powerful RAID controller, dual processors, memory, and networking, all in a compact 3U rack mountable system. As additional SSMs are added to a cluster, all aspects of the storage system scale linearly, including capacity, throughput and processing power on an as-needed basis without downtime. Utilizing the scalability feature, when System Storage Modules are added to the cluster they begin to immediately stripe content across the newly expanded cluster, thereby eliminating manual administration and downtime. The utilization of well-known GigE networking technologies simplifies implementation, reduces acquisition cost, and reduces storage network management administration. "The PUREcluster ipSAN is unique in that it combines the world of server blades and iSCSI in a very integrated fashion. The scalability and flexibility of server blades is now combined with the manageability and cost effectiveness of iSCSI. This was a natural marriage of two good technologies and I commend Verari for making it happen" Arun Taneja, founder and consulting analyst, Taneja Group. This is the first iSCSI product for Verari Systems. The PUREcluster ipSAN solution complements Verari Systems' current high performance VS family of fibre channel and SATA SAN attached storage offerings. Price and Availability PUREcluster ipSAN storage solutions are available now. A 4TB System Storage Module is priced at $26,815 (U.S. list). For additional PUREcluster ipSAN Virtualized Clustered Storage System product information, please visit http://www.verari.com. Background: Verari Systems, previously RackSaver, is the premier developer of powerful, flexible, and scalable platform-independent blade server systems that are defining a new era in high-performance utility computing. Enterprises such as Boeing, ConocoPhillips, Industrial Light and Magic, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Motorola, NASA, NVIDIA, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Pixar, and Shell, as well as top universities and research institutions worldwide, are among the 4,000+ customers who have chosen Verari Systems' line of high-density blade server clusters, rack-optimized servers, and high-performance technical workstations. To learn more about Verari Systems and its unique solutions, please visit www.verari.com or call (888) 942-3800.