EqualLogic adds to SAS storage array product line

Technology automatically load-balances between storage arrays

Robert Mullins

February 20, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Storage appliance maker EqualLogic Inc. says its newest product improves performance by doing a better job of balancing the data load among storage arrays in a network.

EqualLogic Tuesday introduced the PS3900XV, the third model in the PS3000 line that debuted last September. The product is a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) array and is designed to store data from high-demand applications such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL databases, or the Microsoft Exchange messaging and collaboration platform.

Like the previous PS3800VX, the 3900 operates at up to 15,000 rpm but features larger storage capacity -- 4.8TB, versus 2.3TB for the 3800.

EqualLogic says its SAS storage array can support more end users yet requires less storage capacity, based on the Fibre Channel protocol for transferring data, which is faster and has higher capacity than SCSI, said John Joseph, vice president of marketing for EqualLogic.

"There is a lot of concern in the industry about 1GB [SCSI] Ethernet and how it competes against 4GB Fibre Channel. Well, the wire is not the bottleneck," said Joseph.

EqualLogic said it moves data faster across its storage arrays by automatically balancing the load among storage devices.

"We are able to load-balance the workload ... without the user ever having to click on a window to reconfigure or rebalance or retune, or do anything manually," Joseph said.

Gartner Inc. forecasts that SAS unit shipments will surpass those of Fibre Channel in 2008 and continue to grow faster. Even though Fibre Channel offers better performance than SCSI, SCSI is cheaper and is a more well-known protocol, said Gartner analyst Stanley Zaffos.

SAS unit growth will be strongest in the small-to-midsize business market as those companies' storage needs grow, said Zaffos.

According to 2006 research from IDC, EqualLogic holds a 19% market share for SAS disks, based on units shipped, second only to Network Appliance Inc. It also competes with storage start-ups such as LeftHand Networks Inc. and Nexsan Technologies Inc.

The PS3900XV, which will begin shipping in March, carries a list price of $67,000, although Joseph said it will be more expensive in international markets.