Dell, Microsoft Team on Storage Technology

Dell and Microsoft rolled out a new storage system on Wednesday for file and application data that integrates hardware and software from both vendors.

The system pairs Dell’s PowerVault NX1950, a serial-attached SCSI (SAS) back-end storage array that can use up to 45 drives, with Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003, a file server and package of management tools.

The companies said the paired products are aimed at the midrange and include advanced management tools. Together, the products eliminate the need for separate licenses for additional features such as snapshots, replication and resource management.

The system starts at US$17,000 with a configuration for 4.5 terabytes of storage at $24,000. It will work with Windows, Unix, Linux and Macintosh systems.

Dell also announced a new member to its PowerVault line, the MD3000, intended for high-performance tasks such as serving up video or applications with high transactional performance needs, such as databases and e-mail.

The company said the product is the first external redundant array of independent disks (RAID) SAS array from a Tier 1 vendor.

The MD3000 is capable of 1,400MB per second of throughput and approximately 90,000 input/output operations per second, Dell said. Pricing for the MD3000 starts at $6,499. 

-Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service (London Bureau)

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