Large Capacity, Small Drive

Quantum claims its RAID storage device installs in five minutes without network disruption. The 1U rack-mount is available in 120GB and 240 GB versions.

by Wayne Kawamoto [September 11, 2000]

Quantum Corporation's DLT and Storage Systems Group announced the introduction of its Snap Server 4100 file server.

The company says that it is pushing the innovation barrier with its high-capacity and field-serviceable file server solutions, which are available at a fraction of the cost of traditional general-purpose servers.

Boasting capacities of 120GB and 240GB in a relatively compact 1U rack mountable form factor, the Snap Server 4100 should be able to support corporate workgroups of 150 or more users and offer data protection or enhanced performance with support for RAID levels 5, 1, and 0.

Quantum claims that its Snap Server 4100 offers capacities that meet enterprise workgroup needs in corporations of varying sizes, including Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Application Service Providers (ASPs).

Quantum claims that its Snap Server installs in five minutes or less without any disruptions to the network and is the only file server in its class to automatically deliver simultaneous multi-platform, file-sharing support for Windows, NetWare, Macintosh, and UNIX/Linux users on the same network.

Also, the Snap Server is supposed to integrate with existing Microsoft NT and NetWare domains and offers simple configuration through a Web browser interface that allows the file servers to be managed from anywhere on the network or remotely via the Internet.

When configured to RAID 5, the Snap Server 4100 240GB is supposed to offer 168GB of usable storage space; and with RAID 1, 120GB.

The Snap Server's RAID 5 implementation is also designed to be configured to use all four drives, or three drives, plus a hot spare.

Included with each Snap Server is an unlimited user license copy of DataKeeper Snap Edition workstation backup software for additional data protection.

"Storage needs are growing exponentially across all industries, but particularly in the ISP and ASP markets," said Anders Axelsson, vice president and general manager for Quantum's Server Appliances Division. "The ease of installation coupled with high performance, rich functionality, and the most robust operating system in the market, clearly set the Snap Server apart as the preferred solution over adding another NT file server to accommodate needed storage, especially in instances where rack space is at a premium."

Availability
The Snap Server 4100 120GB and 240GB capacities will begin shipping immediately. The Snap Server 4100 is priced at $2,999 for the 120GB capacity and $4,499 for the 240GB capacity.

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