Small

Low profile caching appliance from Solid Data Systems promises to multiply performance and scalability.

by Wayne Kawamoto [July 17, 2000]

Solid Data Systems introduced the Excellerator e-100, a solid-state file-caching appliance that's designed to fit the scalability model of rapidly-growing internet infrastructure applications.

The e-100 repackages Solid Data's existing rack-mount products into a smaller form factor, and offers up to 2Gbytes of solid-state disk (SSD) in one standard unit of rack height (1U = 1.75 inches). The company claims that the e-100 provides an entry-level price point that will promote widespread adoption of SSD-based file caching in high-volume e-business applications, and that the e-100's 1U height should allow more equipment to fit into a standard 19-inch rack.

According to Solid Data, ISPs and ASPs have to ensure continuous availability and fast response times, while scaling their servers and storage to support millions of transactions per day. Instead of consolidating and sharing large storage boxes to support many diverse applications on a variety of heterogeneous server platforms, ISPs like to build scalable architectures for a few high-volume applications using modular storage solutions, paired with thin servers in application-specific pods that are replicated as the business grows.

"Solid Data developed the e-100 in response to requests from our Internet infrastructure customers who typically deploy 1 or 2 Gbytes of SSD for each application server," said Michael Casey, vice president of marketing at Solid Data Systems. "By further reducing the rack space requirement with a 1U product, they would be able to continue their rapid expansion without outgrowing the available space. These customers told us they'd love to buy the same capacity in a 1U form factor."

Solid Data says that customers want products that are simple to deploy and easy to use, and the e-100 brings the simplicity of an appliance to solid-state file cache. For this, the e-100 incorporates an industry-standard Ultra SCSI interface, and, according to the company, may be readily integrated into any UNIX or NT server. The company also claims that the appliance's plug-and-play installation process is quick and easy to set up, and requires no special configuration or device drivers, and the modular design allows companies to increase capacity by adding e-100 modules as needed.

"Simplicity is key, and infrastructure architects at ISPs, ASPs and SSPs are looking for storage appliances that are easy to install and easy to manage," said David Hill, Research Director for Storage and Storage Management at Aberdeen Group. "Solid Data's e-100 responds to this growing need with a simple, easy-to-use file-caching appliance that multiplies infrastructure scalability in transaction-intensive applications."

Pricing and Availability
Excellerator e-100 will be generally available in production volumes by September 15, 2000. List prices start at $12,000 for a 0.5 Gigabyte unit, and the street price is expected to be below $10,000 for small-volume orders in the U.S. market. The e-100 will be sold directly by Solid Data in the U.S. market, and will also be available worldwide from Solid Data's authorized resellers.

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