News

posted on 20 February 2008 12:04

Apple has upgarded its storage area network (SAN) offering to Xsan 2, offering Mac OS X Leopard integration and MultiSAN to allow workstation users to access more than one SAN at a time.

Apple has redesigned Xsan's management tools, saying this makes it easier to install and configure a SAN.

It says that Xsan 2 intelligently handles different data types, file sizes and usage scenarios for ideal performance. For example, administrators have the ability to pre-set volume workload settings for optimal streaming of all file types, from very large files, such as uncompressed HD video to small data center files.

It says multiple SAN access can be useful in such places as newsrooms with separate SAN volumes for production and broadcast.

Xsan 2 is integrated with Mac OS X Leopard and takes advantage of Mac OS X features, such as Spotlight to search across multiple SAN volumes. Xsan 2 also works with Server Assistant in Leopard Server for setup and configuration of SAN volumes.

Leopard Server features, such as iCal Server, Mail Server and Podcast Producer, can now integrate with Xsan 2 to support clustered file systems, improving performance and scalability and reducing the impact of a service outage from the loss of any one server.

Apple says Xsan 2 has been qualified with third-party RAID storage hardware. Along with Apple’s Xserve RAID, now being dropped, Xsan 2 supports third-party RAID solutions from Promise Technology in configurations tuned and optimized for Xsan, Mac OS X Server and Apple’s professional applications.

Xsan 2 is available immediately through the Apple Store (www.apple.com) and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $999 (US) per node.