LeftHand Networks Announces New iSCSI SANs Powered by SAN/iQ and HP ProLiant DL380 servers

ORLANDO, Fla., STORAGE NETWORKING WORLD, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- LeftHand Networks(R), the leading provider of complete iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions built using patented network storage clustering technology, today announced a new iSCSI SAN solution that integrates LeftHand's SAN/iQ(R) software with the HP ProLiant DL380 server -- the world's best selling server.

LeftHand's SAN/iQ runs on the HP ProLiant DL380 creating "storage modules," which are then aggregated together into a pool of storage managed from a single intuitive GUI. This unique architecture scales performance and redundancy as capacity is added to the SAN/iQ Cluster. The combined solution provides a high performance iSCSI SAN designed for databases and applications, including Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server.

"The partnership between HP and LeftHand is extremely important on a couple of different levels," said Tony Asaro, senior analyst for the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG). "HP customers and resellers can use a trusted server platform, the ProLiant DL380, with LeftHand's best-in-class iSCSI SAN/iQ storage software. Additionally, it is validation of LeftHand's strategy for providing open storage software that can be used on standards- based hardware. This is a milestone towards a new way of doing storage."

"We are delighted that LeftHand Networks will integrate their SAN/iQ software with the ProLiant DL380, offering customers powerful IP SAN technology on the leading standard server platform in the industry," said Paul Perez, vice president, storage, networking and infrastructure, Industry Standard Servers, HP. "The ProLiant DL380 G4 is the ideal platform for deploying scale-out iSCSI SANs based on industry standard servers."

The Lefthand Networks SAN/iQ solution using the HP ProLiant DL380 offers significantly more functionality than other scale-out IP SANs for substantially less cost. The solution greatly simplifies storage management through a broad range of features, many of which are unique in the mid-tier iSCSI SAN category:

• Simplified management: SAN/iQ manages the SAN. The innovative clustered network storage architecture automatically load balances across the SAN, automatically stripes data in a network RAID configuration to protect against module failures, and automatically reconfigures itself if new hardware is added. SAN/iQ also supports automated volume expansion and sophisticated thin provisioning capabilities.
• Just-in-time scalability: The solution scales capacity, performance, and availability simultaneously by adding storage modules based on the ProLiant DL380 servers into a storage cluster. Users start with the capacity they need, and grow their environment as capacity or performance needs dictate.
• Failsafe data availability: The SAN/iQ software offers unique Network RAID capabilities, snapshots, and remote copy functionality, eliminating any single point of failure. The availability of the SAN/iQ and ProLiant DL380 solution eclipses that of a traditional architecture that stores all the data in a single SAN.

"The capabilities of LeftHand's SAN/iQ software provide storage customers with an ideal way to deploy a storage platform, providing one pool of intelligent storage built from a single, industry-standard storage module or a grid of HP ProLiant DL380s," said Bill Chambers, CEO of LeftHand Networks. "Integrating SAN/iQ with the ProLiant DL380 gives users an ideal solution for storage consolidation that will meet the needs of demanding applications such as Microsoft Exchange."

The SAN/iQ and ProLiant DL380 solution will be available in Q4 from LeftHand Networks and select channel partners. Pricing starts at $13,995 per iSCSI SAN module. With this solution, LeftHand has joined HP's Developer and Solution Partner Program (DSPP), designed to help independent software vendors (ISVs), developers, and system integrators (SIs) create unique solutions across the broad spectrum of HP's platforms and operating systems.

Demonstrations of LeftHand's technology, including the ProLiant DL380 solution, will be available in LeftHand's booth, C7, at Storage Networking World in Orlando, FL from October 25 -28.

About LeftHand Networks
LeftHand Networks pioneered IP-based storage area networks (SAN) in 2001. SANs built using LeftHand's SAN/iQ(R) software are uniquely able to distribute and protect data across a cluster of industry-standard storage servers. The company's patented architecture increases data availability, allows users to start small and grow the SAN seamlessly, and simplifies management. The LeftHand SAN is ideal for primary storage and server consolidation, centralized backup, and the disaster recovery. For more information, contact LeftHand at info@lefthandnetworks.com.

SOURCE LeftHand Networks