Simplified SOHO storage
Iomega Corp. has unveiled a set of Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive products for the home office and SMB networks. The three new StorCenter models, ranging in storage capacity from 500GB to 1TB, incorporate media-serving capability and print server capability but also integrate smoothly into small enterprise networks. Features include Active Directory support, a journaling file system and EMC Retrospect Express backup and disaster recovery software. Iomega’s StorCenter Network Hard Drives are compatible with Windows and Mac computing environments, so users are able to access files from any networked computer for file sharing and print serving. All three models use 3.5-inch 7200 RPM SATA-II hard drives with an 8MB cache. Iomega’s 500GB and 750GB StorCenter drives are single-drive products that feature a Gigabit Ethernet connection with jumbo frame support. The top of the line model, the 1TB StorCenter Network Hard Drive, is a two-drive product, supporting RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirroring) and JBOD (which treats both drives as a large single drive).
Reported analysis
Collaborative business performance management (BPM) solutions provider Adaptive Planning has announced its latest software as a service (on-demand) release, Adaptive Planning 4.0. The software features a Report Builder module and Cell Explorer functionality, as well as intuitive Web-based reporting and analysis. Cell Explorer lets users thoroughly analyze any cell within their financial model by drilling down into the sequence of values and formulas that are used to calculate the final result. Adaptive Planning 4.0 also lets business users create new ad hoc reports by dragging and dropping key report elements such as accounts, time periods, plans, and versions. Users can also: view pre-defined reports, including P&L and balance sheet statements; develop multi-dimensional cross-tab reports, such as revenue by product or by region; drill down to explore trends within the data (subject to security and permission levels); perform in-report calculations that include subtotals and differences; and view results in tables or in graphical charts.
Low-cost and virtual
Sun Microsystems Inc.‘s Sun StorageTek Virtual Tape Library Value System, powered by the Solaris operating system (OS) and built upon the Sun Fire X4500 server, is the latest addition to the Sun StorageTek VTL product family. Optimized by ZFS, Sun’s new file system, the VTL offers ease of use and a low price point to address the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses or remote office/back office operations for enterprises. The all-in-one, pre-configured Sun StorageTek VTL Value appliance is easy to install, and integrates well with leading backup products, according to Sun. It simplifies storage management with a straightforward user interface and works with ZFS to eliminate volume management. The Sun Fire X4500 server, code-named Thumper, is integrated and combines a high-performance four-way x64 server with 24 terabytes (TB) of SATA disk storage in a four-unit (4U) rack space.
Two-port storage
Small and home offices (SOHOs) can now share multi-function printers and additional USB 2.0 storage devices, such as external hard drives, flash drives and memory card readers with IOGEAR‘s 2-Port USB 2.0 Multi-Function Print/Storage Server. When plugged into the network via an Ethernet connection, the palm-sized device lets users from any networked computer share a multifunction printer to print, scan and fax, eliminating the need for additional printers. The product also features USB 2.0 Hub extension, enabling up to five USB devices to be accessed over an IP network and allowing employees to store and retrieve files by connecting an external hard drive to the 2-Port Server, improving collaboration in the workplace.