Nexsan The Edge NAS Array

A Better SMB NAS

• Greater capacity and improved density - up to 84TB
• More robust reliability with Nexsan enterprise class RAID storage
• FC connected RAID storage for higher performance
• Green benefits with Nexsan's energy saving AutoMAID technology
• Consolidates file and block into a single solution with CIFS, NFS and iSCSI

The Edge is designed for businesses that need to consolidate and centralize all their data and storage needs onto a single centralized solution.

The Edge includes fully integrated, Fibre Channel connecting enterprise class Nexsan SAS and/or SATA RAID storage systems. With Nexsan storage, The Edge offers significant advantages over other commodity NAS products. RAID operations are separate and off-loaded from The Edge NAS server maximizing NAS server CPU and memory performance.

The Edge is based on Microsoft WUDSS. Microsoft WUDSS is a dedicated file and storage server technology designed for dependability, seamless integration and delivers the best value in networked storage. WUDSS integrates with existing infrastructures and supports heterogeneous file serving as well as backup of stored data. Its web-based user interface makes management easy and enterprises can make full use of commonly used network environments and standard management software. Nexsan Edge Management GUI – NEM, provides a single interface to WUDSS services and Nexsan storage.

The Edge includes a complete set of data integrity and protection features. Battery backed RAID cache and multiple RAID levels, including hardware RAID 6, ensure data integrity during power outage or double drive failure. Built-in Microsoft snapshots provide data protection of both file and block storage. Microsoft DFS replication protects site data by replicating files to another location.

Energy Saving NAS - The Edge offers the energy saving benefits of Nexsan's revolutionary AutoMAID™ technology. AutoMAID™ (Massive Array of Idle Disks) allows The Edge SASBoy, SATABoy and SATABeast storage units to place its disk drives into several levels energy savings without compromising application performance. This powerful energy saving capability enables users to lower the cost of owning NAS storage.

The Edge Advanced Features

• 1U compact size with integrated FC storage ports and IP host and client ports
• Quad core processor with 4GB of memory and two 80GB drives configured in a mirror
• Based on Microsoft WUDSS (Windows Unified Data Storage Server) for simple integration with existing infrastructures and support for heterogeneous file serving as well as backup of stored data
• Provides both file and block storage with CIFS / NFS (files) and iSCSI (block/databases). Supports up to 2000 volumes
• Up to 84TB of capacity with Nexsan’s fully integrated enterprise class SAS and/or SATA RAID storage systems
• Utilizes enterprise class server hardware and fibre channel attached to Nexsan enterprise class storage for increased performance and reliability
• RAID processes are off-loaded from The Edge NAS server and performed by the Nexsan storage system therefore maximizing NAS server CPU and memory performance
• Create SAS and SATA storage tiers to support different applications
• Nexsan boasts enterprise class RAID with battery backed cache and hardware RAID 6 to ensure data integrity during power outage and double drive failure (includes global hot spare drives for automatic rebuilds)
• Microsoft snapshots provide data protection of both file and block storage offering 512 snapshots per logical volume for up to 64 logical volumes
• Microsoft DFS replication protects site data by replicating files to another location
• Find files easily using Microsoft index based search or archive files to Nexsan Assureon CAS Archive
• Includes Nexsan SAS and SATA ultra GREEN storage with AutoMAID energy saving technology delivering amazing, energy-efficient NAS storage without compromising application performance
• Ready to connect to Assureon central data archive system

The Edge GUI – Configuration and Management

Nexsan Edge Management – NEM™ – provides a unified interface to Microsoft WUDSS management services and Nexsan storage system management. The Edge management system is simple to learn and use and offers a single-pane-of-glass view into your Edge system.

The Edge management system enables administration and monitoring of all WUDDS services and storage for terabytes of capacity and 100’s of volumes. It can be accessed across any LAN, MAN or WAN. The user interface is simple, automated, and intuitive. It greatly reduces the time it takes to perform administrative tasks.

In addition to NEM, the native Microsoft WUDDS management interface and services can be used to administer the entire NAS server. User authentication for The Edge include: Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 Active Directory service, Kerberos, Windows NT Domains, NTLM, and Apple User Account Management (AUM), NIS.

Sample Nexsan Edge Management

• Additional access via the RS-232 serial port or network interface to an ANSI terminal or emulator.
• Event log for all significant events stored on disk.
• Single click access to summary of all problems and warnings.
• Arrays are verified before being put into production; automatic "parity scrub" (array verify) is performed as a background task every 24 hours thereafter.
• Shows status of disk drives, power supplies, fans, RAID controller. Information is automatically refreshed.
• Complete hardware status page lists all significant hardware conditions such as voltages, temperature, battery mode, cache settings, network settings, and blower RPM
• Supports automatic IP address assignment via DHCP, manually using a static IP address over serial port, via web page, or by use of the IP Config Tool.
• Cache management page allows configuration of Cache as enabled or disabled, or remotely settable via standard SCSI commands
• Build RAID sets (and set RAID level and stripe size), partition RAID sets into Volumes, map Volumes to LUNs and Host Ports, and manage Spares
• For each drive, complete Model Name, Capacity, Serial Number, and Firmware Revision is reported along with errors and retries, if any.
• Alerts and warnings sent out using SMTP email alerts with problem summary, hyperlink to the enclosure management page, plus user-defined fields.
• Basic SNMP trap support.
• Extra security feature requires manual confirmation of destructive media operations.
• Battery-backed Real Time Clock/Calendar is used to time stamp all major events
• Configure and monitor subsystem using most standard web browsers.