Customers with storage networks continue to push vendors for increased
data availability based on shifting workloads. Storage systems vendor
BlueArc came up with its own remedy, announcing Tuesday that it will use computing switches from
Brocade Communications Systems.
BlueArc’s Titan SiliconServer will now ship with
Brocade’s SilkWorm 3250 8-port switch or SilkWorm 3850 16-port switch to
improve the delivery and management of data for customers. The SilkWorm draw is
that the switches help storage networks grow without data disruption.
BlueArc will
continue to employ switches from Vixel in its Si8000 line of
network-attached storage (NAS)
Partnering with Brocade , whose switches help route data quickly and reliably
and whose reputation as a solid original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is
strong, was the answer according to BlueArc Director of Marketing Jim
Schaff.
Schaff told internetnews.com that BlueArc, in the second quarter
of shipping Titan SiliconServer, is finding that adding Brocade’s name to
its product mix is enabling it to attract more attention from customers who
know the brand name as a “gold standard in the enterprise.”
Launched
last January, Titan allows a single file system to grow up to 256
terabytes — greater than most single systems today — and delivers
throughput of up to 20 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
The company’s SiliconServer Architecture allows Titan to adapt as
application or capacity needs change, making it an attractive product for
on-demand computing environments.
BlueArc competes with EMC and Network Appliance
in the NAS market,
which is traditionally a multi-billion-dollar market, although not as strong
as the storage area network (SAN)
Schaff said BlueArc increasingly finds itself bumping up against
rivals in the SAN market because of the ability of SiliconServer to
penetrate enterprise accounts. BlueArc goes head-to-head with IBM, HP and
Hitachi Data Systems there, Schaff said, because Titan is good for customers
whose NAS systems aren’t scaling as much as they’d like.
The deal is also another win for Brocade, which continues to grab enterprise
customers as it competes with Cisco Systems
and McData
in the storage networking
infrastructure space.
