Dell Introduces Entry-Level Storage System

Dell has announced a new storage system and storage management software designed to help customers easily integrate and manage SAN systems within their existing networks.

The Dell|EMC CX200 entry-level storage system — the first product to be manufactured by both Dell and EMC — is targeted at customers transitioning from direct-attached storage to a high-availability, high-performance environment for applications such as file and print management and small-scale Microsoft Exchange clusters, and Oracle and SQL databases. Dell also will be the first to offer new EMC VisualSAN family of software to standardize and simplify management for Dell|EMC storage systems. Dell’s integration with VisualSAN is the result of a two-year development relationship with Prisa Networks, a company EMC acquired last month.

VisualSAN allows customers to troubleshoot issues through online support tools, giving Dell services experts a real-time snapshot of the SAN to respond immediately to help requests. VisualSAN is part of Dell’s Intelligent IT systems management strategy to provide simple, automated management tools that maximize the value of IT infrastructure. This, Dell says, at a price that’s significantly less than similar offerings from other leading storage management vendors.

“Storage area networks offer IT departments a compelling option for centralizing and optimizing storage resources, however, many of the management tools are often too complicated and costly to use for customers in small to medium-sized organizations,” said Russ Holt, vice president and general manager of Dell’s Enterprise Systems Group. “With today’s new storage system and storage management software, Dell continues to make owning and managing SANs a reality for customers across all industries by reducing operational costs, streamlining management and increasing the cost effectiveness of IT investments.”

Dell also says that organizations can extend their storage infrastructure and leverage existing storage resources through seamless hardware upgrades that ‘transform’ the Dell EMC CX200 system into a Dell|EMC CX400 or Dell|EMC CX600. Dell EMC storage arrays also deliver file-based access through the SAN Gateway capability of Dell PowerVault network-attached storage (NAS) systems.

The Dell|EMC CX200, with support for 2-gigabit Fibre Channel technology, will be available worldwide from later this year. Dell said that prices for starting configurations will be under $28,000. VisualSAN will be available for Dell|EMC Fibre Channel systems and Dell’s previous generation of PowerVault storage arrays early next year, starting at approximately $4,000.