Overland Storage - SnapSan S1000, iSCSI, Fibre Channel or SAS Connectivity

Overland Storage expanded its iSCSI storage area network (SAN) portfolio for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) today with the SnapSAN S1000 array, a 2U 12-drive modular array that can scale from 1.2 TB to 120 TB with disk expansions. The SnapSAN S1000 is smaller than the SnapSAN 2000 that Overland brought out in February, but the new system includes a dual controller option for high availability.

The SnapSAN 1000's dual controllers support active-active failover and the devices have redundant, hot-swappable components. It also has supports 10 Gigabit Etherent (10 GbE) iSCSI and either SAS, SATA or Fibre Channel drives, according to Overland solutions marketing manager Joe Disher. It has snapshot capability and automatic disk spin down. The SnapSAN 1000 supports software replication, and Disher said Overland plans array-based replication down the road.

"We are working on getting replication for the S1000 array," he said. "It's really a time to market issue. We had many customers that wanted an encapsulated solution. But we are working on (integrated) replication as well."

Like the SnapSAN 2000, the SnapSAN 1000 is based on the Snap OS Overland acquired when it purchased the Snap Server NAS platform from Adaptec Inc. in 2008. The Snap storage platform is a key piece of Overland's strategy to branch out from its legacy tape business. Last week, Overland acquired the assets of clustered file system startup Maxiscale to build a Snap scale-out NAS system.

"The fact that the new product has dual controllers opens up the addressable market base," said Terri McClure, senior analyst for the Enterprise Strategy Group. "It has the same size chassis as the SnapSAN S2000 but it has two controllers. This is a nice fit for small- to medium-sized businesses that wants high availability on one site."

Overland claims the array can perform at 900 MBps and 200,000 IOPS with a Gigabit Ethernet interface, and 1,300 MBps and 220,000 IOPS at 10GbE.

Pricing for the SnapSAN S1000 starts at $6,895 for a 4 TB iSCSI array. The SnapDisk E1000 expansion unit is available at a starting price of $4,195 without drive

RDX - Removable Disk Technology Advantages and Features

There is little question that responsible IT management begins with the discipline of data protection, retention and restore. In the unexpected event of system or storage equipment failure the ability to restore lost data is invaluable. RDX (Removable Disk Technology), is a disk-based storage technology designed to protect and archive data. RDX technology combines the best characteristics of tape backup with disk storage to bring you removability, portability, low cost, reliability, fast data transfer rates and instant file retrieval.

RDX Advantages

• Superior TCO over the life of the product - RDX removable disk technology requires a one time investment in an RDX dock. Any RDX generation cartridge capacity is compatible. As RDX disk drive capacities increase there is no need to replace the RDX dock as is required with the LTO tape drives. All RDX docks can read any generation cartridge, docks are forward and backward compatible. A dock is typically at a minimum 1/10 the cost of an LTO tape drive for similar performance and capacity – even greater cost differential for newer generation LTO drive.

• The RDX dock is recognized by the computer as simply another system disk drive, both serial and random access (drag and drop) backup are possible. This allows specific select files to be backed-up as needed. Files that need to be backed-up for easy transport or archiving are done easily.

• Multiple copies are easily made directly from the computer hard drive with no special software.

• Adaptable to different size cartridges to fit the need - Since all RDX docks can read any generation cartridge you can right size the cartridge for each back-up requirement, whether exchanging cartridges with a partner or doing daily backups you can choose the cartridge capacity that is right for the job.

• RDX cartridges are easily exchanged among partners inside and outside the organization no matter what the cartridge capacity is. Unlike tape, where each tape generation (capacity) requires the same generation tape drive and there is no flexibility to exchange tapes with partners, inside or outside your organization, that are not on the same generation.Additionally, with the drag and drop capabilities just the files you need to exchange can be easily and securely copied.

• Cartridges are high capacity (1TB today with new capacities coming out multiple times a year)

• RDX Cartridges provide added flexibility in transport choices. They are rugged enough for courier transport or overnight delivery services such as FedEx. Drop in an envelope and ship. A consumer external hard drive or tape cartridges do not have the ruggedness of an RDX cartridge because they have moving parts and risk damage in transit.

• Archival capability – 30+ years

Key Features and Benefits

Removability and Portability Mobile HDD with a ramp load head Random vibration resistant ESD (Static) protection Protected from drops of up to a meter

Archivability and Reliability Up to 30+ years

Simplicity and Security Drag-n-drop file transfers Cartridge write protection WORM capable USB connectivity

Affordability Very low initial cost Very low total cost of ownership

Performance Instant random access to data Backup 80 GB in less than an hour Transfers data up to 45 MB/sec.

Backup Application Compatibility Certified with all major backup applications

Forward and Backward Compatibility Unbeatable investment protection Today's drive/dock is compatible with all current and future cartridges Today's cartridges are compatible with all current and future drives/docks

Scalability Simply add cartridges to increase capacity Customizable for personal and business requirements SATA interface for easy system/server integration

Qualstar: Fiscal 4Q10 Financial Results - Tape library revenues at $2.3 million, comparable to the prior year quarter

Qualstar Corporation reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2010 ended June 30, 2010.

Fiscal 2010 fourth quarter financial results revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 were $4.0 million, compared to $3.8 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2009, an increase of $0.2 million or 5.9 percent. Loss from operations was $627,000 compared to $1.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. Net loss was $575,000 or $(0.05) per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1.2 million, or $(0.10) per basic and diluted share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.

Tape library segment revenues were $2.3 million for the fourth quarter , comparable to the prior year quarter. Power supply segment revenues were $1.7 million for the quarter, compared to $1.4 million in the prior year quarter, an increase of $0.3 million, or 20.9 percent.

Gross profit increased to $1.28 million, or 32.1 percent of net revenues, for the three months ended June 30, 2010, from $941,000, or 25.0 percent of net revenues, for the three months ended June 30, 2009. The increase in gross profit is attributed to a change in product mix and a decrease in reserves.

Research and development expenses for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 were $749,000, or 18.8 percent of revenues, compared to $939,000 or 24.9 percent of revenues, for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. The change is due primarily to decreases in R&D material, consultants and compensation related to headcount reductions. Sales and marketing expenses were $528,000, or 13.2 percent of revenues, compared to $640,000 or 17.0 percent of revenues, in the corresponding period last year. The change in sales and marketing expense was due to decreases in advertising and promotion expenses. General and administrative expenses in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 were $631,000 or 15.8 percent of revenues, compared to $745,000, or 19.8 percent of revenues, for the same period last year. The change in general and administrative expense was primarily due to decreases in accounting and audit and compensation related to headcount reductions.

Commenting on the Company's business results, Bill Gervais, president and chief executive of Qualstar said: " Consolidated fourth quarter revenues of $4.0 million increased 5.9 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year driven by the continued growth in sales of our XLS enterprise class product line and our N2Power business. In fact, the XLS product line generated strong momentum throughout fiscal 2010 with sales increasing nearly 64 percent for the full year. XLS libraries appeal to a diverse array of end users as the flexibility of our solution allows customers to easily expand their data storage capacity as requirements increase over time. N2Power's full year revenues increased to a record $5.8 million and our products continue to generate strong demand due to worldwide requirements for smaller and more energy efficient power supplies."

Mr. Gervais continued: " Looking ahead, we hope that improving customer demand combined with new product development initiatives will result in a positive impact in fiscal 2011."

For fiscal 2010 full year, Qualstar reported revenues of $15.3 million in fiscal 2010, compared with $17.9 million in fiscal 2009. The Company's net loss in fiscal 2010 was $3.1 million or $(0.25) per basic and diluted share, compared with a net loss in fiscal 2009 of $2.6 million, or $(0.21) per basic and diluted share.

Cash , cash equivalents and marketable securities were $24.3 million at June 30, 2010, down from $27.7 million at June 30, 2009. Inventory, net of reserves, at June 30, 2010 was $4.8 million, compared to $5.8 million at June 30, 2009.

First NAS With 3TB HDDs - 4 Bay 12TB RAID

Seagate Technology LLC introduced a 4-bay and 2-bay desktop network attached storage solutions to help data-intensive small business address evolving storage needs.

The BlackArmor NAS 440 network storage server and BlackArmor NAS 220 network storage server, extend the capacity range of Seagate’s BlackArmor family of storage solutions, enabling businesses to now scale from 1TB to 12TB to help keep pace with the growing stores of high-definition multi-media files and business critical data. Initially, both solutions will come pre-populated with 3TB drives in each bay and will be offered exclusively for 30-days through Seagate.com and select online retailers. For the first 30 days the 12TB BlackArmor NAS 440 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,899.99, and the BlackArmor NAS 220 6TB for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $649.99.

Both the BlackArmor NAS 440 and BlackArmor NAS 220 network storage servers are designed to help businesses with up to 50 employees and little or no IT support, centralize and secure data with maximum uptime by delivering:

• Software management tools that are compatible across the family to provide a consistent user experience and future growth path with minimal training or the need for additional support.
• Support for Microsoft Active Directory 2000, 2003, 2008 for populating users and groups.
• Unparalleled security with powerful hardware-based encryption.
• Remote access with the included, web-based Seagate Global Access service and FTP functionality.
• start features, ability to easily view or map shared volumes to a computer, or back up the PC from which you are working from, using the BlackArmor Discovery tool software, which automatically displays all BlackArmor NAS products connected to the network.
• Full-system backup and recovery helps protect everything on your PC’s hard drive including the operating system, programs and settings. In the event of a system crash or failure, your computer can be restored to a previous point in time with SafetyDrill+ software.
• Event email notification to alert the user about status and changes to the server.
• Additional USB ports to connect extra USB storage devices, easily share a USB printer or connect an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to safeguard from power failure.

The BlackArmor NAS 440 server is configured with RAID 5 and ships with 10 backup software licenses out-of-the-box, while the BlackArmor NAS 220 server ships with RAID 1 configuration for automatic data mirroring and 5 backup software licenses. Additional licenses for both products can be purchased in 2 and 5 -set increments.