A German company selling CompactFlash modules containing software that turns commodity PC hardware into Linux-based storage appliances has introduced an iSCSI version of the product. Open-E's iSCSI line targets system integrators building iSCSI servers, and includes SOHO, SMB, and enterprise models.

Open-E previously offered a line of CompactFlash modules pre-loaded with a Linux OS and software stack for NAS (network-attached storage) servers — storage devices that are accessed using protocols such as FTP, SMB, AppleTalk, and so on. The company says its new iSCSI version of the product turns PCs into block-level network storage devices, which it says provide significantly more I/O throughput than NAS devices in multi-workstation environments.

Most SAN devices are based on expensive fiber-channel interconnect technology. Open-E says its iSCSI products can use commodity Ethernet technology instead, allowing system integrators to build SAN devices at price points appropriate to small- and medium-sized businesses.

Another company, Coraid, makes similar low-cost SAN devices based on ATA-over-Ethernet, a simpler though slightly less mature technology than iSCSI. Coraid's EtherDrive won a Product Excellence award at the LinuxWorld trade show last week in San Francisco.

Open-E says its iSCSI software provides rapid and efficient transport of block-level I/O data to clients running Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, or Windows OSes. Client devices store and retrieve data on iSCSI networks using the native file system of their operating system, without the overhead of protocols such as SMB, FTP, or AppleTalk, the company says.

Open-E's iSCSI software stacks are based on Linux, and include a secure web-based management interface allowing administrators to delegate access to individual storage volumes or volumes sets. The stacks also include a DHCP server, standard network gateway support, multiple logical volume support, online logical volume expansion, logs, and email notification capabilities.

Other claimed features and capabilities for various models include:

• SOHO model
  • Support for IDE drives

• SMB and Enterprise models
  • Support for hardware RAID controllers and UPS (uninterruptible power supplies)
  • Snapshot capability
  • 10Gbps Ethernet
  • TOE (TCP/IP offload engine) Ethernet support
  • Dual-processor support

• Enterprise model
  • Support for multiple NICs
  • Adaptive load balancing and adaptive fault tolerance
  • Multi-snapshot, with scheduling function
  • Multiple management levels
  • Network UPS support
  • FiberChannel support
  • Multi-CPU support (>2)
  • IP-Sec support

Kristof Franek, managing director of open-e, said, “The availability of affordable infrastructure components like the 1Gbit-Ethernet cards makes iSCSI an emerging storage protocol.”

Availability

The Open-E iSCSI modules are available now. System builders interested in testing the software can register for Open-E's partner program.

 
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