Snap Appliance has revised the embedded Linux operating system used in its family of network-attached storage products. GuardianOS 3.1 features new support for NDMP (network data management protocol) and S2S Synchronization v2, improved iSCSI and file server performance, and new server replication, backup, and recovery… capabilities.

(Click for slightly larger view of Snap 18000 30TB storage server)

Snap Appliance is the storage products division of Adaptec. It markets departmental and enterprise “Snap Server” devices ranging from 320GB to 30TB in capacity. All Snap Servers are powered by GuardianOS, and offer both block- and file-level network storage. They cost between $500 and $140,000.

NDMP

GuardianOS v3.1 adds new support for NDMP, an open protocol for enterprise-wide backup and recovery. NDMP facilitates deployment in a wide range of enterprise environments with a variety of pre-existing backup and recovery systems, according to Snap.

The GuardianOS implementation supports all three NDMP configurations, according to Snap, including Data Management Application (DMA), Tape Server, and Data Server.

Snap says NDMP helps medium- and large-sized enterprises centralize backup management and control, simplify administration, move data efficiently for faster backups, and support heterogeneous environments. “NDMP opens the door for Snap Appliance to be a player in a larger portion of the enterprise backup and recovery market while enhancing our data protection offerings for our customers,” according to Snap VP of Marketing Mark Pollard.

S2S Synchronization v2

GuardianOS v3.1 also features an optional S2S (server-to-server) Synchronization v2 add-on software module, that Snap says can provide “asynchronous, byte level replication and movement of data throughout a distributed environment over a wide area network (WAN) on a 'one-to-many,' 'many-to-many,' or 'many-to-one' basis.”

S2S v2 is easy to use, cost-effective, and offers security and bandwidth optimization features such as encryption, compression, bandwidth throttling, and exclusion rules, according to Snap. “Snap Appliance's S2S v2 is a full featured 'replication for the masses' solution that will give enterprises the opportunity to protect and easily move data without the significant investment or complexity that was required in the past,” commented Peter Kastner of the Aberdeen Group.

Improved iSCSI Support

GuardianOS v3.1 also includes enhanced support for iSCSI, or “Internet small computer system interface,” a data protocol that provides remote, block-level storage of Ethernet networks. iSCSI uses a client/server model with initiators (clients) and targets (servers). Snap Servers function as targets, and communicate with other targets through either software or hardware “initiators”. With this release, the GuardianOS supports more iSCSI software and hardware initiators, including those from Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Linux, Sun Solaris, Adaptec, and Intel, Snap says.

Additional features of the updated GuardianOS include:

• Instant Capacity Expansion (I.C.E.), a non-disruptive scalability feature that Snap says eliminates the risk of drive failure during RAID rebuild.
• Centralized Storage Management though Snap Server Manager (SSM), a Java based application that provides a central management console with a Web-based GUI, allowing admins to deploy, provision, configure, upgrade, and manage all Snap servers on the network.
• Comprehensive Data Protection though BakBone's NetVault7, which is embedded into the GuardianOS. Features “Integrated Native Snapshot Technology” with advanced data restoring options. Replication and distribution are provided through S2S v2.
• Security through integrated Computer Associates eTrust Antivirus software, Kerberos authentication, and Secure Sockets Layer (SSLv3).

Availability

The GuardianOS comes standard on the new Snap Server 18000, announced today and priced at about $140,000 for a 30TB version (or about $15K for a 2TB model). GuardianOS is also available on Snap Server 15000, 14000, 4500, and 4200 models. Upgrades to GuardianOS v3.1 are free to customers using GuardianOS v3.0, and will be available direct from Snap Appliance. The GuardianOS v3.1 includes a 45-day free trial version of S2S Synchronization v2.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.