SGI has introduced ArcFiniti, a disk-based data archive solution to the issue of unstructured, file-based data. Following the company’s acquisition of Copan Maid technology, this is the second enhancement to the platform. ArcFiniti provides high-performance network access that offers performance, accessibility and long-term data integrity advantages over tape. It configures more than 1.4 Pbyte of usable storage in a single rack while high density and low power usage deliver operational cost savings of more than 95 per cent compared to other disk-based solutions, according to SGI.
‘There is a data deluge in the market today. Organisations are dealing with explosive amounts of data, particularly unstructured content that must be managed and protected,’ said Sheila Childs, research director in Gartner's Storage Strategies and Technologies group. ‘Purpose-built archiving solutions that provide for simple management of ageing data represent an opportunity for organisations to get control of data growth, even as they wrestle with requirements for compliance and data preservation while simultaneously trying to improve backup operations and cost.’
Users can access ArcFiniti via high-performance network connections for high-volume throughput into its primary disk cache. This cache is virtualised to the archive tier and managed in the background by an automated archive policy engine. All files are always available in an online state, ensuring that archive content is protected for long-term retention in the most cost-effective storage tier. If ArcFiniti detects mechanical problems, it proactively migrates data and verifies data integrity while alerting administrators to replace the faulty part. This dramatically reduces the need to take the system offline for costly Raid rebuilds due to disk errors.
ArcFiniti will be available in five factory-integrated configurations, ranging in size from 156 Tbytes to 1.4 Pbyte of usable archive capacity before compression. Powered by Intel Xeon processor 5600 series, the solution is designed for easy ordering and deployment, and is suited for easy access to offload archive data from existing data centre infrastructures.
