IBM Corp has delivered the first of its promised open systems products in its Seascape line of storage systems (CI No 3,183). The first Seascape Serial Storage Architecture-compliant systems, intended to enable building blocks of storage functionality to be snapped together, can now be used in conjunction with non-IBM Unix and Windows NT-based servers. IBM has released the SSA RAID Adapter for PC Servers works with NT-based servers from Compaq Computer Corp and Hewlett-Packard Co, giving them access to mainframe-style storage. It has data throughput of up to 60Mb/sec, compared with SCSI’s typical 12-15 Mb/sec between storage and servers. The increased speed, says IBM, makes data accessible more quickly for applications such as data warehousing, data mining and electronic commerce, as well as reducing the number of server outlets used up for storage, freeing them up for other network devices. One SSA RAID Adapter, using one server slot, can support up to 96 drives, storing 874Gb of data, while SCSI devices support only 15 drives. RAID levels 0, 1, 5 or non-RAID can be run concurrently on a single adapter. In the Unix arena, IBM ‘s 7190-100 is described as a simple storage device that connects up DEC Ultrix or Windows NT servers to IBM’s high-end 7133 Serial Storage Subsystem. Users can access and share stored data among up to four DEC servers of the same type at a time. It can be connected up using existing SCSI adapters on DEC servers. Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard Co servers are already supported by the 7190. Available now, no prices.
