Hewlett-Packard Co has upgraded its AutoRAID configurable redundant disk array system to support 18Gb disks, making it possible to store up to 1Tb of data in a 2 meter cabinet. Launched in 1995, AutoRAID is a software-hardware combination that runs on an Intel i960-based board with dual hardware controllers in the disk array. It enables automatic configuration of a RAID disk array with both the faster but more expensive RAID 1 disk mirroring option or the slower but cheaper RAID 5 level, depending on the type and frequency of data to be accessed. The process is invisible to the user. HP claims to have taken out 25 patents on the software technology behind AutoRAID. But its use has been restricted so far to the lower end of the market, and HP still partners with EMC Corp on high-end storage systems, particularly where consolidation of multi-vendor storage systems is required. HP won’t say if it expects AutoRAID systems to eventually move up to this level, but does say AutoRAID is its strategic direction for the mid range. With the new release, prices have also been cut to 40% below the list price of the previous generation. It works with either HP-UX or Windows NT- based systems. 18Gb drives can be mixed with 9Gb and 4Gb disks in the same enclosure. AutoRAID is sold as part of various configurations, but as a turnkey system it is included with HP’s Mission Critical Server Suite, which guarantees 99.95 percent platform uptime. The Model 12H disk array using AutoRAID, fully loaded with 12, 18.2Gb drives, costs $60,450, or $.28 per megabyte.
