MSFT: Dell, Microsoft Bring Enterprise-Class Storage Capabilities to the Mainstream

Dell and Microsoft Corp. today announced a unified, networked storage system for file and application data that delivers enterprise-class manageability, versatility and performance for businesses of all sizes.

The Dell PowerVault NX1950™ with Microsoft® Windows® Unified Data Storage Server 2003 goes beyond traditional network-attached storage solutions. The integrated hardware and software system offers the performance, advanced management features and flexibility of a mid-range unified storage device at an affordable price. It can also help customers reduce complexity and storage costs by eliminating separate licensing for additional features and protocols such as snapshots, replication and resource management.

“At Dell and Microsoft, we’ve listened to our customers and designed a system for a market segment that historically has been under-served and overcharged,” said Darren Thomas, vice president and general manager, Dell storage and services. “Dell and Microsoft share a vision of redefining the economics of the storage industry through simplicity, affordability and capability.”

The PowerVault NX1950 integrated solution includes single or two-node cluster configurations featuring a redundant SAS-based back-end storage array scaling up to 45 drives.

Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003 is a new Microsoft storage platform providing an advanced file server and IP SAN (iSCSI) capabilities, as well as unified management tools for easy deployment and maintenance in heterogeneous environments.

“Customers want more powerful storage solutions to meet increasingly challenging business demands, yet networked storage technologies are still complex and costly,” said Gabriel Broner, general manager of storage at Microsoft. “With Windows Unified Data Storage Server, Microsoft and Dell have focused on changing that dynamic. This is a significant step for Microsoft’s Universal Distributed Storage strategy of delivering enterprise storage capabilities to a broader market.”

Key features and benefits of the PowerVault NX1950 with Microsoft Windows Unified Storage Server 2003 include these:

• Versatility. Unified iSCSI block and file storage services can be used to store files and blocks of application data.

• Interoperability. The solution operates seamlessly in CIFS (Windows) and NFS (Linux, UNIX, and Macintosh) environments, and supports security and mapping functions that are familiar to Windows and UNIX administrators alike.

• Availability. Redundant architecture, multi-node cluster configurations, file- and block-level snapshots, and local and remote replication are included.

• Manageability. The solution features advanced Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 capabilities such as single-instance storage; full indexed text search; distributed file services; and management of user quotas, file screening and storage reports.

• Simplicity. Unified management provides automated setup and streamlined provisioning; and simplified and remote management of volumes, shares and iSCSI targets.

• Value. The standards-based platform supports a host of third-party applications, including anti-virus and backup software.


Available now, the system is priced from about $17,000.* Configurations with 4.5 TB start at less than $24,000.* Integrated solutions with clustering and drive expansion, along with SAN gateway capabilities, will be available in the first half of 2007. More information can be found online at http://www.dell.com/nx and http://www.microsoft.com/storage