Apple Introduces Xserve RAID Storage System With Breakthrough Performance
and Pricing
2.5 Terabytes of High Availability Storage In a Single 3U Enclosure
CUPERTINO, California-February 10, 2002-Apple=AE today introduced Xserve=81
RAID, the first 3U rack storage system with a massive 2.5TB storage
capacity, blazing performance of up to 400 MB/s and the industry’s most
aggressive price point of just over $4 (US) per gigabyte.
A unique architecture delivers the massive storage density and incredible
performance of Xserve RAID. Fourteen independent ATA/100 drive channels
provide up to 2.5TB of storage. Dual independent RAID controllers with up
to 1GB controller cache memory provide fully-redundant storage. And a dual
2Gb Fibre Channel host interface delivers unprecedented performance. Each
180GB Apple Drive Module uses a dedicated drive channel, maximizing the 400
MB/s industry standard Fibre Channel host connection. Xserve RAID scales in
capacity and performance by adding more drives, or more Xserve RAID systems
for virtually unlimited expansion. And, in an industry first, Xserve RAID
provides RAID level 5 throughput that supports affordable real-time HD
1080i video editing.
“Xserve RAID is an industry breakthrough product, offering up to 2.5TB of
high-performance redundant storage at just over $4 per gigabyte-a fraction
of the cost of storage from Dell, HP, Sun or EMC,” said Philip Schiller,
Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Xserve RAID
features dual independent RAID controllers for redundant storage, a dual
2Gb Fibre Channel interface for ultra-high performance, and dual power
supplies for peace of mind, all starting at just $5,999.”
“No other vendor comes close to offering the compelling performance,
density and value of Xserve RAID in a 3U storage system-plus it’s got
Apple’s trademark ease of use and set up,” said Jon Moog, CIO, RiskWise, a
leading provider of reliable high volume, real-time risk management
services for mission critical operations in Internet companies, banks and
other credit lending organizations. “After seeing the specifications of
Xserve RAID, we were excited and thought it would make a perfect companion
to our 120 Xserve servers. After seeing the price, we placed an order.”
The unique serviceability and redundancy features of Xserve RAID are
delivered by an accessible enclosure, modular component design and
continual visual feedback for local monitoring. Redundant hot swap power
and cooling modules can be replaced in seconds without any interruption of
service and in the event of a drive failure, access to data remains
unaffected while data is automatically rebuilt on a spare drive. The
indicator lights on the front and rear panels display status at a glance
for all system components and a built-in audible alarm provides local
failure notification.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, the included Java-based RAID Admin
software provides detailed event information about the system and in the
event of a problem automatically sends email notification. RAID Admin
provides an intuitive interface for setting up, managing and monitoring
multiple Xserve RAID systems from anywhere on the Internet over TCP/IP
through a secure encrypted password. In addition, using Apple’s new
Rendezvous=81 networking technology, RAID Admin can also automatically
discover and connect to Xserve RAID systems over any IP network.
Xserve connects easily to Xserve RAID using the dual channel 2Gb Apple
Fibre Channel PCI Card sold separately at an industry breakthrough price o=
f
$499 (US) (SRP.) This high-speed industry standard storage interface offers
dedicated bandwidth with a throughput of up to 400MB/s. Apple’s PCI card
comes with two high-speed 2.9-meter copper cables and accepts SFP (Small
Form-factor Pluggable) copper or optical transceivers for use with
fiber-optic cables.
Apple offers a choice of world-class services and support programs for
Xserve RAID including 4-hour on-site response, 24×7 technical support,
AppleCare=AE Service Parts Kits and the AppleCare Professional SupportLine
and Tools program.
Pricing & Availability
Xserve RAID will be available in March through the Apple Store=AE
(www.apple.com) and through Apple Authorized Resellers. Xserve RAID comes
in three standard configurations, or can be fully customized to meet
specific customer requirements. Build-to-order options can include
additional Apple Drive Modules, additional cache memory and cache battery
modules.
Xserve RAID for an estimated retail price of $5,999 (US) includes:
* dual independent RAID controllers with 128MB cache per controller and
support for up to 512MB cache per controller;
* dual 2Gb Fibre Channel ports with 200 MB/s throughput per channel;
* four 180GB ATA/100 Apple Drive Modules;
* 720GB RAID 0 total available storage; and
* 8MB on-drive cache.
Xserve RAID for an estimated retail price of $7,499 (US) includes:
* dual independent RAID controllers with 128MB cache per controller and
support for up to 512MB cache per controller;
* dual 2Gb Fibre Channel ports with 200 MB/s throughput per channel;
* seven 180GB ATA/100 Apple Drive Modules;
* 1260GB RAID 0 total available storage; and
* 8MB on-drive cache.
Xserve RAID for an estimated retail price of $10,999 (US) includes:
* dual independent RAID controllers with 128MB cache per controller and
support for up to 512MB cache per controller;
* dual 2Gb Fibre Channel ports with 200MB/s throughput per channel;
* fourteen 180GB ATA/100 Apple Drive Modules;
* 2520GB RAID 0 total available storage; and
* 8MB on-drive cache.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to
students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
