Nexsan SASBeast

Overview:

• High I/O per second and MB/s performance
• High-capacity SAS: Up to 25.2TBs in only 4U
• Combines SAS, SATA and SSD disks in the same system
• Scales to 102 disks with add-on expansion chassis
• AutoMAID® level 3 technology saves up to 60% in energy costs
• Includes both FC and iSCSI interfaces
• Combines SAS, SATA and SSD disks in the same system
• Single or dual redundant controllers
• Anti-vibration design maximizes drive reliability
• Horizontal mid-plane maximizes airflow

Nexsan's SASBeast, a member of the Flexible Storage Platform™, is a high-capacity, high-performance, enterprise-class storage array system ideal for transactional applications that demand high I/O per second. With its storage density of 25.2TB offered in a 4U configuration, SASBeast has the ability to scale to hundreds of terabytes of capacity in a single rack. With 42 high-speed SAS drives, it's optimized for customers whose infrastructures support Microsoft Exchange, Oracle, SQL and other databases, as well as those that involve large file servers, virtual server environments or large amounts of small files. Equally important, SASBeast includes FC and iSCSI connectivity and allows customers to combine SAS, SSD and SATA drives within the same system to address different application requirements.

By employing the latest SAS technology, SASBeast attains enterprise-level, tier-one performance. At the same time, however, SASBeast takes advantage of Nexsan's built-in cost advantages, enabling it to deliver very high tier-one performance at a price typically associated with mid-market solutions. And, when using the new 8Gbit fiber channel controller, SASBeast can scale to 102 disks by attaching the Nexsan E60X 60 drive expansion chassis.

As with all Nexsan solutions, SASBeast is built for enterprise-class applications, providing tier-1 full redundancy and high performance at tier-2 prices. It's very easy to install and use. And SASBeast includes technologies that provide a combination of cost-effective high density, space efficiency and Nexsan's AutoMAID® (Massive Array of Idle Disks) level 3 energy-saving technology, which enables SASBeast to save up to 60% in energy costs.

About SASBeast

Whether you need high performance (for Exchange) or high capacity (for disk to disk backup, file servers or storing large amounts of content), SASBeast™ provides the speed and capacity to meet the broadest range of storage requirements.

SASBeast delivers the industry's best value by combining enterprise SAS and SSD performance with the cost-effectiveness, density, reliability and energy efficiency Nexsan is known for.

Built For Performance Applications...

Blazing SAS and SSD IOP performance and read/write throughput make SASBeast the perfect choice for transactional and/or database intensive applications (Exchange, SQL, Oracle, etc.). SASBeast's high availability architecture features full redundancy across all active components and delivers industry leading reliability

...And Capacity Applications

Innovatively engineered to reliably mix SAS, SSD and SATA disks in the same SASBeast chassis, the user is provided separate storage tiers for different applications. Use the SAS and SSD storage tiers for performance intensive applications and the SATA storage tier for capacity intensive applications. Nexsan is changing the rules of storage by allowing the user to meet the broadest range of storage requirements in a single chassis.

Unprecedented Energy Savings

SASBeast exclusively features the ground breaking energy saving benefits of AutoMAID® technology which places disks in an idle state during inactivity while providing near-instantaneous access to data when needed. AutoMAID uniquely delivers the benefits of green without the limitations.

SASBeast gives users the flexibility to utilize Fibre Channel or iSCSI connectivity or both simultaneously. Flexible, scalable and completely OS independent, SASBeast offers dual function FC and iSCSI connectivity with wire-speed throughput performance.

With SASBeast, Nexsan engineers have built the industry’s most complete and cost effective high performance storage system. SASBeast’s advanced mechanical design provides superior cooling for optimal thermal operation, reduces disk vibration and delivers outstanding energy efficiency with extreme density (42 disks in 4U). SASBeast’s unique design extends individual drive life and provides TCO savings year over year.

SASBeast’s unique combination of technologies delivers unsurpassed performance, reliability and cost savings for a broad range of storage requirements. With an extreme density design that provides a compact footprint and scales to hundreds of terabytes of capacity in a single rack, SASBeast easily meets the demands of transactional and/or database intensive applications (Exchange, SQL, Oracle, etc.).

Dual controllers using Nexsan’s award winning high performance design provides blistering throughput performance with 42 spindles that can be accessed simultaneously, segmented into multiple RAID sets or configured into a single, large storage pool.

All individual SASBeast components are fully redundant and hot swappable.

The SASBeast’s NexScan® management interface is built into the SASBeast controller alleviating the need to have a separate server or application manage the storage array. This sophisticated management utility monitors and reports the status of all subsystems. Included in NexScan are Tele-Guard®, Nexsan’s phone-home feature for user notification of errors or prediction of error, and our WorldView feature enables multi-box management. LUN Mapping allows users to easily configure the massive disk capacity for dozens of servers or one.

Additional management software is also available to allow multiple Nexsan systems to be managed through a single interface.

Features & Benefits:

Features	Benefits
42 Drive Capacity	Populate with 14 to 42 300/450/600GB SAS drives or combine with 1TB/2TB SATA drives
42 600GB SAS Disks in 4U for over 25TB	Over 25TB SAS in 4U and over 6TB per U delivers exceptional density
E60X - 60 Bay Expansion Chassis	When using the new 8Gbit FC RAID controller with dual SASx4 expansion ports you can add an additional 60 disks to the SATABeast or SASBeast for a total of 102 disks in a single system
Warm-pluggable Capacity Expansion	Attach the E60X expansion chassis with minimal downtime
Hot-pluggable Disk Expansion	Install new disks into empty bays and create a new RAID set for added capacity without any downtime
Single or Dual Controllers	Use a single controller or use dual active/active RAID controllers for high availability
Multiple HA Access Modes	Features APPA, 4PAA, APAL (also DCNR) connection and controller failover modes with full LUN access security
Hardware RAID	RAID levels, including RAID6, are implemented in hardware, not software for optimized performance
2 RAID Engines per Controller	Two RAID engines per controller and four engines in a dual controller configuration ensures maximum throughput across all drives.
Fully Redundant	All active components (RAID controllers, modules, fans, power supplies and drives) are redundant and individually hot-swappable.
Global Disk Spare	Automatically starts rebuilding a RAID set by using a designated spare drive without requiring user intervention
Dual FC and iSCSI Support	Dual FC and iSCSI ports and connectivity are a standard feature for flexible system deployment
Supports Multiple RAID sets and LUNs	Support diverse servers and applications with multiple RAID sets and multiple volumes per RAID set for a total of 254 LUNs
2GB Battery Backed Cache	Increased performance with up to 2GB cache per controller with 72hr of data retention
Mix SATA and SSD Disk Types	Combine SATA and SSD drives in the same storage system to address diverse applications
Redundant Power Supplies	Two redundant power supplies with tachometer-monitored blowers are standard to provide maximum power, cooling and high availability
No Special Software Needed	Completely OS independent and standards based - no special software drivers required
Embedded GUI	Simple management using the embedded browser based web GUI over the 10/100/1000 IP port, supports email alerts and SNMP traps
Nexsan Storage Tools	Manage and configure multiple Nexsan RAID storage systems from a single interface
AutoMAID - 67% Savings	Reduced energy consumption and costs by 67% through AutoMAID® technology.
Horizontal Drive Plane	Disks are installed into a horizontal disk plane to promote superior airflow
Anti-vibration Design	Anti-accumulative rotational vibration design and technology maximizes drive reliability

Highlights

• Enterprise class storage array built around the latest high-performance SAS disks
• All active components (RAID controllers, fans, power supplies and disks) are redundant and individually hot-swappable
• Combine SAS, SSD and SATA disks
• Fibre Channel and iSCSI host connectivity
• OS independent. No drivers required
• Horizontal mid-plane design promotes superior airflow
• Anti-Accumulative Rotational Vibration design maximizes disk reliability
• Storage tools make it easy to manage and configure multiple units from a single GUI
• Reduce energy costs up to 60% through AutoMAID® technology
• Multi-path IO with no single point of failure design

AutoMAID™ Energy Saving Technology:

AutoMAID is used in scenarios where there will be periods of disk inactivity. Examples include backup to disk, long term bulk storage, scientific projects, or digital video editing—where data may be put on the back burner for weeks or months.

Nexsan's AutoMAID (Automatic Massive Array of Idle Disks) energy saving technology can be utilized on a per-disk set basis in Nexsan disk arrays. It is easy to set up and change AutoMAID power saving policies while the storage system is being used. After a specified period of inactivity, disk heads can be parked, after additional periods of inactivity disks can be placed into even lower power states by slowing rotation, stopping rotation, or powering off all drive electronics. For convenience, the GUI allows the administrator to keep AutoMAID policies from going into effect during business hours. Once the AutoMAID policies are defined, they operate with no need for manual intervention, transparent to applications and users.

Key Points

• AutoMAID reduces power and cooling costs
• Nexsan’s AutoMAID delivers the benefits of MAID without the limitations
• Available on Nexsan Assureon, Boy, Beast, and E-Series

AutoMAID Defined

• AutoMAID automatically reduces power consumption and heat generation on idle drives
• Trade-off between response times and power savings are user configurable
• AutoMAID behavior happens automatically and transparently to host – no software changes required
• Typical configuration settings:
  • Level 1: Heads Unloaded
    • 15% to 20% power savings
  • Level 2: Heads Unloaded, slows to 4000 RPM
    • 35% to 45% power savings
  • Level 3: Stop drives from spinning (sleep mode; powered on)
    • 60% to 70% power savings
  • Level 4: Power off drives
    • Up to 85% power savings

AutoMAID Safety Features

• In maximum power saving mode, drive spin up is sequenced to reduce power surges
• Drives automatically wake up for periodic surface scan to ensure data integrity (user configurable)
• AutoMAID has no impact on performance if left on in data-intensive server applications

    

Technical Specifications:

Front View

Rear View

SASBeast Specifications
Disk Bays	42
Rack U	4U
Controllers	One Standard, Dual Optional
Dual Optional Controllers	Active/Active fault-tolerance and increased performance with optional second controller
Supports E60X Expansion	Yes
Battery Protected Cache per Controller	2GB Standard
Host Ports	2 FC 8Gbit and 2 iSCSI 1Gbit Ports per Controller
Storage Expansion Ports for NXS-E60X	N/A
Sustained Data Rates (with Dual Controllers)	1100+ MB/s Reads
Hardware RAID 6	Included
RAID Levels	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6
Volumes and LUNs	256 volumes per system / 254 LUNs per port
Power
Standard Dual Redundant Power Supplies	2 Redundant Standard 1100 watt 110/240 Auto-sensing
Dimensions and Weight
Height	7 inches / 17.78 cm. (4U)
Width	19 inches / 48.26 cm.
Depth	29.5 inches / 74.93 cm.
Maximum Installed Weight w/ mounting rails, all drives and controllers	approx - 81 Kg / 179 lbs
Rack Mount	Fits into a standard 19 inch rack
Environmental
Operating Temperature Range	5ºC to 35ºC (41ºF to 95ºF)
Operating Humidity Range	20% to 80% non-condensing
Operating Altitude	0 to 2,133m (0 to 7,000ft)
Non-operational Altitude	0 to 12,192m (0 to 40,000ft)

Management:

From Anywhere to Anywhere.

That's because–whether you're across town or halfway around the world–you can manage all Nexsan storage products remotely. Our management capabilities are intuitive and easy to use. They require minimal training. And all of our interfaces provide different levels of security to ensure proper authentication and prevent unwanted users from gaining access.

You can configure Nexsan E-Series, Beast and Boy products through our unique, secure and intuitive Web-based GUI tool. The interface uses standard HTML and is compatible with all mainstream browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, Firefox, Safari, etc.) that aren't hardware-, software- or Java™-runtime-specific. The embedded Web-browser GUI operates over the 10/100/1000 port, and supports e-mail alerts and SNMP traps. We also provide a standard serial port for local and direct system configuration.

In addition to the GUI, Nexsan Storage Tools – a comprehensive set of storage management software tools for Windows Server families–make it easy to manage and configure multiple units from a single GUI. Nexsan Storage Tools provide support for Windows Virtual Disk Service (VDS) and Microsoft Management Console (MMC), and include MPIO support for Nexsan RAID storage systems.

Nexsan Storage Tools:

All Nexsan disk arrays, including the SATABoy, SASBoy, SATABeast, SASBeast, and the B-Series come with Nexsan Storage Tools – a comprehensive suite of software, which was purpose-built for mid-sized organizations. Nexsan Storage Tools are available for Windows, Apple OS X, AIX and popular versions of Linux.

Nexsan Storage Tools for Windows

Storage Manager provides a single console from which multiple local and remote Nexsan storage products can be easily and securely managed and monitored. Key features include.

• Management for one or more disk arrays on the LAN or WAN
• Easy to use GUI to configure advanced disk array features
• Red-green-yellow status display of all disk arrays being monitored
• Create and expand volumes
• Use as a stand-alone application or from within Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Nexsan Data Migration Manager makes it easy to move data onto your new Nexsan disk array or to migrate it from one RAID Disk Set to another – for load balancing, increased storage capacity or any number of other common goals.

Windows VDS Integration and Shell Extensions allow administration of Windows volumes and multiple Nexsan disk arrays directly from Windows management tools. Key features include:

• Seamless integration with Microsoft management tools including: Microsoft Storage Manager for SANs, DISKRAID and DISKPART command-line tools, Microsoft Server Manager and Computer Management, Microsoft Device Manager, Microsoft Disk Management and Windows Explorer
• Create, delete, expand and migrate volumes
• Map LUNs to Windows servers
• Supports both Fibre Channel or iSCSI
• Drill down on all of the Nexsan configuration data from within Microsoft Disk Management

IP Configuration Tool is used to configure Nexsan disk arrays. Features include:

• Automatically detects any Nexsan disk array on the local subnet
• Display status of each disk array (red-green-yellow)
• View and change IP settings
• View and change disk array details such as System name, unique ID and firmware version

Host Identification Tool displays the identifiers of local storage adapters such as Fibre Channel WWPNs and iSCSI IQNs.

MultiSan IO (MSIO) Manager and Drivers provides Multi-path I/O (MPIO) drivers and management software for Windows servers to deliver greater aggregate bandwidth and fault resilience. Features include:

• See detailed information about what paths, target disks and connections the Nexsan DSM (device specific module) has discovered
• Configure the path load balancing policy, path failover strategy and path priorities
• Monitor the health of multipathing, troubleshoot issues and view logs
• Configure alerts, email alerts and other options
• Manage MultiSan IO from a GUI or from a command line

Supports popular versions of Windows including:

• Windows XP (all 32-bit versions)
• Windows Server 2003 (all 32-bit and x64 versions)
• Windows Vista (all 32-bit and x64 versions)
• Windows Server 2008 (all 32-bit and x64 versions)
• Windows 7 (all 32-bit and x64 versions)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 (all x64 versions)

See the Nexsan Support site for details

For Linux Nexsan Storage Tools for Linux provides an IP configuration tool to set up the disk array from a Linux system. Nexsan does not need to ship any specific software to enable interoperability and compatibility with Linux. Key features include: IP Configuration Tool is used to configure Nexsan disk arrays Multi-path I/O capabilities built in to Linux delivers greater aggregate bandwidth and fault resilience. No special software is needed Supports popular versions of Linux including Redhat, Centos, SUSE, Fedora, Mandriva, Unbuntu, KNOPPIX, Debian, Linux Mint and Slackware. See the Nexsan Support site for details

For OS X Nexsan Storage Tools for OS X provide an IP configuration tool to set up the disk array from an OS X system. Nexsan does not need to ship any specific software to enable interoperability and compatibility with OS X. Key features include: IP Configuration Tool is used to configure Nexsan disk arrays Multi-path I/O capabilities built in to OS X delivers greater aggregate bandwidth and fault resilience. No special software is needed

For VMware Although Nexsan disk arrays are qualified with VMware, Nexsan does not ship any specific software to enable interoperability and compatibility with VMware ESX. Key features include: Multi-path I/O capabilities built into ESX 4.1 and ESXi 4.1 deliver greater aggregate bandwidth and fault resilience. No special software is needed Map LUNS to Hosts with built-in VMware ESX administration tools

For AIX For AIX, Nexsan provides a Multi-path I/O driver. Key features include: Multi-path I/O drivers leverage the advanced Multi-path I/O capabilities of AIX to deliver greater aggregate bandwidth and fault resilience

Boy and Beast Product Family:

Feature	SASBoy (SAS drives)	SASBeast (SAS drives)	SASBoy (SAS+SATA drives)	SASBeast (SAS+SATA drives)	SATABoy	SATABeast
Drive Types	SAS 300GB, 450GB, 600GB - 15000 RPM	SAS 300GB, 450GB, 600GB - 15000 RPM	SAS 300GB, 450GB, 600GB 15000 RPM and SATA 1TB 7200RPM	SAS 300GB, 450GB, 600GB - 15000 RPM and SATA 2TB and 1TB	SATA 1TB, 750GB, 500GB	SATA 2TB, 1TB, 750GB, 500GB
Drive Bays / Rack U	14 Drive Bays / 3U	42 Drive Bays / 4U	14 Drive Bays/ 3U ( 4SAS w/10 SATA or 7SAS w/ 7SATA)	42 Drive Bays / 4U (SAS or SATA in groups of 14)	14 Drive Bays / 3U	42 Drive Bays / 4U
Controllers	1 Standard Dual Optional Dual RAID Engines per Controller	1 Standard Dual Optional Dual RAID Engines per Controller	1 Standard Dual Optional Dual RAID Engines per Controller	1 Standard Dual Optional Dual RAID Engines per Controller	1 Standard Dual Optional	1 Standard Dual Optional
Battery Protected Cache per Controller	2GB Standard	2GB Standard	2GB Standard	2GB Standard	512MB, 1GB or 2GB	512MB, 1GB or 2GB
Host Ports	2 FC or 2 SAS and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller	2 FC and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller	2 FC or 2 SAS and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller	2 FC and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller	2 FC or 2 SAS and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller	2 FC and 2 iSCSI Ports per Controller
Sustained Data Rates (with Dual Controllers)	820 MB/s Reads	1100+ MB/s Reads	820 MB/s Reads	1100+ MB/s Reads	540 + MB/s Reads (with single controller)	1100 MB/s Reads
Hardware RAID 6	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included
RAID Levels	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6	0, 1, 1+0, 4, 5, 6
LUNs	254 per Controller	254 per Controller	254 per Controller	254 per Controller	254 per Controller	254 per Controller
Redundant Power Supplies	2 Redundant Standard 500 watt	2 Redundant Standard	2 Redundant Standard	2 Redundant Standard	2 Redundant Standard 400 watt	2 Redundant Standard 760 watt
Global "Hot Drive Spares"
Hot-pluggable Controllers, Drives, Power Supplies
Multiple RAID sets and LUNs per RAID set
254 LUNs per Controller
LUN Masking, ACL, Read Only Access
Nexsan WorldView Multi-unit Manager
Nexsan NexScan Onboard Browser Based GUI
Nexsan Tele-Guard Phone Home Manager
3 yr. Warranty, Advanced Exchange, 24x7 Support

Support:

Choose the Nexsan Service and Support Program that fits your organization and get the highest performance out of your Nexsan storage systems while protecting your investment. Nexsan offers Basic, Enterprise, Premium and Concierge programs above the Standard Warranty to provide a selection of service and support features for any sized organization or IT team. Contact your Nexsan sales representative or visit www.nexsan.com to learn more about which service and support options best meet your needs.

	Basic	Enterprise	Premium
Phone and Email Support	Nexsan Business Hours	7x24	7x24
Severity Level 1 / 2 / 3 (remote) Response Times	4 hrs / 6 hrs / 6 hrs Business Hours	4 hrs / 4 hrs / 8 hrs 7x24 Hours	4 hrs / 4 hrs / 8 hrs 7x24 Hours
Firmware and/or Software Updates (bug fixes, minor releases)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Firmware and/or Software Upgrades (new features, major releases)	No	Yes	Yes
Parts Deployment	Advance Parts Replacement (Self-installed FRU)	Arrive with On-site Technician	Arrive with On-site Technician
Parts Timeframe	Ship within 1 Business Day	On-site 5x9 Next Business Day	On-site 7x24 4-hour Response

Three Years Advance Replacement Warranty
Nexsan Technologies storage systems are warranted for three full years from the date of shipment. Upon verification of failure, replacement equipment will be shipped out to our customers. Return material authorizations will accompany all equipment shipped and can be issued either by our phone, fax, or email. (warranties are non-transferable without prior consent from Nexsan) Several levels of service upgrades are available for purchase.

Basic Support
Nexsan customers who prefer to perform simple hardware replacement themselves and do not need 24x7 care choose Basic support. As needed, replacement parts are advance-shipped within one business day of diagnosis of a hardware fault. Basic support includes Nexsan Technical Support by phone and email during standard Nexsan Business Hours. Software upgrades are available for an additional charge. Software/Firmware Updates are free. Nexsan E-Series, SATABoy and SATABeast RAID products include Basic Support with the Standard Warranty.

Enterprise Support
Nexsan Enterprise support offers an enhanced level of service to simplify maintenance and improve overall system availability. Enterprise support includes 24x7 phone and email support, as well as Next Business Day onsite hardware replacement for our customers who do not need the around the clock response of the Premium Support program. Under this coverage a trained field engineer will respond to your location on the next business day following diagnosis of a hardware issue.

Premium Support
Nexsan customers who require infrastructure operation 24x7x365 choose Premium support for fast, 24x7 response and onsite hardware replacement. Once a hardware issue is diagnosed by phone, a Nexsan Technical Engineer arrives onsite, within 4 hours, if needed. Premium support also offers enhanced response times to software support issues and an exclusive support hotline for around-the-clock access. Software/firmware updates and upgrades are included.

Onsite spares Program
This program provides customers with on-location spares for maximum convenience and protection of critical storage devices. The Onsite Spares Program enables customers have all commonly used spare parts located in their facility for rapid replacement and restoration of operations. Along with optional 24x7 phone support, customers can be assured of rapid resolution to any problem. Replaced components can be advance-shipped for constant availability.

Regulatory Approvals
CE, UL, CUL

Documentation:

Nexsan SASBeast Daasheet (.PDF)