Nexsan iSeries

Overview:

• Combines SAS and SATA for ultimate application flexibility
• Virtualization eliminates storage waste
• Ideal for consolidating storage into a single infrastructure
• Multipath, multi-access architecture provides continuous access
• AutoMAID® power management reduces energy consumption
• Automated management eliminates administrative tasks
• Built-in data protection and replication

The Nexsan iSeries™, a member of the Flexible Storage Platform™, is a complete iSCSI SAN (Storage Area Network) solution that can scale from a few terabytes (TBs) up to hundreds of TBs. As such, it's ideal for consolidating multiple servers and storage systems into a single infrastructure capable of providing enterprise-class storage.

The Nexsan iSeries provides all storage software necessary to manage data, including replication, snapshots, virtualization, data migration, mirroring and more. And because it incorporates both SAS and SATA capacity in the same storage system, IT managers no longer have to choose between a performance- or capacity-driven iSCSI SAN system. The iSeries scales by adding Nexsan SAS/SATA storage systems, each with its own performance engine that includes up to 4GB of cache and four RAID engines.

Ideal for mid-size companies and mid-tier deployments in large organizations that need to mix and match storage connectivity in a single chassis, the Nexsan iSeries provides twice the capacity of similar solutions, at a fraction of the cost of competitive products.

As with all Nexsan solutions, the Nexsan iSeries 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 the Nexsan iSeries 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 the Nexan iSeries to save up to 60% in energy costs.

Storage Virtualization & Consolidation

Nexsan iSeries™ is the perfect solution for server virtualization, databases, file storage, data consolidation and multiple data storage requirements where performance and scalability are a must and simple IP deployment is desired.

Nexsan iSeries, with complete storage services, gives users the ability to create and control 1000s of virtual volumes supporting multiple applications and storage

By reliably incorporating SAS and SATA in the same storage system, users no longer have to choose between a performance or capacity driven iSCSI SAN system. Separate storage pools can be created for the needs of different applications from databases to backup.

Resilient Architecture

The Nexsan iSeries’s unique multi-path – multi-access architecture provides continuous data access during network, system, connection or component outage. Nexsan iSeries controllers are independent active systems that can form a redundant cluster pair in which one iSeries controller can take over production for another.

All components are redundant and hot swappable for no single point of failure. Additional data protection is provided using RAID 5 or RAID 6.

Integrated Data Protection and Remote Replication

Nexsan iSeries data protection services create an environment where data and sites are protected against loss. Users can create multiple read or read/write snapshots per volume, convert any snapshot into a production volume, recover an existing volume or perform non-disruptive backup.

Nexsan iSeries local mirroring and remote replication features maintain an exact copy of any volume. Local mirroring is designed for fast networks and maintains real-time copies of any volume within the same rack, datacenter or across a campus environment.

Asynchronous replication is the perfect solution for organizations that require disaster recovery and business continuance across a long distance using any IP LAN, MAN or WAN. Nexsan iSeries replication continually replicates volume changes to another iSeries located at a remote site ensuring against damage to local volumes.

	200i	400i
Includes storage services
Number of iSCSI ports	2	3
Maximum number of servers	200	200
Scalable SAN capacity	up to 500TB	up to 1 Petabyte
Number of FC storage ports	2	4
Cluster Support
Power supplies	Single	Dual

Expand Capacity with Performance

Unlike other iSCSI SAN solutions, each Nexsan storage system has its own independent performance engine, which includes up to 4GB of cache and 4 RAID engines. This allows users to increase capacity with performance without having to invest in more SAN appliances. With Nexsan, total cost of ownership will actually decrease as your company’s data needs grow.

Increasing capacity is easy and non-disruptive. Simply attach another Nexsan storage system to the Nexsan iSeries appliance and you can immediately start using the additional capacity.

With an all-inclusive Tier 1 feature set combined with industry leading performance, reliability and energy efficiency, Nexsan iSeries is delivering the iSCSI SAN you need...at a price to meet your budget.

Industry Leading Energy Efficiency

Nexsan’s exclusive technology, AutoMAID™, uniquely delivers ‘Speed with Green’ - the benefits of green without the limitations.

• Cut power and cooling costs up to 60%
• AutoMAID progressively migrates disks to idle state according to customizable periods of inactivity while providing near instantaneous access to data

Features & Benefits:

Features	Benefits
Complete Storage Services	All storage services are embedded onto the Nexsan iSeries including virtualization, snapshots, replication, mirroring, data migration and more
Storage Virtualization	Create 1000s of custom volumes that precisely address the needs of individual applications, eliminating storage waste.
Ease of Use	Automated management eliminates time consuming administrative tasks. Deploy a complete SAN in minutes instead of hrs. Simple iSCSI connectivity
Integrated with Microsoft	Take advantage of Microsoft VSS (Virtual Shadow Service) to make data consistent snapshots
Low Cost Scalability	Scale capacity without having to purchase more SAN appliances
Enterprise Performance	Place data and logs on separate physical RAID sets within the same system optimizing database performance. SAN controllers are independent and active/active.
Scale Capacity with Performance	Nexsan iSeries adds performance each time additional disks are added. Nexsan iSeries capacity is expanded by adding more Nexsan SAS/SATA storage systems. Each additional Nexsan SAS/SATA storage system has its own performance engine which includes up to 4GB of cache and 4 RAID engines.
Create Performance and Capacity Tiers	Combine SAS for performance and SATA for capacity and provision bandwidth to ensure SLA's are met.
Flexible	Combine SAS + SATA in the same chassis for the ultimate in application flexibility. Share RAID storage with FC or NAS environments
Highly Available	Unique multi-path – multi-access architecture provides continuous data access. Fully redundant hot swappable components are designed for 99.999% availability. Ensure continuous access during Nexsan iSeries software upgrades or system outage with active / active independent and redundant Nexsan iSeries appliances. Storage services failover instantaneously and automatically without any service disruption.
Energy Efficient	Industry leading energy efficiency delivering 'Speed with Green' with AutoMAID™ Technology
Affordable	All storage services included. No hidden costs or license fees
ISCSI SAN Appliance	Virtualization Snapshots Replication Mirroring GbE host ports Intuitive management
RAID Storage	Up to 42 disks in 4U of space SAS+SATA Flexibility 4 RAID engines 4GB cache AutoMAID™

AutoMAID™ Energy Saving Technology:

Nexsan's evolutionary AutoMAID (Automatic Massive Array of Idle Disks) energy saving technology transparently places disk drives into an idle state to vastly reduce power and cooling costs. AutoMAID delivers the cost-effecdtive benefits of MAID 2.0 without the limitations of slow access times and special host software.

AutoMAID is granular to an individual drive or RAID set and offers multiple levels of energy savings. AutoMAID is user selectable enabling users to determine the right level of response time performance to energy savings. AutoMAID is the first MAID 2.0 architecture that supports VTL, full file format D2D and standard high performance RAID implementations.

Key Points

• AutoMAID reduces power and cooling costs
• Nexsan’s AutoMAID delivers the benefits of MAID without the limitations
• Available on Nexsan Assureon, SATABoy, SATABeast, and SATABeast Xi

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% savings
    • Sub-second recovery time
  • Level 2: Heads Unloaded, slows to 4000 RPM
    • 35% to 45% savings
    • 15 second recovery time
  • Level 3: Stops spinning (sleep mode; powered on)
    • 60% to 70% savings
    • 30 to 45 second recovery time

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
• Only two simple configuration settings – "timeout" and "power savings desired"

    

Solutions:
 

	Nexsan iSeries	Other Popular iSCSI SANs
Virtualization
Snapshots
Replication
Automated site failover
99.999 architecture
Single, intuitive interface
Automated integrity checks
Dual active/active SAN controllers
Supports RAID 6
Expandable RAID architecture
AutoMAID energy savings
High speed synch, mirroring
SAS+SATA flexibility
Share storage connectivity with NSA & FC
Database optimization

Storage Services

• Storage Virtualization
  Create 1000s of custom volumes that precisely address the needs of individual applications, eliminating storage waste.
• Storage Consolidation
  Combine the capacity of multiple storage systems into a single capacity pool that can grow to 100s of TBs. Manage the entire capacity pool through a single, high speed interface.
• Data Migration
  Migrate data between storage resources without service disruption. Replace old storage systems with new storage systems while keeping volumes online.

Data Protection

• Local & Remote Snapshots
  Protect data using time based recovery points. Create multiple, persistent, incremental snapshots to recover deleted or inconsistent data to a previous point in time. Use read only or read/write snapshots for local or remote application testing.
• Local Synchronous Mirroring
  Maintain an exact, real-time copy of production data and volumes locally across a DWDM or dedicated fibre channel connection to a remote site. Provide for data protection in the event of physical system or site damage.
• Asynchronous Replication
  Provide disaster recovery by replicating some or all data and volumes to another Nexsan iSeries located at a remote site across an IP LAN, MAN or WAN. Failover production services provided in the event of primary site outage to ensure business continuity and continuous data access.
• VSS Support & CLI
  Take advantage of Microsoft VSS (Virtual Shadow Service) to make data consistent snapshots of Exchange, SQL and SharePoint on Nexsan iSeries. Nexsan iSeries hardware provider coordinates VSS data quiesing technology with Nexsan iSeries snapshot features. Use Nexsan iSeries CLI to coordinate Nexsan iSeries snapshots with Linux/Unix data consistency backup and recovery tools.
• Non-Disruptive Backup
  Eliminate the backup window by using snapshots instead of production volumes to backup to tape or disk. Stay in full production while performing full or differential backups to tape or VTLs.

Highly Available

• Fully Redundant Appliances
  Ensure continuous access during Nexsan iSeries software upgrades or system outage with active / active independent and redundant Nexsan iSeries appliances. Storage services failover instantaneously and automatically without any service disruption.
• Redundant Storage Access & RAID 6
  Eliminate down time with Nexsan iSeries highly available Nexsan SAS and SATA storage systems equipped with redundant controllers and power supplies. Use any RAID level including RAID 6 to overcome double drive failures.

Scalable

• Scale Capacity with Performance
  Nexsan iSeries adds performance each time additional disks are added. Nexsan iSeries capacity is expanded by adding more Nexsan SAS/SATA storage systems. Each additional Nexsan SAS/SATA storage system has its own performance engine which includes up to 4GB of cache and 4 RAID engines.
• High Density Storage
  Optimize datacenter space and reduce power and cooling costs with Nexsan iSeries high density architecture. Nexsan iSeries provides up to 42 disks in 4U of space and can scale to a PB.

Technical Specifications:

Front View

Rear View

	iSeries Model 200i	iSeries Model 400i
Specifications
IP / iSCSI Ports	2 x 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec auto-sensing iSCSI Ports Copper RJ45 1000BaseT	3 x 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec auto-sensing iSCSI Ports Copper RJ45 1000BaseT Optic SFP 1000Base-SX Optic SFP 1000Base-LX
FC / Storage Ports	2 x 1 and 2 Gbit/sec auto-sensing FC Ports - 2 FC ports Optic LC SFP SW/LW L,N or NL ports	4 x 1,2, and 4 Gbit/sec auto-sensing FC Ports - 4 FC ports Optic LC SFP SW/LW L,N or NL ports
Active/active SAN controllers when clustered	Yes	Yes
Maximum Connected Servers	200	200
Maximum Volume number	51,200	51,200
Maximum Volume Size	64TB	64TB
Scalable SAN Capacity	Up to 500TB	Up to 1 Petabyte
Availability
Cluster Support	Yes	Yes with Dual Hot Swap Power supplies
Management
Management Protocol	SNMP V2, SMTP, Telnet, SSH	SNMP V2, SMTP, Telnet, SSH
Access Interface	inband through iSCSI ports, RS232C serial interface	inband through iSCSI ports, RS232C serial interface, Ethernet 10/100 RJ45 port
Power
Power Supply	Single Power Supply Auto Switching	Dual Hot Swap Power Supplies Auto Switching
AC input	100 - 250V (Auto-sensing)	100 - 250V (Auto-sensing)
Frequency	50 - 60Hz (Auto-sensing)	50 - 60Hz (Auto-sensing)
Max. Power Consumption	130 Watt	250 Watt
Environments
Temperature	0 - 50°C (32° to 122°F)	0 - 50°C (32° to 122°F)
Humidity	10% - 95%	10% - 95%
Dimensions and Weight
Height	4.4cm / 1.75in - 1 EIA Unit	4.4cm / 1.75in - 1 EIA Unit
Wide	21.4cm / 8.4in - standard half 19-inch EIA Rack	43.8cm / 17.2in - standard 19-inch EIA rack
Depth	45.4cm / 17.8in	58.0cm / 22.8in
Weight	7 lb (3.2 kg)	14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
Others
Compliance Regulation	EMC : FCC part 15 Class A, EN55022 Class A, Immunity : EN55024	EMC : FCC part 15 Class A, EN55022 Class A, Immunity : EN55024
Safety	UL60950, EN60950	UL60950, EN60950
Environment	RoHS 6 Compliant, cRoHS Compliant, WEEE Compliant	RoHS 6 Compliant, cRoHS Compliant, WEEE Compliant
Standards
Internet	RFC 791 IP v4 RFC 793 TCP, RFC 894 IP/Ethernet RFC 1042 IP/802 RFC 1517 RFC 792 ICMP, 950 ISSP RFC 3720 -iSCSI	RFC 791 IP v4 RFC 793 TCP, RFC 894 IP/Ethernet RFC 1042,IP/802 RFC 1517 RFC 792 ICMP, 950 ISSP RFC 3720-iSCSI
Ethernet	IEEE 802.3z IEEE 802.3.ab	IEEE 802.3z IEEE 802.3.ab
Fibre Channel	FC-PH-3 FC-AL-2 FC-PLDA FC-FLA FCP	FC-PH-3 FC-AL-2 FC-PLDA FC-FLA FCP
Management	SNMP V2 RFC 854 Telnet RFC 2863 RFC 2011 RFC 2012 RFC 2013 ID SCSI MIB 05 ID iSCSI MIB 09	SNMP V2 RFC 854 Telnet RFC 2863 RFC 2011 RFC 2012 RFC 2013 ID SCSI MIB 05 ID iSCSI MIB 09

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.

Nexsan iSeries provide easy and secure management of the integrated storage software via the iSeries Management software. You can install the Management software on a Windows or Linux system and securely access it via a browser-based GUI. The GUI is intuitive and includes several wizards, making it quick and simple for you to efficiently manage storage resources for a few servers to hundreds. And the iSeries Management software enables you to administer many different local and remote systems with a single interface.

Support:

Support services for the iSeries
The iSeries ships with standard NEXSAN Warranty and Support Services which covers the entire iSeries including all Nexsan supplied components and systems. iSeries customers have the option of purchasing onsite spares for an additional charge.

24 x 7 Telephone Support
For your convenience 24 x7 access to the Nexsan technical support team is also available as an upgrade to either the standard warranty or Next Business Day onsite upgrade.

Onsite spares Program
For maximum convenience and protection of critical storage devices, this program provides customers with on location spares. This program enables our customers to have in their facility all commonly used spare parts to facilitate rapid restoration of operations. . Along with our optional 24x7 telephone support, customers can now be assured of rapid resolution to any problem. Defective components can then be advance replaced for constant availability.

Support services for Nexsan storage systems attached to the iSeries
Nexsan Technologies SASBoy, SATABoy, and SATABeast 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)

Regulatory Approvals
CE, UL, CUL

Documentation:

Nexsan iSeries Datsheet (.PDF)