Finally, IBM's powerful AIX(R) operating system has met its storage match. Ease Software, Inc. released SATA-on-AIX, the only pure SATA disk solution for IBM's System p(TM) servers. SATA-on-AIX provides extremely high-speed, low-cost disk solutions with 250 megabytes-per-second actual transfer rates per SATA port - and at under two dollars per gigabyte for a complete disk solution, SATA-on-AIX offers surprising value at the enterprise level.
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SATA is the newest technology for today's computers, and it is as robust as SCSI for AIX. The user interface is 100 percent AIX, so there are no new tools for the AIX user to learn. The SATA disks install, configure and are managed just like a SCSI disk," explained Perry Smith, Ease Software president. "Even better, it's a fraction of the cost of similar products. We strive to provide options, including one for the user who needs only 250G."
The company's disk solutions use state-of-the-art SATA disks, controllers and port multipliers; advanced features like Native Command Queuing are already incorporated. Ease Software products work with any PCI-based system running AIX, including p5, pSeries and RS/6000. SATA-on-AIX currently supports AIX levels 5.3 and 5.2; in the future, the company plans to support older levels like AIX 4.3.3 and newer levels like AIX 6.1.
To see just what SATA-on-AIX delivers, one need look no further than the ten-terabyte external disk system. Occupying a single PCI or PCI-X slot in the AIX system, the configuration includes the PCI-X host bus adapter with four SATA ports, each connected to a five-bay hot swappable mini disk tower.
So how does Ease Software get AIX support right? The company was founded by IBM veterans who worked on AIX RS/6000 from its inception in 1998. Thanks to that specialized experience, Ease Software is able to offer clients the latest in software, documentation and new features.
Each bay contains a Seagate Barracuda ES 500gb disk, and the system includes all required software. The total price: $18,449.99. It's just one of the many possible configurations of which SATA-on-AIX is capable.
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The bottom line is, we have what it takes to make - and keep – our clients' businesses productive by ensuring their systems are also working," said Smith. "By using our knowledge of how AIX and RS/6000 systems work together, we can add considerable value to our clients' businesses through products like SATA-on-AIX."
SlimLine family is industry's first small-footprint, low-power LQFP solution that enables PCI Express connectivity in space-and-power sensitive volume applications. The SlimLine product family offers two PCIe packet switches and one PCIe-to-PCI bridge. Engineered with PowerSave, the latest in green power-saving technology from Pericom, the design saves up to 30% of power in normal operating mode by allowing selectable power operation states. The proliferation of mobile platforms places greater demands on power and size; as form factors shrink, so does battery space and capability.
