HP thin storage servers let users access CDs, DVDs via network
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s three new thin storage servers take only about 15 minutes to install on a network, according to HP officials.
By Florence OlsenGCN StaffHewlett-Packard Co.'s three new thin storage servers take only about 15 minutes to install on a network, according to HP officials.Managing file and database storage is growing out of control and soaking up more managers' time,' said Mike Leclere, network-attached storage R&D manager for HP. Network-attached storage is the easiest way to add shared storage capacity to LANs, he said.Leclere said the company shipped three new SureStore network-attached storage devices last month. The SureStore CD-ROM Server Plus with multidisk cache has 40 CD platters, six 32X CD drives and an 18G hard drive to accelerate data access. The $4,300 storage server autoloads 34 full CD images onto the 18G disk, Leclere said.A combination SureStore CD-ROM and DVD-ROM server, priced at $3,495, holds up to seven DVD storage drives that read DVD-ROM, CD-ROM, CD-recordable and CD-rewritable media.The $2,750 HP SureStore CD-ROM Server accepts up to seven CD-ROM drives that read CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW media.A $2,350 HP SureStore CD Expansion Tower can provide extra network-attached storage capacity for all three server models.Leclere said the new servers are more expensive but perform better than NetApp servers from Network Appliance Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., and Snap Server devices from Meridian Data Inc. of Scotts Valley, Calif.Pick your platformAll three HP devices run under a single-purpose operating system that supports Common Internet File System/Server Message Block for Microsoft Windows NT, NetWare Core Protocol for Novell NetWare, Network File System for Unix, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for automatic IP addressing and Simple Network Management Protocol for network management.The OS is factory-installed in flash memory. The installation involves plugging the SureStore server into the network and assigning it an IP address.Suddenly all the users can see the CD-ROM library, Leclere said. Network CD-ROM and DVD-ROM appear as multiple folders under a single drive letter.Contact Hewlett-Packard at 301-258-2000.
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