Smart Storage goes DIMM with memory channel storage

Smart Storage Systems this week released a server-side memory channel storage card using technology from Diablo Technologies Inc.

Smart's ULLtraDIMM flash storage boards sit in the motherboard's dual in-line memory module (DIMM) slots and use memory channel lanes for system connections. The vendor claims its cards have much lower and more consistent latency than traditional PCI Express (PCIe) flash cards or SATA and SAS solid-state drive (SSD) connections.

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PernixData virtualizes server-side flash caching

PernixData Inc. this week launched its server-side Flash Virtualization Platform, which allows organizations to share flash caching across clustered servers running VMware.

The Flash Virtualization Platform (FVP) lets any server running the software to access flash resources installed on another host in the cluster. FVP installs into the VMware vSphere kernel, uses the same resources as the vSphere hypervisor, and can piggyback on the vMotion virtual network. The software is managed as a tab in vCenter.

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LSI Nytro PCIe cards get capacity, feature upgrades

LSI Corp. expanded its Nytro application-acceleration product line this week with a 3.2 TB WarpDrive PCI Express (PCIe) flash card and two new MegaRAID PCIe intelligent flash acceleration and storage cards.

The LSI Nytro application-acceleration product line features PCIe cards with multiple form factors that can connect internally to direct-attached storage or externally to SANs with both SATA and SAS interfaces.

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Flash storage arrays take center stage at Storage Decisions

Solid-state storage was a hot topic at the Storage Decisions Conference in Chicago last week, as expert presenters explained its benefits while warning attendees not to go overboard in deploying expensive flash storage arrays.

Presenters suggested instead using flash as a tool in a sound, economical storage strategy that also includes spinning hard disk drives, tape archiving and cloud services.

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Law firm uses NexGen hybrid array to keep cases moving

Chief Information Officer Rich Wills said he doesn't consider his law firm on the cutting edge of technology. But rapid data growth pushed Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK) to buy a hybrid flash array from startup NexGen Storage Inc. when traditional hard drive arrays failed to keep up with his IOPS requirements.

"We're a law firm," Wills said. "We don't really do new stuff. Cutting-edge [technology] and law firms do not necessarily exist in the same technology plan."

However, data growth and e-discovery are common in law firms, and that was the case with Cincinnati, Ohio-based KMK.

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