RACKSPACE HOSTING EXPANDS STORAGE OFFERING WITH ENTERPRISE-CLASS DEDICATED NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE

Posted on: 05/06/2008

Hosting services provider Rackspace Hosting has expanded its storage portfolio to include dedicated network-attached storage (DNAS), a scalable file-based storage offering for enterprises requiring access to large storage.

Built on NetApp FAS2000 series storage system, Rackspace DNAS comes in multiple flexible configurations designed by Rackspace, which include several data protection solutions to offer instant backup and data recovery while ensuring the security and reliability of customers’ stored data. DNAS is offered in a modular architecture allowing customers to buy smaller storage “packs” providing multiple terabytes of usable storage space.

“Regulatory requirements, sophisticated applications and the flood of media-rich Web 2.0 sites and Software as a Service (SaaS) are pushing enterprises to collect and store vast amounts of data. These growing needs require different storage options,” said John Engates, CTO, Rackspace Hosting. “We’ve responded to our customers’ requests by pushing storage to the forefront of our product roadmap, unveiling solutions ranging from our CloudFS offering designed for developers and businesses that need highly scalable and low-cost storage up to a dedicated NAS offering for enterprises requiring large, file-based storage.”

Rackspace DNAS includes access to a team of dedicated NAS experts to help customers design, scale and maintain an optimal storage configuration for their enterprise architecture. For many customers operating on heterogeneous IT environments, DNAS also allows simultaneous access to stored data from both Windows and Linux platforms.

“As a provider of rich media advertising technology, our storage needs are considerable with the amount of digital content we develop. As one of Rackspace’s first customers to start pushing for a dedicated NAS offering, we have been able to provide valuable input on what web 2.0 companies are looking for,” said Steven Wilson, Director of IT, PointRoll. “Rackspace’s new DNAS offering provides the scalability we need, allowing us to buy additional storage packs as our business grows instead of paying for a large amount that we may or may not need up front. This modular access coupled with Rackspace’s support and technical expertise makes it a storage investment that is hard to beat in the industry.”

In addition to its dedicated NAS offering, Rackspace's storage portfolio includes:

CloudFS, a web-based storage offering that is currently undergoing beta testing and provided through the company's cloud hosting division, Mosso (www.mosso.com). CloudFS allows developers to securely store a virtually unlimited amount of data on the web connected through the Rackspace infrastructure.

Direct attached storage (DAS), a dedicated storage solution for applications that require a lower-cost entry-level cluster or that need an economical solution for expanded storage.

Storage area network (SAN), an enterprise-class block-based storage option for applications such as databases that require storage that is tuned for optimised performance, low latency, scalability, flexibility and reliability.

More information on Rackspace’s dedicated NAS and other storage offerings is at www.rackspace.com/solutions/storage/dnas.php. As well as managed hosting and cloud hosting, Rackspace also offers email hosting.