“A new vendor in the network-attached storage market is bringing
the open-source software market into the NAS space. VA Linux
Systems Inc.’s 9205 system is sure to shake up the NAS market,
which, according to International Data Corp., will become a $6.57
billion market by 2003.“
“Linux is the free operating-system software that’s taking the
market by storm. VA Linux maintains the network that 60,000
subscribers use to fix and update the Linux system. As Linux
scalability improves, so will the scalability of the 9205 system.
And there’s a group of developers out on the network who are
focused on storage applications for Linux. No other NAS appliance
is based on Linux. The 9205 will scale up to 2.1 terabytes in
capacity in the space of approximately 14 inches, and customers can
combine multiple 9205s in a single rack for a capacity of 10
terabytes. The 9205, which costs $29,300 for 180 Gbytes of
capacity, also supports RAID 5 data protection. With RAID 5, one
drive acts as parity for four drives storing data. The 9205 even
sends out E-mail messages if the system is acting up at all. Like
any NAS appliance, it’s easy to administer and maintain.”