Storage:

Sistina/Compaq Offer Performance Linux Storage Clustering

Sistina Software, a developer of software that simplifies complex data storage and dramatically reduces storage costs, announced an agreement with Compaq Computer Corporation through which the two companies plan to drive increased levels of performance, availability and scalability for Linux-based storage clusters running on industry-standard Compaq ProLiant servers. The goals of the agreement are to provide new Linux-based tools allowing customers to achieve greater levels of scalability on servers and storage independent of each other, enable heterogeneous functionality within the storage infrastructure, and provide customers with high-performance, scalable and affordable Linux-based network storage environments.

As a first step in this agreement, Sistina has just successfully tested its Global File System (GFS) running on density-optimized Compaq ProLiant DL360 and ProLiant DL380 servers, Fibre Channel RAID Arrays, and Fibre Channel Switches. The Compaq ProLiant platform is the first to go undergo this degree of testing with Sistina's GFS technology-offering customers the first proven hardware/software combination for high-performance, high-availability Linux-based network storage clustering.

"Being able to share and expand data in a scalable and manageable operating environment in a dynamic, real-time fashion is a prerequisite for enterprise computing," said Dr. Bruce Walker, Compaq Fellow and director of the Open Single System Image (SSI) Cluster project. "Sistina GFS on Compaq ProLiant servers offers customers a highly scalable and robust Linux-based platform that allows companies to fulfill their critical data storage needs, while eliminating performance bottlenecks and single points of failure."

Sistina's GFS is a widely acclaimed clustered file system for Linux that allows multiple servers on a storage area network (SAN) to have read/write access to a single file system on the shared SAN devices. Additionally, GFS features many high availability file system components such as journaling and failover capabilities, while providing affordable cluster configurations for companies that are running Linux applications.

"Sistina's GFS was designed to provide low-cost, robust data storage by leveraging powerful but affordable hardware," said Dave Sass, vice president of Business Development and Marketing for Sistina. "Compaq ProLiant servers are already known for their performance, quality and exceptional functionality, which makes the ProLiant platform ideal for running Sistina software."

About Sistina

Sistina, a developer of software that simplifies complex data storage and dramatically reduces storage costs, melds NAS and SAN within one operating system using a cluster file system that allows multiple servers on a SAN to map a single file system onto the shared SAN devices, and a cluster volume manager to provide host-based virtualization. Sistina was founded in May 2000, and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. For more information, visit www.sistina.com.

Contact Sistina Software, Minneapolis, Laurie Conn, 612-638-0507, conn@sistina.com.