Features - Enterprise Data Insights:

SPINNAKER NETWORKS SPINSERVER TO SUPPORT SNIA SMI/BLUEFIN

Spinnaker Networks Inc, a leader in developing next generation, distributed storage systems, has announced that its ground breaking Spinnaker SpinServer 3300 will support the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) CIM-based Bluefin standard, created to enhance multi-vendor storage management. Spinnaker's SpinServer management architecture is designed to and currently implements the Common Information Model (CIM) standard for simplified enterprise management, allowing system administrators to seamlessly integrate SpinServers into existing enterprise management architectures.

CIM is a common information model for describing management that is not bound to a particular implementation. This allows for the interchange of management information between management systems and applications. These communications can be either "agent to manager" or "manager to manager," providing for distributed system management. In a fully CIM compliant world, it is possible to build applications using management data from a variety of sources and different management systems, such as HP OpenView, Microsoft SMS, CA UniCenter and Tivoli Management Software. The management data is collected, stored and analyzed using a common format, CIM, while allowing proprietary extensions providing "value add."

According to Nancy Marrone, Senior Analyst Enterprise Storage Group, "Until now, a storage management solution provider would need to support individual vendors' API's, limiting the number of products they could manage. With the evolution of CIM, management providers only need to support the standard in order to include CIM compliant products in their portfolio. As all the major storage management providers are supporting CIM, users can be assured that they will be able to integrate the Spinnaker solution regardless of what storage management platform they choose."

Spinnaker's SpinServer next generation NAS server is designed to enable simple enterprise management, allowing all servers to be managed from a single console and with a single management view of all storage resources. The SpinManager software allows a single SpinServer or multiple servers connected in a SpinCluster to be managed from a single console using a GUI or command line interface. This capability facilitates quick and non-disruptive additions, deletions, data moves, or regrouping of storage to maximize efficiency and to eliminate stranded storage. With the announced Bluefin support, an entire SpinCluster (up to 512 SpinServers) may be interfaced with a Bluefin enabled storage management software platform.

"The SpinServer series was designed to meet the needs of enterprise customers, requiring us to address the issue of enterprise-wide management. The CIM standard is the vehicle that gives us that capability," said Jeff Hornung, Spinnaker Networks' vice president Marketing and Business Development. "As CIM becomes more widely embedded in enterprise management infrastructures, Spinnaker customers are assured that their NAS hardware investment is protected by compliance with the latest industry standards."

Spinnaker's SMI/Bluefin compliance efforts are consistent with the direction of the SNIA as it moves towards defining a CIM implementation specifically designed for managing storage devices. As new standards become adopted, Spinnaker's unique position of implementing a management architecture around the CIM standard enables fast and efficient implementation of the new management standards.

About Spinnaker Networks

Spinnaker Networks Inc, a leader in the development of next generation NAS storage solutions, delivers the Spinnaker SpinServer, a powerful 2-stage distributed storage system. The SpinServer 3300 allows cost-effective, non-disruptive management of multiple servers as a single storage pool, which significantly reduces management costs and complexity. Spinnaker products are standards-based, which include NFS, CIFS, NDMP, SNMP and CIM, to provide efficient management and ensure interoperability among diverse computing and storage environments. Founded in December 1999, Spinnaker Networks is a privately held company with more than 100 employees headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company has secured $51 million through two series of funding rounds. Spinnaker was named one of UPSIDE Magazine's "Hot 100," which recognizes private companies for innovation, leadership and performance. For more information, visit www.spinnakernet.com.