Features - Storage Innovations:

LUMINEX ANNOUNCES NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR MAINFRAME DISK STORAGE

Luminex Software Inc, a leading supplier of data distribution, archiving and storage products, has announced new disk controller technology that unites S/390-class mainframes with open systems disk storage systems. The technology, called Virtual/BLUE 3990, connects JBOD and RAID systems directly to IBM, Hitachi and Fujitsu/Amdahl mainframes. Applications running under VM, VSE, MVS, OS/390, z/OS and z/VM can seamlessly access open systems storage partitions.

"Advances in open systems disk technology, server platforms, and storage management software are matching the scale, performance and reliability of traditional mainframe storage arrays and with compelling total cost of ownership numbers," said Michael C. Saunders, president of Luminex. "With our new technology, we open the mainframe market and enable RAID vendors, system integrators and IT departments to apply open systems technology advances directly to mainframes."

Virtual/BLUE 3990 technology handles all ECKD protocol translations for a mainframe to read and write data to open systems disk. The technology supports both direct and networked attached storage architectures using SCSI or Fibre Channel. Mainframe or network based storage management software can be used for backup and mirroring operations. Connection to the mainframe is via ESCON utilizing Luminex-developed channel technology along with processing required for a mainframe-based cache-centric storage controller.

"With this technology, mainframe storage users can start dealing with their capacity requirements with a whole new perspective," said Mr. Saunders. "Whatever the market focus might be -- from disk-to-disk backup, fixed content data, business continuity, decision support or operational applications -- mainframe users now have full featured and cost-effective alternatives to traditional enterprise disk storage."

Luminex is initially making Virtual/BLUE 3990 available as technology components that can be integrated with manufacturers' subsystems and is working with several storage integrators and vendors to deliver a total storage solution. "We're very pleased with the reception we are getting," said Peter LaPorte, Director of Marketing and Business Development, at Luminex. "We anticipate making several partner announcements over the next weeks and months."

"Connecting open systems storage arrays to mainframe systems has significant potential for market success," said Scott Kennedy, vice president of Strategic Business Development at Softek, which has performed extensive performance and reliability testing of Virtual/BLUE 3990. "This new Luminex technology, when coupled with the Softek provisioning, migration, replication and storage resource management software, creates a unique solution that can simplify and optimize storage assets in heterogeneous, multi-vendor environments."

"Luminex appears to be bringing a fresh approach to the mainframe storage market," said Mike Kahn, Managing Director of The Clipper Group Inc, a Wellesley, Massachusetts-based technology acquisition and advisory firm. "While many users may still turn to the traditional vendors for transactional data storage, the idea of consolidating some mainframe disk requirements around open system RAID and SANs presents a compelling business proposition -- especially for those data centers managing multiple tiers of storage with varying quality-of-service levels." He added, "With Virtual/BLUE 3990, there are many implementation possibilities."

In addition to supplying core Virtual/BLUE 3990 enabling technology to OEMs and integrators, Luminex will directly market an entry-level mainframe DASD storage subsystem. Product announcements including configuration and pricing details will be announced within the next thirty days, with general availability expected in the third quarter of 2003.