Gridstore NASg Exemplifies the Diversity Found in Scale-Out NAS Solutions
As part of the early research process for the DCIG 2011 Scale-Out NAS Buyer's Guide we came to find that trying to do a side-by-side comparison all of the products in the scale-out NAS space was a bit like trying to compare different fruit in a fruit basket. To a certain degree we expected some apples and oranges but we found ourselves with a lot of pineapples, mangos and even an African horned melon or two mixed in. The diversity of how Scale-Out NAS solutions are implemented has provided a unique opportunity for DCIG to step back and re-examine our approach to preparing this Buyer's Guide with a fresh eye.
Trying to say an apple is better than an orange which is in turn better than a pineapple or mango comes down more to preference more so than any sort of in-depth technical comparison. After all, how do you even do something as simple as comparing the appearances of an apple, an orange or a pineapple? Each one has very different skins, very different tastes and satisfies very different palettes.
We found much the same to hold true as we began a thorough examination of the scale-out NAS solutions that are available on the market. Case in point is the Gridstore NASg, a scale-out NAS solution that is specifically intended for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and which just announced its 2.0 solution today.
NASg delivers its scale-out NAS architecture by using a software cluster with nodes that:
To create its scale-out architecture, a software agent is installed on each computer that requires access to the NASg grid with each volume on the NASg appearing as a standard CIFS volume to the user. As users place data onto the NASg system the software agent breaks the data into chunks that are spread out amongst the available NASg devices in a RAID-like fashion. Then as new appliances are added or removed from the grid the NASg file system dynamically resizes itself on the fly.
Each 1TB or 2TB Gridstore NASg device is a standalone Windows Server that can be managed using standard Windows management tools, in this case the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. The snap-in may be added to an administrator's MMC console or by logging on to an appliance directly using remote desktop.
Monitoring and notification is achieved using the ubiquitous WMI (Windows Management Interface) tool stack. Organizations that have standardized on SNMP can leverage WMI's SNMP bridge to integrate the devices into their management system.
Gridstore also enables SMBs to extend the life of their existing Windows file servers. By installing the Gridstore NASg software agent on it, they may add the server as another device to the NASg grid. This has the potential to grant new life and renewed ROI to hardware that is seasoned but not yet ready for the scrap yard.
However SMBs are not the only ones who will find the NASg appealing as NASg should find a good home among managed service providers (MSPs.) MSPs typically manage numerous small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with a common support and infrastructure to reduce costs for their clients.
Reducing the physical time on-site for support staff is critical for MSPs that are charging a flat rate for their services. A self contained box that can be drop shipped then plugged in by non-technical clients and remotely configured has potential for significant cost savings. This same model can be followed by in-house SMEs with remote offices without technical staff that don't need a complicated storage solution.
So as Gridstore illustrates and as DCIG has uncovered, the differences between scale-out NAS solutions is rather significant. In the case of Gridstore, it does not currently provide some of the more advanced features of larger, more enterprise focused scale-out NAS appliances such as deduplication, replication and iSCSI. But at a starting price of $499, which is one of the first things that SMBs look at and who are the target market for Gridstore's solution, SMBs will likely find that OK.
Not every shop can afford nor needs every feature that is found on Scale-out NAS solutions. In the case of the Gridstore NASg it provides a commodity-based approach to scale-out NAS for SMBs that are looking for data redundancy and storage availability at a price point that SMBs can live with. So to compare it with other products intended for enterprise environments is neither fair nor proper which is part of the reason that DCIG is evaluating how to appropriately position the products included in its upcoming Scale-Out NAS Buyer's Guide.
Note: DCIG Analyst Ben Maas contributed to this blog entry.
Trying to say an apple is better than an orange which is in turn better than a pineapple or mango comes down more to preference more so than any sort of in-depth technical comparison. After all, how do you even do something as simple as comparing the appearances of an apple, an orange or a pineapple? Each one has very different skins, very different tastes and satisfies very different palettes.
We found much the same to hold true as we began a thorough examination of the scale-out NAS solutions that are available on the market. Case in point is the Gridstore NASg, a scale-out NAS solution that is specifically intended for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and which just announced its 2.0 solution today.NASg delivers its scale-out NAS architecture by using a software cluster with nodes that:
- Are completely independent
- Scale linearly by adding additional appliances to the environment
- Tie together by a client-based software agent.
To create its scale-out architecture, a software agent is installed on each computer that requires access to the NASg grid with each volume on the NASg appearing as a standard CIFS volume to the user. As users place data onto the NASg system the software agent breaks the data into chunks that are spread out amongst the available NASg devices in a RAID-like fashion. Then as new appliances are added or removed from the grid the NASg file system dynamically resizes itself on the fly.
Each 1TB or 2TB Gridstore NASg device is a standalone Windows Server that can be managed using standard Windows management tools, in this case the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. The snap-in may be added to an administrator's MMC console or by logging on to an appliance directly using remote desktop.
Monitoring and notification is achieved using the ubiquitous WMI (Windows Management Interface) tool stack. Organizations that have standardized on SNMP can leverage WMI's SNMP bridge to integrate the devices into their management system.
Gridstore also enables SMBs to extend the life of their existing Windows file servers. By installing the Gridstore NASg software agent on it, they may add the server as another device to the NASg grid. This has the potential to grant new life and renewed ROI to hardware that is seasoned but not yet ready for the scrap yard.
However SMBs are not the only ones who will find the NASg appealing as NASg should find a good home among managed service providers (MSPs.) MSPs typically manage numerous small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with a common support and infrastructure to reduce costs for their clients.
Reducing the physical time on-site for support staff is critical for MSPs that are charging a flat rate for their services. A self contained box that can be drop shipped then plugged in by non-technical clients and remotely configured has potential for significant cost savings. This same model can be followed by in-house SMEs with remote offices without technical staff that don't need a complicated storage solution.
So as Gridstore illustrates and as DCIG has uncovered, the differences between scale-out NAS solutions is rather significant. In the case of Gridstore, it does not currently provide some of the more advanced features of larger, more enterprise focused scale-out NAS appliances such as deduplication, replication and iSCSI. But at a starting price of $499, which is one of the first things that SMBs look at and who are the target market for Gridstore's solution, SMBs will likely find that OK.
Not every shop can afford nor needs every feature that is found on Scale-out NAS solutions. In the case of the Gridstore NASg it provides a commodity-based approach to scale-out NAS for SMBs that are looking for data redundancy and storage availability at a price point that SMBs can live with. So to compare it with other products intended for enterprise environments is neither fair nor proper which is part of the reason that DCIG is evaluating how to appropriately position the products included in its upcoming Scale-Out NAS Buyer's Guide.
Note: DCIG Analyst Ben Maas contributed to this blog entry.
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