Others are limitations of Xsan/StorNext or SANs in general.įirst, Xsan/StorNext are highly optimized for serving large files, such as video and audio. Some of these are limitations in Apple’s hardware that can be worked around. Now, while Apple would like everyone to think that Xsan is the last word in storage management, there are some things that it’s not really well suited for. Hopefully, Xsan will increase the downward pressure on SAN licensing costs just as Apple’s Airport did with wireless networking at the turn of the century. Since Xsan/StorNext supports a wide range of operating systems and environments, you can set up the basic SAN with Xsan, and then add in other features as needed, giving you the flexibility and management advantages of a SAN, and the cost savings that Xsan provides. With the improved Windows integration and ACL support that have arrived with Mac OS X 10.4 ”Tiger”, the cost savings of Xsan make a compelling case for using Macs as the front-end servers for a SAN, particularly if you don’t have a specifc platform need. Per-machine pricing retails for $999US at the Apple Online Store, but discounts kick in at the 10-seat level, and further discounts may be obtained depending on what kind of relationship you have with Apple.īy comparison, StorNext licenses cost in the $3,000 to $4,000 range per machine for Windows, and around $2,500 for Linux boxes, not including maintenance and installation costs. Fortunately, Apple has made this less painful than it could be, by charging a rather low per-machine price for Xsan. While this will hopefully change soon, for now, if you don’t go with Xsan/StorNext, Mac OS X machines can only talk to other SANs via Windows/Linux/Unix servers acting as Network Attached Storage (NAS) heads. However, one thing to remember with Mac OS X and SAN is that for the moment, XSAN/StorNext is really the only SAN product that Mac OS X machines can participate directly in. So, if you’re buying Xsan with an eye on using it as part of an Information Life Management(ILM) solution, you’re going to have to pony up more budget and resources for additional components, such as ADIC’s StorNext Storage Manager, or some other solution. Xsan is a file system and basic management software only. One thing to note here, Xsan is not a ”SAN in a box” solution that other vendors, such as HP or EMC, offer. Their latest offering is the company’s initial entry into the Storage Area Network (SAN) Market - Xsan.Īs advertised, Xsan is ”The SAN File System for Mac OS X.” It is Apple’s OEM version of ADIC’s StorNextFile System, which is designed to be used in a SAN environment. While none of Apple’s IT offerings are suitable for cases where you need ”five 9’s” of reliability, they are all solid tools for any IT manager. Starting with the Xserve, the company once labled as being for ”Artists Only” has become more than just an irritant to IT departments at all levels. As anyone paying attention to the IT market over the last year knows, Apple Computer has come out with some impressive offerings of late.
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