Intransa StorStac System™ Software • The 4th generation of Intransa’s proven StorStac OS™ and integrate applications are included free of charge with all Intransa StorStac Systems • Select from Video Storage or IT Storage Administrator viewpoints for ease of use • For StorStac BuildingBlock™ and StorStac PerformanceBlock™ systems
StorStac OS™ The Intransa StorStac OS™ is the core operating system platform used in all StorStac System™ configurations, customer proven in hundreds of installations worldwide supporting a wide range of video and IT storage needs. StorStac™ is a block-based, high performance, high capacity, IP (Internet Protocol) based storage area network (SAN) system. Intransa IP storage systems have been used by IT and video storage customers since 2003. The StorStac OS™ is the latest generation Intransa IP storage management system.
Video Storage Benefits for video storage users include: • The StorStac Video Storage Administrator™ is a powerful graphical user interface (GUI) that presents storage requirements in terms familiar to video surveillance, quality assurance and supply chain surveillance, industrial video and other users of video storage rather than in complicated IT terminology • Integrated features such as dynamic load balancing and storage management ensure optimum utilization of storage for video requirements, lessening the overall storage requirements of multiple DVR, NVR or server based systems while allowing more video to be retained both in less total capacity and more affordably • Advanced administration and remote access ensure that users can concentrate on their video applications, and not need to be storage experts, while also simplifying administration and maintenance
Information Technology Storage Benefits for IT storage users include: • The StorStac OS™ integrates with the powerful StorManager™ GUI and integrated command line interface (CLI) for a single window view of the entire system, whether equipped with a few terabytes (TB) through to 1,500TB in a single StorStac BuildingBlock™ or PerformanceBlock™ system. • The integrated DynaStac™ thin provisioning feature is advanced technology that ensures maximum utilization of deployed storage resources in StorStac Systems • Other Advanced features and tools including StorCluster™, StorStac Snapshots™, StorAR™ asynchronous replication and dynamic load balancing, deliver the ideal environment for IT administrators to easily tune their system to meet changing requirements
The StorStac OS™ also provides for the optional bonding of two 1GbE interfaces inbound to StorStac BuildingBlock™ systems to form a single, high speed 2GbE data pipe. This provides increased performance while continuing to leverage inexpensive, standard 1GbE infrastructure and interfaces. In BuildingBlock™ systems with more than a single Performance Controller Unit (PCU), up to eight 1GbE interfaces (2 per PCU) can be leveraged for 8GbE aggregate system access. In StorStac PerformanceBlock™ systems, each PCU provides a single 10GbE interface, for up to 40GbE aggregate system access when four PCUs are deployed. Although not yet as pervasive as 1GbE infrastructure, a growing number of organizations are moving to 10GbE core networks due to its increased performance advantages. PerformanceBlock™ systems are able to offer Fibre Channel-like performance, reliability, and throughput for a fraction of the price, yet offer additional scalability.
• IBM AIX™ 5.3,x • IBRIX • Microsoft Exchange 2003/2007™ • Microsoft Windows 2000/2003™ R2 Server, XP™ • Quantum StorNext™ • Red Hat Linux • Samba • Sanbolic • Sun Solaris™ 10 • VMware ESX 3.x™
The Intransa StorStac OS™ has also been tested with a wide variety of video management software applications. These include: • AMAG Symmetry™ • Cisco • CNL • Genetec • IndigoVision • JDS • Milestone • OnSSI • Proximex • videoNEXT • VideoProtein • Agent VI • VidSys • Mate Intelligent Video • Orsus t yuri Gra de
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The StorStac OS™ includes advanced RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support with multiple volume settings. For connectivity to application servers, DVRs, NVRs and other IP targets, 1 gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) and 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) infrastructure and interfaces are supported.
• HP-UX 11i™, HP PolyServe™
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Integrated into all StorStac Systems, the StorStac OS™ provides volume management for the configuration and ongoing management of iSCSI (or IP) targets such as application servers, DVRs or NVRs to access the storage system. The StorStac OS is architected to grow from 2 through to 1,500TB (1.5PB) of RAID protected IP network storage. Both high capacity, high price/ performance per TB SATA drive technology and low capacity, high performance SAS drives are supported.
The StorStac OS™ supports most major host operating systems and clustered file systems used in application servers and other iSCSI targets connecting to the StorStac System. These include:
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StorStac OS™ (continued)
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StorStac StorManager™ GUI and CLI The StorStac StorManager™ is an integrated graphical user interface that performs the task of the primary access point to StorStac Systems. Administrators use StorManager™ to configure, manage and maintain the StorStac System™. Administrators need only to become familiar with the StorManager™ GUI to access all important system functionality.
The StorManager™ GUI is a powerful Java-based application that provides a simple and intuitive management interface, specifically designed to reduce the complexity of storage management. The integrated command line interface, linked to the GUI, allows users to perform advanced functions such as the creation of scripts for rapid and automated provisioning of storage, integrated with the DynaStac™ thin provisioning feature.
StorManager™ is accessible via an optional, attached management station, or from any web-enabled workstation or client, both local or remote, over IP and HTTP.
ABOVE: The power of the StorManager™ is in the GUI interface, which provides image-based views of an entire StorStac System from a single window view. The representation above is a screenshot of a top level system view from an IT administrator’s perspective. Clicking on the realms in the familiar Microsoft Windows format allows the user to select options such as to show all volumes, all replications of those volumes, snapshots, disk groups and individual disks, controllers, enclosures, an host initiators. From the tabs, the General, System or Volume Initiator views can be further selected, as can a detailed look at any system alerts.
StorStac StorManager™ GUI and CLI
ABOVE: From an IT administrator viewpoint, the above view shows a specific realm of storage in a StorStac System™. Note that both front and rear view of each PCU and storage enclosure are shown. The rear view shows network, power, fans, and connections, for easy to understand hardware configuration details as well as for instant problem identification. Front views are also selectable that show individual disk drive layout and status, complete with trouble lights for easy identification of problems or changes needed.
StorStac StorManager™ GUI and CLI
ABOVE: A StorStac StorManager™ GUI screen, from a video storage administrator view point, showing at a glance storage used, storage allocated, capacity, IP address, and other features related to that realm. Clicking on any of the other management tabs would move the viewpoint from the current “General” view to other options, including the video storage administrator view of NVR map by volume, top level system view, and system alerts. Note individual NVRs are selectable, as are network cameras connected to the realm.
StorStac StorManager™ GUI and CLI
ABOVE: From an IT administrator perspective, the status of all disk drives in a system can be instantly checked and verified. Note that drives that are in need of attention and possible replacement are shown while still operating, before any failure occurs. System email alerts can notify the administrator of issues, before failures occur.
ABOVE: From a video administrator viewpoint, the above view shows all volumes in a specific realm. In StorStac Systems, realms are all the resources that are allocated to function together as a single system.
StorStac StorManager™ GUI and CLI (continued)
ABOVE: A StorStac StorManager™ GUI screen, from an IT administrator view point, showing at a glance storage used, storage allocated, capacity, IP address, and other features related to that realm. Clicking on any of the other management tabs would move the viewpoint from the current “General” view to other options, including the IT administrator view of volume maps, top level system view, and system alerts. Note individual disks, controllers and host adaptors are selectable.
LEFT: A StorStac StorManager™ GUI screen from a video storage administrator perspective can show real-time capacity and performance. The view shown details average hourly storage usage of two different storage volumes.
StorStac DynaStac™ Thin Provisioning The DynaStac™ thin provisioning application is tightly integrated into the StorStac OS™ and the StorManager™ GUI and CLI. DynaStac™ ensures maximum and optimum use of all Intransa IP network storage in a single system. Since StorStac BuildingBlock™ and PerformanceBlock™ are capable of growing to capacities few storage vendors achieve, scaling from as little as 2 to 1,500TB in a single system, DynaStac™ is critical in ensuring that storage use is optimized. Thin provisioning is a major component of Green IT, which requires minimization of energy consumption, waste and optimized use of resources, including storage. Green IT goals are often achieved by leveraging Intransa StorStac Systems as Storage Consolidation and Virtualization platforms, reducing hardware, power, cooling and floor space requirements by up to 70% while improving service levels, minimizing downtime, simplifying the IT environment, and reducing costs overall. DynaStac™ fulfills this requirement for users.
• DynaStac™ provides multiple volumes, each with performance and capacity fine-tuned to the target applications’ requirements for maximum usage. Typical uses are for home directory file storage, database block storage, and log files • DynaStac™ policy-based disk groups support rapid volume or LUN (logical unit number) setup and configuration. Volumes take on the characteristics (such as RAID type) of the underlying disk group. • Any policy can be customized with DynaStac™, and new policies created, to match the target application’s characteristics and performance/capacity requirements. • One disk group can support one or many volumes, further improving storage utilization. DynaStac™ dynamically provisions available disks, according to group policy, to support the growth of all of the volumes using that disk group. • StorManager™ remains the primary access to DynaStac features and functions, so only one management interface is ever needed to setup, manage and maintain a StorStac System™.
ABOVE: When leveraging the DynaStac™ thin provisioning features, the StorManager™ GUI is used. The above screen shows from a Video Storage Administrator viewpoint details of a specific volume. Unlike a DVR-based system where files are limited to individual disk sizes, StorStac volumes can span multiple drives. Clicking and dragging on the drive size indictor shown in mid bottom of the screen, in this case “area1-storage”, instantly provisions additional file capacity to that disk group without knowledge of traditional storage commands by the video administrator.
StorStac Video Storage Administrator Within the StorStac StorManager™ GUI, users are able to select a traditional IT administrator viewpoint. But for those who work primarily with video storage for video surveillance, quality assurance and supply chain surveillance, or industrial video, a video storage administrator viewpoint is also selectable. This video storage administrator viewpoint provides the following features: • Simplified management by presenting a concise subset of objects from a video administrator perspective. It provides displays and allows actions commonly used. For example, details about disks and networking are not presented, as in IT views, but those that relate to video recording are, familiar from DVR and NVR requirements
• A built-in video storage calculator in a simple volume creation wizard assists in the sizing of groups of disks, called volumes, used for video recording. User can create a volume based on video specifications such as image size, compression type, frames per second, retention days, recording hours, etc. instead of IT considerations • The StorStac OS persistently remembers the video specifications of a volume once created by the administrator. If video storage requirements change in the future, the original specifications can be recalled to be used as the basis for modification without technical storage knowledge. The video specifications can be easily exported and imported for use in creating other volumes in the same or different realm • The video specifications are also used to calculate the expected I/O load for a volume, and is used by volume load balancing algorithm
ABOVE: A screen view of the video storage calculator from the video storage administrator perspective. Instead of using IT terminology and complexity, administrators using this view are able to focus on video requirements.
StorStac Video Storage Administrator StorStac StorCluster™ Other video storage administrator features include: • Rate and Capacity Monitoring – The StorManager™ GUI can notify the administrator when the write data rate or data capacity either exceeds or drops below a predefined range. These notifications are extremely useful to ensure the normal operation of the overall video surveillance system (for example, identifying if input from an individual or group of cameras or DVR/NVR has halted). This is also valuable to monitor if the storage system is sized properly for the expected video load, allowing the video storage administrator to easily make necessary changes. • Video Surveillance Optimization By Volume – The StorStac OS provides video surveillance optimized volumes. Storage optimized for a video I/O pattern varies greatly from IT I/O patterns that can also set. Using a video surveillance optimized volume for video storage can dramatically improve the I/O performance with many video management systems. This will also allow the video application to support more video streams, or video streams with higher resolution and frames per second • Volume Balancing Method – For video, the volume balancing used by the system can be set to balance and optimize the system based on the video workload. In the traditional IT administrator view, volume balancing is instead typically set by balancing the realm by workload or by disk
StorCluster™ is the advanced Intransa storage application that allows multiple Performance Controller Units (PCUs) to be integrated into a single StorStac System™. This enables customers to scale by adding individual PCUs to increase connectivity, performance and high availability beyond that of competitive storage systems. Intransa IP network storage supports powerful N-Way PCU clustering with dynamic load-balancing using the StorCluster application. Total system throughput increases with each PCU added to a StorStac System. StorStac BuildingBlock™ supports PCUs with two 1GbE interfaces, while PerformanceBlock™ supports 10GbE PCUs. Up to four PCUs can be clustered together into a single, high performance and highly available StorStac System™ using StorCluster™. When configured in a StorCluster™, the survivability of the storage solution is greatly increased. In the unlikely event of a PCU failure, StorCluster™ automatically re-distributes the load of the failed PCU across the remaining controllers. In this way no single PCUs performance is impacted in the event of a failure, greatly reducing the storage solution design complexity. This also means that in a four-way PCU StorCluster™, the PCUs can sustain a double failure and still continue to provide service to storage requests from all of the configured application servers, DVRs or NVRs.
• Secure Sockets Layer – The StorManager™ GUI uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to connect to the realm of storage. Communication between the StorManager™ and the realm is encrypted for secure transmission. If the SSL connection ever fails for any reason, the StorStac Manager™ will remain functional by falling back to connect to the realm via a non-encrypted backup
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ABOVE: A Standard Configuration BuildingBlock™ or PerformanceBlock™ can be clustered with up to 3 additional PCUs. High Availability configurations come with two PCUs in the base configuration, and up to two more PCUs can be added for a total of 4.
StorStac Snapshot™
StorStac StorAR™
Of particular usefulness to IT administrators is StorStac Snapshot™.
Replications are useful for many applications such as high availability needs, data protection, data migration, and remote sites with mirrored data.
StorStac Snapshot™ provides the administrator with the ability to create a point-in-time “snapshot” of a volume. This is a vital feature for ongoing data protection. It is also useful for development & test (dev/test) environments when implementing or developing new software or applications, implementing new storage systems, or for backup and recovery protection. StorStac Snapshot s can be run manually, or can be scheduled. StorStac Snapshots are fully integrated into third-party applications such as the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service ™ (VSS) through the Intransa StorAlliance™ Technology Partner Program. VSS in particular is critical for database applications such as Microsoft Exchange™ or Microsoft SQL Server™, where the snapshot volume must be consistent with the application snapshot to function correctly. With this integration, the StorStac Snapshot™ volume snapshot occurs once all data has been flushed from the application server cache, ensuring consistent snapshot images.
The StorStac StorAR™ Asynchronous Replication feature allows the IT administrator to perform replication functions at the Performance Controller Unit (PCU) level. This ensures that StorAR replications are completely transparent to the application server. Since StorStac StorAR™ replications are asynchronous, there is no impact on the performance of the application in any way when performed. StorStac StorAR™ replications are configured on an individual volume level, giving the customer maximum control and allowing the IT administrator to determine which volumes contain the critical data that require real time replication, with policy-based volume management, that he or she wishes to replicate.
Traditionally, snapshots are read-only and are used for the recovery of lost data. Using StorStac Snapshot™, however, allows the IT administrator also to mount the snapshot as a read-write volume. In doing so, this allows for the creation of development images of the volume, particularly useful for database applications, data recovery, and in dev/test environments.
Intransa believes in and supports industry standards. Intransa is a member of the Security Industry Association, the Storage Networking Industry Association and the Green Storage Initiative, and The Green Grid Intransa, Inc. 2870 Zanker Road, MS 200, San Jose, CA 95134 T: 408.678.8600 • 866.446.8726 F: 408.678.8800 • www.intransa.com © 2008 Intransa, Inc. All rights reserved. Intransa, the Intransa logo, StorStac, StorStac System, BuildingBlock1, BuildingBlock2, EdgeBlock, and EdgeBlock System are registered trademarks of Intransa, Inc. All other trademarks and names are the property of their respective owners. All specifications subject to change without prior notice. 03/08