The AMS 1000 offers users the ability to create up to 32 logical cache partitions in 16Gb of cache and support for any two protocols internally without relying on external servers or adapters.
“It gives the customer the tools to take full advantage of tiered storage,” said Kevin Sampson, Hitachi Data Systems’ director of product marketing.
“For the customer in the mid-range it’s the only device they ever need. They could put NAS on it, SAN on it, attach iSCSI, and with the scalability and performance it’s hard to outgrow.”
“This gives the channel partner the opportunity to go after accounts where the customer may have been looking at enterprise storage,” he added.
The AMS 1000 replaces the Thunder 9585V. Holding up to 218 TB of data, the new model can be used as main storage for up to 1,000 servers, or as standalone system for off-site backup.
Prices start at US$80,000. Sampson said an “average” system with 18TB of storage and an 8G cache will cost close to US$130,000.
Software management
Like all Hitachi systems, it is managed through the company’s HiCommand Suite, which has just been upgraded to version 5.0. New features include an improved graphical user interface with a shared toolbar showing all of the software’s modules, improved readability and consistent layouts and patterns of monitors.
The AMS 1000 competes against such heavyweights as EMC’s CX-700 line, IBM’s DS 4800 and Hewlett-Packard’s EVA storage, according to Tony Asaro, senior analyst at the Enterprise Strategy Group. The AMS 1000 will be a good competitor, he said.
He liked the system’s modular architecture, which differs from some competitors’ fixed architecture. The cache partitioning capability, which allows fine-tuning on the fly, will also appeal to buyers.
“Hitachi has brought capabilities and features that make it extremely competitive,” he said.
Sampson noted that while AMS 1000 has eight Fibre Channel ports, customers can order mixed ports supporting any two storage protocols, including NAS, SAN or iSCSI.
The system also allows non-disruptive movement of data across tiers of storage, meaning data can move across 15,000 RPM Fibre Channel, 10,000 RPM Fibre Channel or 10,000 RPM hard drives.
It also includes RAID-6 capability, which gives the ability to rebuild a data volume if a disk fails while continuing to store data at the same time.
To help VARs sell its systems Hitachi recently issued new quoting tools to partners, Sampson said, which will speed their ability to bid on deals.
Also sent to partners are new sales guides emphasizing how features of all models compare. “We’re trying to get away from one-size-fits-all” marketing material, he said.