HDS Mini Tagma Cuts Storage Cost

Hitachi Data Systems this week is planning a major move into the midrange market with a lower-cost version of its TagmaStore storage virtualization array and replacements for most of its Thunder line of modular storage arrays.

According to channel and industry sources, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based vendor is unveiling the Network Storage Controller model NSC55, a scaled-down version of the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform it introduced last September.

The NSC55, which channel sources are dubbing the Mini Tagma, manages up to 16 Pbytes of internal and externally attached storage, including customers' existing multivendor arrays. The rack-mount array includes up to 32 controllers and a global cache to help ensure data availability and array performance even in the face of multiple controller failures. It is expected to ship in August with prices starting at about $150,000—one-third the price of the original TagmaStore.

Also new this week is the Workgroup Modular Storage WMS100 system, an all-Serial ATA array that scales to 40 Tbytes of capacity. HDS is also unveiling the Adaptable Modular Storage AMS200 and AMS500, which scale to up to 40.5 Tbytes and 88.5 Tbytes, respectively, of mixed SATA and Fibre Channel storage.

The WMS100, scheduled to ship next month with a starting price of about $20,000 with 5 Tbytes of capacity, is slated to replace HDS' Thunder 9520, sources said. The AMS200 is priced at about $40,000 for 5 Tbytes of mixed SATA and Fibre Channel drives, while the AMS500 is priced at about $70,000 for 10 Tbytes of mixed drives. Both are expected to ship this week, and will eventually replace the Thunder 9530 and 9570.

HDS channel partners say they are looking forward to the lower-cost Mini Tagma and modular storage arrays.

Joe Kadlec, vice president and senior partner at Consiliant Technologies, Irvine, Calif., said the Mini Tagma will bring tremendous value to customers looking to scale their storage upward with enterprise functionality.

"Many people are fighting the disaster-recovery, business-continuity and government regulations battles," Kadlec said. "The Mini Tagma allows them to do remote sites and not break the bank."

HDS did not want to comment on this story.