EMC ups storage capacity, performance with new arrays

EMC this week unveiled a new high-end storage array that gives users better performance and higher capacity for business-critical and transaction-intensive applications.

The Symmetrix DMX-3 has more than twice the storage capacity of present EMC arrays and more cache memory and throughput for high-performance. They are not meant to replace EMC’s Symmetrix DMX800, 1000, 2000 and 3000, but to complement them by offering systems that perform better and faster for customers that need it.

In addition, the new Symmetrix’s will have mirrored cache, a first for EMC storage arrays. Mirroring of cache memory provides for system redundancy and increased availability. Increasing the size of the cache memory is important because the system is able to store more information quickly at hand for use by business-critical applications such as databases. Arrays from Hitachi Data Systems and IBM such as the TagmaStore and TotalStorage DS8000 already have mirrored cache.

“The fact that EMC’s Symmetrix’ have not had mirrored cache has always been its Achille’s heel,” says an analyst who asked not to be identified. “This lets them catch up to Hitachi and IBM who already offer mirrored cache.”

The new arrays are also modular - meaning they can scale incrementally by adding more disk drives, memory or I/O. EMC first introduced modular arrays with the DMX Series in February of 2003.

While Arun Taneja, consulting analyst and founder of the Taneja Group would not comment on the specifics of the announcement, he did comment on the increasing modularity of vendor’s arrays.

“The whole industry is moving toward modularity whether it is in adding more disk drives, throughput or I/O capacity,” Taneja says. “Modularity is the ultimate dream of users who want to be able to scale their storage as they need it."

The DMX-3 also uses low-cost Fibre Channel drives, which allow customers to migrate data from more expensive and faster Fibre Channel drives to media that is appropriately priced.

Further, the new DMX-3 supports up to 960 disk drives today and will be qualified to support up to 1,920 disk drives in the first half of 2006 and more than 2,000 disk drives by the end of next year. Initially, the DMX-3 will support FICON-attached IBM mainframes and iSCSI or Fibre Channel-based and host computers running AIX, HP/UX, Linux, Solaris and Windows.

In the second quarter of 2005, EMC saw a 4% growth in Symmetrix revenue. Nearly 30% of EMC’s total revenue for this quarter came from Symmetrix arrays, software and associated upgrades.

The Symmetrix DMX-3 is expected to be available in September. Pricing was not disclosed.