Brocade this week announced a file-area networking (FAN) appliance that lets customers manage and migrate their file-based data stored on file servers and network-attached storage devices.

Intended for use by small and midsize businesses, the File Management Engine (FME) is a server-based appliance that runs a variant of Brocade’s out-of-band StorageX product. The FME is an in-band appliance that allows customers to migrate, tier or archive data non-disruptively.

With the FME, customers can consolidate file data, servers and storage. They can automate the classification and placement of files and automate the archiving of inactive files and directories.

The FME substitutes migrated files and directories with FME Link files that redirect file access to the physical location of the file transparently to the user.

The FME uses a policy engine to migrate data and eliminate manual processes. It can migrate open or locked files and classify and place files and directories by policy. Migration of files does not disrupt client access and migrated files maintain their original attributes. The FME appliance works without placing agents on file servers or NAS devices.

The software-based appliance works with Microsoft’s Common Internet File System (CIFS), Distributed File System (DFS) and Active Directory. It is customarily deployed as a cluster of two devices.

Brocade claims that the FME will support the Unix/Linux Network File System (NFS) in the future.

The FME starts at $50,000 for a single appliance or $100,000 for a clustered deployment.

Deni Connor is principal analyst for Storage Strategies NOW and host of both the Masters of Storage and Masters of Servers Solution Centers.