09 Sep 2010 | SearchStorageAU
Vendors like EMC, NetApp, HDS, HP, Dell and IBM hog the headlines whenever data storage or data management are discussed. We’ve done some digging to shed light on some lesser-known names.
Xyratex
There’s a fair chance you use Xyratex technology without knowing it, and that’s because the company is a kind of meta original equipment manufacturer that happily churns out no-brand product for other companies to sell under their own names.
Dell is one company said to use Xyratex kit, with NetApp, IBM and EMC’s Data Domain unit also reported to buy its wares.
Xyratex is quiet about just who shops from it, but does boast on its site that some of its products include “personality modules” that allow its customers to apply a branded experience to its products. It also says OEMs “can easily tailor … to meet end product requirements, including colored plastics, custom mouldings, labelling, logo printing and product packaging.”
It seems rather a lot of storage companies chose to do so, as Xyratex also claims that it “ships over 14% of the world’s external storage capacity.” Intriguingly, the company also says “75% of all 3.5″ drives are processed using Xyratex test systems.” Those test systems check drive integrity ahead of their placement in arrays.
Active Storage and Promise Technology
When Apple killed its XServe RAID products, some of the engineers who lost their jobs felt there was still a niche in the market for a RAID array tuned to the needs of big Mac users and digital media creators.
Today, their aspirations live on at Active Storage, manufacturer of an array called ActiveRAID that is pitched squarely at Apple users and even looks somewhat reminiscent of the Xserve RAID.
The company sells in the USA, Latin America and Europe, and while it is yet to reach our shores the company is seeking resellers.
While Active Storage positions itself as an Apple specialist, the official storage for those of you with lots of Macs, XServe boxen or a Final Cut edit suite is Promise Technology whose VTrak E-Class RAID Subsystem is resold on Apple’s web site.