The IBM TotalStorage DS4100 (formerly the FAStT100 Storage Server) is designed to give cost-conscious enterprises an entry-level server that can help meet storage consolidation and near-line application storage needs without undo expense, while leaving them room to grow. With a dual controller, up to 28TB of Serial ATA (SATA) physical disk storage—and 14 internal 250GB disk drives inside the controller, and single controller supporting up to 3.5TB with 14 internal 250GB disk drives inside the controller the DS4100 is designed to provide ample yet scalable storage without the cost of extra expansion units. This storage server also is designed to help consolidate direct-attach storage into a centrally managed, shared or storage area network (SAN) environment. And with dual controller having four Fibre Channel ports to attach to servers, the need for additional switches can be reduced or eliminated to help provide additional cost savings.
The DS4000 EXP710 switched disk expansion unit has an ESM-imbedded Fibre Channel “loop switch.” The loop switch creates what is essentially point to point Fibre Channel communication, allowing the ESMs and drives to operate as though they were on a private Fibre Channel arbitrated loop, but with the performance and diagnostic advantages of Fibre Channel fabric. A great advantage of the DS4000 EXP710 is a significant reduction in the number of Fibre Channel nodes on the drive loops. The DS4000 EXP710 has far fewer nodes on the drive loop than the DS4000 EXP700.
