EMC's Iomega Launches NAS Server For Small Businesses

(click image for larger view)
Iomega StorCenter Pro NAS Server

Iomega, which is owned by storage vendor EMC, introduced this week a rack-mount network-attached storage server for small businesses and remote offices of larger companies.

The StorCenter Pro ix4-200r is powered by EMC's LifeLine operating system and provides up to 4 TB of storage. The four-drive server is billed as an entry-level system that's affordable and easy to use.

"Rock solid reliability and ease of use are hallmarks of the new ix4-200r NAS," Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega, said in a statement released Thursday.

The system offers such features as iSCSI block-level access, multiple RAID configurations, folder quotas support, jumbo frames, Windows Active Directory support, remote access and management, and VMware certification for virtualization installations. The server sells for $1,800 for the 2-TB model and $2,800 for the 4-TB version.

On the hardware side, the StorCenter Pro has four disk-drive bays, a 3.2-GHz Intel Celeron processor, 1 GB of system memory and a 1-Gb Ethernet connection. The 1U server is mountable in NEMA-standard 19-inch racks. The server has three USB 2.0 ports for connecting external hard drives.

The system works in Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X environments and supports numerous network protocols. The server can be set up to function as a client member in a Windows Active Directory domain.

Iomega's StorCenter brand also includes consumer products. The company last October introduced the ix2 network storage appliance, which is available in 1-TB and 2-TB models. The system also is powered by EMC's LifeLine storage management software.

InformationWeek Analytics has published an independent analysis of the challenges around enterprise storage. Download the report here (registration required).