The D-Link xStack Storage Area Network  (SAN) Arrays (DSN-3200  &  DSN-3400)  are  designed  to  provide  a reliable network data storage solution  for customers  in entry-level and SMB segments. Utilizing a 10Gbit  iSCSI System-on-a-Chip  (SoC)  solution  that  can  handle  over 65,000  I/Os per second and capable of supporting over 11TB  raw  capacity  using  750GB  hard  drives  (and  even higher capacity hard drives as they are introduced), the DSN-3000 Arrays can easily be implemented as nearline storage to supplement your primary IP network storage solution  or  be  used  as  a  basic  backup  and  recovery device. This evolutionary advancement  in performance is  a  testament  to  the  tightly  integrated  xStack Storage architecture  and  is  a  sharp  contrast  to  the  discrete implementation of competing products.

iSCSI for IP Networks
SAN  has  been  traditionally  reserved  for  Fiber  Channel networks  until  the  recent  introduction  of  iSCSI  that extends  this  powerful  yet  simple  centralized  backend (behind  server-based)  storage  system  to  IP  networks. By  utilizing  existing  Ethernet  technology,  the  cost associated  with  separate  host  bus  adapters  and  the per-Gigabyte cost for storage is signifcantly reduced. IP SANs based on  iSCSI  technology can  leverage existing and familiar Ethernet standards to provide speeds of up to 1160MBytes bandwidth with the DSN-3400.

A Choice of Host Interfaces – 1GbE or 10GbE
The  DSN-3200  provides  eight  1GbE  ports  and  supports IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Groups (LAG) for full offoad capability so that all eight ports can be grouped together, totaling  up  to  850MBytes  bandwidth,  for  increased throughput and redundancy. The  DSN-3400  provides  the  industry’s  frst  built-in,  fully integrated  10GbE  interface  in  the  XStack  cost  effective solution.  Providing  up  to  1160MBytes  bandwidth  and providing  a  high  performance  alternative  to  the  4Gbps Fiber Channel.

System-on-a-Chip (SoC) Implementation
By  utilizing  a  SoC  design,  the  DSN-3000  Series  SAN Arrays  combine  both  networking  and  storage  functions into  a  single  specialized Application Specifc  Integrated Circuit  (ASIC). The SoC solution combines 10Gbps  iSCSI, TCP &  IP  offoad,  embedded  processors,  and  a  storage virtualization frmware stack onto a single chip. The tight integration  of  these  functions  eliminate  interoperability, timing, and support  issues found  in competitive products that  offer  “discrete  implementation” wherein  a  chassis, a  main  motherboard,  a  RAID  storage  controller,  iSCSI software  or  controller,  network  interface  cards,  and operating system software are picked separately and then assembled. The DSN-3000 line outperforms these discrete implementations and does so at a lower price point. It also delivers mission critical data quickly with state-of-the-art reliability.

RAID for Effciency
The DSN-3000 Series SAN Array platform features 15 hot swappable Serial ATA  (SATA) disk drive bays supporting over  11TB  raw  capacity  using  750GB  hard  drives  (and even higher capacity hard drives as they are introduced) in RAID level 0, 1, 1+0 and 5 confgurations. You can quickly deploy  a  SAN  using  inexpensive  SATA  disk  drives  and depending on your growing storage needs, you can simply add more drives as you go.

Embedded Centralized Storage Management
The embedded user-friendly IP-SAN Device Manager (IDM) provides  comprehensive  storage  network management. Boasting  a  rich  set  of management  features,  this  suite of utilities allows monitoring and control of your SAN via the SMI-S (Storage Management Initiative) command set. Combined with an embedded secure server, users will be able to remotely confgure and monitor their SAN storage sub-systems.