DataCore Publishes First High-Performance Benchmark Results for iSCSI

DataCore Software, posted new Storage Performance Council SPC-1 results; the first ever recorded using the iSCSI standard for storage connectivity. DataCores announcement marks the first published results for iSCSI against the very challenging transaction and database style workloads of the Storage Performance Councils SPC-1 -- the only objective standard for storage performance comparisons. DataCores SANmelody based Disk Server using iSCSI is in second place in best overall price/performance of conventional disk storage systems only to DataCores Fibre Channel based SANmelody. Runs Challenging Storage Performance Council SPC-1 Workload; Demonstrates iSCSI Price/Performance similar to Fibre Channel Results at much lower threshold cost.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) November 22, 2004 -- DataCore Software, a leading independent software vendor specializing in storage control, management and consolidation, today posted new Storage Performance Council SPC-1 results; the first ever recorded using the iSCSI standard for storage connectivity. While some information for iSCSI performance has been published, most of that information has focused on fairly modest generic claims or raw hardware results. DataCores announcement marks the first published results for iSCSI against the very challenging transaction and database style workloads of the Storage Performance Councils SPC-1 -- the only objective standard for storage performance comparisons. Results available at www.storageperformance.org indicate that aside from solid state storage systems, DataCores SANmelody based Disk Server using iSCSI is in second place in best price/performance only to DataCores Fibre Channel based SANmelody.

DataCores latest results have added significance because they represent a similar configuration to DataCores current SPC-1 leader for price/performance based on fibre channel technology. In comparison to DataCores fibre channel mark, the iSCSI results represent about half of the absolute performance (9,298.56 SPC-1 IOPS versus 19,949.73 SPC-1 IOPS ) on SPC-1 but the total cost for the iSCSI configuration is also reduced by half so that the price/performance is quite similar ($4.06/SPC-1 IOPS for fibre channel versus $4.86/SPC-1 IOPS for iSCSI). The absolute performance of the resulting iSCSI configuration is comparable to that of many, much more expensive 'name brand fibre channel arrays at a fraction of the cost. Moreover these results were achieved using standard Ethernet adapters common to 95% of computers rather than the more exotic and expensive TOEs (TCP offload engines) or iSCSI accelerators usually proposed for iSCSI implementations of storage networks.

We know we could have run even faster using TOEs commented Ziya Aral, CTO of DataCore, but we wanted to show what could be done with standard Ethernets that people can buy at any computer store for less than $50 per connection. Not only did we want to show that iSCSI has come of age for these types of demanding benchmarks but also that storage networks for the 'rest of us are now practical. Take a standard server plus standard disks plus standard Ethernet plus DataCore software and it yields anything but standard performance."

Disk Server   Peak IOP Rates         SPC-1 IOPs         $/SPC-1 IOPs
SANmelody Fibre   400,000            19,949.73         4.06
SANmelody iSCSI    80,000             9,298.56         4.86   

...And the real world efficiency of this configuration isnt bad either." Added Aral, The iSCSI server we benchmarked had a peak IOP rating of over 80,000 IOPs (Input /Output Operations per second) or about one fifth of that of the fibre channel equipped SANmelody server (400,000 IOPs). But that translated into one half the real world workload, or about twice the efficiency we might have expected."

DataCore's SPC-1 SANmelody iSCSI Executive Summary Report and Full Disclosure Report may be downloaded from the Storage Performance Council web site at: http://www.storageperformance.org/results.html.

About DataCore Software
DataCore Software fundamentally changes the economics of managing storage with innovative software that combines advanced functions and services with the agility and savings of hardware independence. The company's award-winning SANsymphony and new low-cost SANmelody disk server software products provide unprecedented purchasing flexibility and future-proofing by empowering customers to fulfill portability and price/performance requirements across a broad choice of systems and devices. Small to Medium Enterprises, Global 2000 data centers and OEM storage subsystems rely on this comprehensive product portfolio to deploy disk servers, to easily add capacity expansion and to centralize and automate storage management for Windows, Unix, Linux, Maces and NetWare systems. DataCore is privately held with corporate headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. For international office locations and more information, call (877) 780-5111 or visit www.datacore.com.

DataCore, the DataCore log, SANsymphony and SANmelody are trademarks or registered trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. Other DataCore product or service names or logos referenced herein are trademarks of DataCore Software Corporation. All other products, services and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Corporate Contact:
DataCore Software
Tele: 954-377-6000
Fax: 954-938-7953
publicrelations@datacore.com
www.datacore.com

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