SoftLayer Launches StorageLayer™
October 15, 2007, Dallas, TX – Today SoftLayer announced StorageLayer, a new and comprehensive enterprise-class storage and backup service. StorageLayer integrates multiple storage technologies into a unified solution that provides the ultimate level of security, reliability, and flexibility.
“StorageLayer takes a different approach to storage and backup than other providers’ solutions,” said Sam Fleitman, SoftLayer Chief Operating Officer. “Instead of focusing on the hardware, we focused on what data our customers store and how they prefer to access and transfer it. No single storage solution provides every option they need, or performs every task perfectly. So we brought multiple solutions together to create a single ‘StorageLayer.”
At launch StorageLayer features File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Network Attached Storage (NAS) and iSCSI technologies, the most widely used storage protocols. All three services are fully automated and can be provisioned at-will through SoftLayer’s proprietary customer portal and API. While FTP and NAS provide fast, reliable and cost-effective storage for maximum data retention, iSCSI offers a low-cost alternative to traditional fiber-channel storage solutions. It allows access to enterprise-grade Storage Area Network (SAN) storage over Ethernet, and is easily provisioned, highly scalable (it can be expanded on-demand without human intervention), and outperforms internal disks.
“Beyond unifying diverse technologies, StorageLayer was designed for exceptional data-protection and connectivity,” said Mr. Fleitman. StorageLayer resides inside SoftLayer’s private network, with gigabit connectivity between servers and the storage array. Each server rack features 10-gigabit uplinks to the array, utilizing jumbo frames for maximum performance at near-zero latency. All data transferred is fully secure within a customer’s private VLAN.
Mr. Fleitman said StorageLayer will continue to expand with additional automated services: automated enterprise backup solutions, high-availability solutions and data replication services are planned to be included within the next 30 days. |
