The LeftHand SAN is an integrated solution that combines LeftHand’s intelligent SAN/iQ software with standards-based hardware platforms to provide a self-managing, full-featured iSCSI/IP SAN. The SAN is sold as a bundled package of software and hardware in common capacity increments, such as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 TB capacities. You simply decide your capacity requirements, what level of disaster recovery you need, and what data access types the SAN will support (block and/or file access) , and we’ll deliver a solution that's secure, infinitely scalable, and provides a plug-and-play storage environment.

"Read an overview of the LeftHand SAN"

LeftHand SAN/iQ   more>>

• Centralized Management
• Provisioning Services
• High Availability & Data Protection Services
• Platform & Performance Management Services
• iSCSI Connectivity Services
• Security Services
• LeftHand SAN/IQ Remote IP copy

LeftHand SAN Platform Options   more>>

• LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module 160 (1, 2 or 3 TB )

The market for SAN solutions is rapidly expanding as acceptance of iSCSI drives IP- based SANs into the technology mainstream. Solutions span the spectrum from software components (such as iSCSI software initiators) to hardware components (iSCSI chips, HBAs, TCP/IP Offload Engines, switches, routers, gateways, and concentrators), to full-featured IP SAN systems. The LeftHand SAN solution is a full-featured IP SAN. LeftHand SAN/iQ is the family of software that provides the intelligence for clustering and managing an IP SAN, as well as a platform for advanced application capabilities that ensures the data that resides on your IP SAN is always available, accessible, and accurate.

Simplify Growth and Provisioning.
		Eliminate capacity planning and simplify your budgeting process — the LeftHand SAN enables your storage to grow as you grow. Manage clustered LeftHand SAN Network Storage Modules (NSMs) as a single storage pool. Add additional capacity when needed, with minimal administrator intervention and no downtime. Just like plugging in any Ethernet appliance. The LeftHand SAN also gives you the power to carve your physical storage pool into virtual volumes. Create or re-size a volume in minutes, reallocating capacity for applications that require more storage. And say goodbye to the cumbersome provisioning and storage processes typical of other high-end storage solutions.
Meet SLAs and disaster recovery goals with high availability storage.
Ensure around-the-clock user access to mission-critical data, and guarantee data availability and integrity during catastrophic failure or natural disaster. The LeftHand SAN provides enterprise-class storage disaster recovery features, including:
Replication The LeftHand SAN writes multiple copies of data across the NSMs using unique two-way and three-way replication technology. Replication ensures data availability within a single site or across a campus environment. LeftHand Networks also offers Remote IP Copy, a powerful SAN application that enables users to duplicate data stores quickly and easily over long distances. Remote IP Copy provides robust, affordable storage disaster recovery, plus off-site backup and data protection. Redundant hardware Each LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module offers redundant network connections,hot-swappable disk drives, robust power and cooling diagnostics, and non-volatile RAM cache to enhance performance while ensuring data integrity. SAN/iQ software redundancy LeftHand SAN/iQ™ provides management intelligence on each hardware module. Distributing intelligence across each NSM means you don’t lose your management capabilities, even if you do lose a storage module –and of course your data is still protected and available as well.
Simplify Backup.
The LeftHand SAN lets you take control of backup. Use our scheduled snapshot technology to make an instantaneous copy of a storage volume, then back up from the snapshot. Users have continuous access to the data on the original volume, and performance isn’t impacted. Or, take advantage of the speed and reliability of disk-based backup. With both options, you can centralize backup for multiple servers, across multiple sites. Eliminate the backup window, remove backup traffic from the corporate LAN, and offload the backup processing from busy application servers.

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LeftHand's SAN/iQ software is the intelligence behind the LeftHand SAN. The core engine, SAN/iQ, provides a full set of SAN services including centralized storage management, virtualization, non-disruptive scalability, automated failover, local and remote replication, snapshot, and automated data migration.

LeftHand SAN/iQ - Features

LeftHand SAN/iQ provides enterprise-class storage area network (SAN) services using standard Ethernet technologies and infrastructure. SAN/iQ distributes virtualization intelligence on storage modules across the network. Since no single device controls either management or data traffic, there’s no performance bottleneck, no single point of failure, and no strain on server resources. This unique architecture clusters storage modules into a virtual storage pool, which can be configured dynamically from a centralized management console. Scale storage capacity from 1 TB to hundreds of terabytes, automatically and without system downtime; provision individual volumes to maximize available capacity and/or data protection. LeftHand Networks has combined breakthrough simplicity with advanced provisioning, failover, replication, and snapshot services previously available only in high-end storage solutions.

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A feature that is designed to simplify the process of maintaining multiple copies of data, with almost real-time concurrency, across multiple facilities. Use your LeftHand SAN to support cost-effective business continuity and centralized backup.

Remote IP copy is a combination snapshot and replication application designed to simplify the process of maintaining multiple copies of data, with almost real-time concurrency, across multiple facilities. With Remote IP Copy, companies of all sizes now have the ability to build a robust business continuity infrastructure at an affordable cost, to use a remote facility for backup and disaster recovery, and coordinate offline distribution of live data.

• Highlights:
• Centralized management console simplifies data management
• Cross-replication between sites supports operational failover
• Ad hoc or scheduled replication
• Incremental updates minimize bandwidth and telecom costs

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Typically, only high-end fibre channel storage solutions offer the high availability and distance replication required to build a complete business continuity infrastructure. Few companies have the staff and budget to support this type of solution. The cost of the storage, high-speed leased lines, and costly fibre channel-to-IP bridging equipment required to overcome the fibre channel 10 km distance limitation make establishing remote sites prohibitive. Remote IP Copy from LeftHand Networks is the only affordable, IP-based solution that supports both the high availability and site redundancy necessary to fully address business continuity.

Based on the ubiquitous Ethernet standard, the LeftHand SAN can be built at a fraction of the cost of a fibre channel SAN. The lack of IP distance restrictions gives you ultimate flexibility in selecting the location for the secondary site. IP networks, including IP-based SANs, can be distributed across campus, metro, and long distance networking infrastructures.

Remote IP Copy adds the management capability to effectively snapshot and replicate data between multiple data centers. The technology was designed to ensure data integrity across the long-distance IP network. Creating remote snapshots in a second location can ensure that database applications such as Microsoft® Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server have continuous access to data volumes. If the production server or volumes become unavailable, application processing fails over to the secondary application server. This secondary server accesses data from the remote snapshots. While this type of redundancy can be implemented within a facility, site redundancy adds an additional layer of protection from natural disasters and outages affecting an entire site, providing true business continuance.

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Many companies still rely on the manual process of having backup tapes hauled off-site to a secure facility for long-term archival. With Remote IP Copy, it’s simple to migrate to an automated process for data archiving. Volumes can be replicated to a remote site, where the tape backup occurs. The tapes can then be stored at the remote facility, eliminating the need to physically move tapes to a secure location separate from the primary data center. For companies with multiple facilities, backups can be consolidated to one backup location.

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Many geographically distributed companies, both large and small, need a way to distribute up-to-date content to local offices on a regular basis. With Remote IP Copy, distributing your latest HR policies or providing accurate pricing information is simple and automated. The primary volume is replicated to a remote volume at the distributed facilities, offering users high-speed, local access to important data.

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Remote IP Copy is a combination of LeftHand’s snapshot, or point-in-time copy, and replication capabilities. Remote IP Copy can be scheduled or initiated by an administrator on an ad hoc basis. When a copy is initiated, the system takes a snapshot of the primary volume, then the snapshot is replicated to the remote cluster. Because the snapshot is replicated as opposed to the primary volume, user data is not impacted by the replication. Also, the original snapshot exists on the primary cluster, mitigating any risk from lost data during the asynchronous data transfer. After the initial snapshot, only incremental changes are replicated, greatly reducing the required bandwidth. This results in significant cost savings for long distance telecommunications services.

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The LeftHand SAN platforms are integrated storage subsystems built on industry-standard Intel processors and ATA disk drives, offering enterprise-class high availability and performance. The Network Storage Module (NSM) 160 offers customers three capacity points to meet the needs of a variety of customer environments. The NSM 160 is available in 1,2 or 3 terabyte of raw capacity and is intended for smaller initial implementations or sites that need to scale in granular increments.

The LeftHand SAN platforms are designed to be clustered together using LeftHand’s SAN/iQ software to achieve the desired total capacity. The ability to start at an initial capacity and add incrementally as more capacity is required – with no downtime -- offers customers the ultimate flexibility in planning their storage acquisition.

Refer to the LeftHand SAN Platforms, Network Storage Module 160 Data Sheet (129 KB PDF file), for more details.

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The LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module (NSM) 160 is an integrated storage subsystem built on industry-standard Intel processors and Serial ATA disk drives. The NSM 160 is available in 1,2 or 3 terabytes raw capacity, and is intended for smaller implementations or sites that need to scale in granular increments. The LeftHand SAN NSM storage platforms are automatically configured as a single, virtual storage pool using the advanced clustering capabilities of the LeftHand SAN/iQ software. Cluster performance and capacity scale dynamically without system downtime. Total cluster capacity is virtually unlimited.

Highly Available Hardware

LeftHand SAN NSMs provide enterprise-class high availability and performance. Highlights include:

• Four hot-swappable disk drives
• Dual NIC connectivity with failover
• Robust power and cooling diagnostics
• Non-volatile RAM cache to enhance performance while ensuring data integrity

Additional high availability and redundancy capabilities, including advanced replication, failover, and snapshot, are enabled with LeftHand SAN/iQ software.

Refer to the LeftHand SAN Platforms, Network Storage Module 160 Data Sheet (52 KB pdf file), for more details.

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The LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module (NSM) 2060 is a feature rich, expandable SAN at an affordable price point

Ideal Solutions for SMB and first time SAN buyers:

• Organisation with $40K or less initial budget
• Modest storage needs today, but anticipating future storage growth

Key Benefits include:

• Fully integrated IP-based appliance for easy set up
• Plug and play capacity expansion
• Complete SW feature set, not generally available in this system class

All SAN features included

• True Clustered, Highly Virtualised System
• Thin Provisioning, Snapshots, Network RAID
• Sync and Async replication
• Single pane of glass management console

Refer to the LeftHand SAN Platforms, Network Storage Module 2060 Data Sheet (52 KB pdf file), for more details.

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The LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module (NSM) 2120 is the highest storage density in the industry!

Ideal for server virtualisation projects that:

• Require high density, small DC footprint
• Need low power and cooling requirements

Key Features:

• Non-disruptive performance scalability
• Industry leading density, power/cooling requirements
• Ability to redeploy assets as business needs change
• Pay as you grow, predictable cost of scaling
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All SAN/iQ features included

• True Clustered, Highly Virtualised System
• Thin Provisioning, Snapshots, Network RAID
• Sync and Async replication
• Single pane of glass management console

Refer to the LeftHand SAN Platforms, Network Storage Module 2120 Data Sheet (52 KB pdf file), for more details.

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The LeftHand SAN Network Storage Module (NSM) 4150 has reduced cost, complexity and scheduled downtime compared with Fibre Channel SANs

Ideal solution for enterprises and organisations that:

• Expect tremendous environment growth
• Require Fibre Channel class performance and capacity

Key Benefits include:

• 33% - 40% less expensive than comparables
• Non-disruptive performance scalability
• Ability to redeploy assets as business needs change
• Pay as you grow, predictable cost of scaling
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All SAN/iQ features included

• True Clustered, Highly Virtualised System
• Thin Provisioning, Snapshots, Network RAID
• Sync and Async replication
• Single pane of glass management console

Refer to the LeftHand SAN Platforms, Network Storage Module 4150 Data Sheet (52 KB pdf file), for more details.

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The The combination of the IBM x3650 Server and LeftHand Networks' SAN/IQ software provides a scalable, highly available, full featured SAN that leverages the ease-of-use and cost benefits of the iSCSI network protocol. SAN/IQ runs on he IBM x3650 to create "storage modules", which are then aggregrated together forming a storage pool managed from a single intuitive GUI.

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The The combination of HP's industry-leading ProLiant DL320s and LeftHand Networks' SAN/IQ software provides a scalable, highly available, full featured SAN that leverages the ease-of-use and cost benefits of the iSCSI network protocol. By utilizing DL320s servers as storage modules within a SAN, HP and LeftHand Networks break through the proprietary, special purpose storage hardware barrier to offer an iSCSI SAN with and enterprise-class feature set including SAN/IQ Snap and SAN/IQ Remote Copy.

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