HDS and NetApp unite NAS and SAN forces

Hitachi Data Systems and Network Appliance have joined forces to provide NAS and SAN systems together so that customers can store information in a pool that can be shared across SAN and NAS applications.

HDS will offer NetApp NAS gateway devices for Hitachi Freedom storage arrays that will be managed by HDS HiCommand Management Framework tools.The gateway will export data to HDS storage on the back end from the NAS. Customers will be able to put their data on mission-critical (HDS) 9900 back ends and use NetApp to become a NAS application server on the SAN.Both companies believe that this new system can compete with EMC's Celerra. The NAS gateway is designed specifically for data centres in the enterprise with significant SAN infrastructures and also with file-serving requirements.Up until now, HDS did not have significant NAS connectivity to high-end storage arrays.Both companies are set to benefit from this agreement. HDS will be opened to more exposure in the NAS market and NetApp will find more exposure in the high-end market.However, the gateway will not initially be available for HDS storage that is branded under HP and Sun Microsystems. But HDS said this could change in the future, once support has been guaranteed for such an agreement.Related Article:

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