EMC unveils new high-end storage

As expected, storage systems maker EMC introduced its Symmetrix Direct Matrix Architecture system today.

The Symmetrix DMX, as EMC calls it, was designed to handle the data storage needs of large companies and their computer networks, granting those companies access to data more quickly than previous Symmetrix products as well as those from EMC's storage competitors.

The new product arrives in a storage market that has been anything but vibrant and that analysts say is unlikely to rebound in the near future. EMC has the number three spot, behind Hewlett-Packard and IBM, and just ahead of Hitachi and Dell Computer, according to market researcher IDC.

To create the Symmetrix DMX system, EMC redesigned its hardware, adopting a new method of connecting its internal components. DMX's main ingredient is a new point-to-point interconnect - that is, a data pathway that allows for a direct connection for data, rather than shared connections, which can create bottlenecks. The new Symmetrix product also includes characteristics such as redundant components designed to keep companies' data available around the clock. In addition, it is compatible with EMC's existing Enginuity operating system software.

EMC said that it took the point-to-point path after consulting with customers.

"When designing Symmetrix DMX, EMC faced a strategic decision. We could follow the path of least resistance and develop an incrementally better bus- or switch-based Symmetrix, or we could take the more challenging road to much greater returns for customers," Joe Tucci, EMC's chief executive, said in a statement. "After consulting with our customers, the choice was obvious."

EMC plans to couple the system's speed with a competitive price in order to capture customers from its competitors, especially IBM and Hitachi. The company will deliver three Symmetrix DMX systems with prices starting at just over $400,000, the company said.

The DMX800 will be rack-mountable and offer from one terabyte to just over 15 terabytes of usable space for data. Its design is aimed at allowing companies to build their storage systems as additional capacity is needed. The DMX1000 offers between three terabytes and 18.5 terabytes of usable storage for data, offers between eight and 48 front-end ports to connect to networks, and is designed for large systems like mainframes. The DMX2000 offers a larger amount of data storage capacity, between 6.1 terabytes and 37 terabytes, and between eight and 96 ports.

EMC's competitors have already begun to respond to the new Symmetrix DMX system.

Hitachi has doubled the data capacity of its Lightning 9900 V to 128 terabytes of usable space. The company also plans to announce an increase in connectivity, offering up to 64 Fibre Channel connections at 2GB per second. Meanwhile, IBM is expected to announce on Monday support for Bluefin, a proposed standard that lets software makers speak a common language when controlling storage systems. The company is also expected to announce availability of faster 72GB hard drives.