Nimbus Data Readies Gemini Flash Memory Arrays

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Nimbus Data Systems this week introduced its Gemini flash memory arrays, a new platform that debuts several design advancements in hardware and software that offer potentially compelling operational and economic advantages for virtualization, database, and cloud initiatives.

Big Performance for Big Data

To address the heavy demands of availability and performance requirements that virtualization, databases, VDI and IO-intensive data processing applications bring, the new Gemini system offers up to 1 PB (petabyte) of weekly data writes without performance loss, and a patent-pending parallel memory architecture capable of 12 GBps and over 1 million IOps. Nimbus says Gemini also features hot-swap redundant controllers, self-healing flash drives, and up to 48 TB of flash capacity in 2U - which enables 1 PB and 20 million IOps per rack. The new Gemini flash memory arrays will be generally available in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“The new Gemini flash memory array from Nimbus certainly sets a high bar in terms of completeness and vision for flash storage arrays,” said Mark Peters, senior analyst at ESG. “Gemini stands out from the crowd with its architecture designed from the ground up and seamless multiprotocol versatility. The flexibility, performance and efficiency needs of contemporary and future applications will increasingly require data centers to deploy capabilities inherent in designs such as those demonstrated by Nimbus.”

The Parallel Memory Architecture (PMA) enables all flash drives to operate at full speed in unison, providing superior scalability for virtualized infrastructures. Gemini supports all major storage networking technologies at their fastest available data rates, including Ethernet (1/10/40 GbE), Infiniband (20/40/56 Gb), and Fibre Channel (4/8/16 Gb). Storage networking flexibility is achieved through ports that are software-programmable, switching instantly from Ethernet to Infiniband or from Fibre Channel to Ethernet simply by changing transceivers.

Gemini incorporates Nimbus’ new Flash Lifecycle Management technology, which builds on production deployments of Nimbus solutions at Global 5000 customers. A year ago eBay purchased 100 Terabytes of Nimbus Flash Memory. Free of additional licensing fees, Gemini arrays feature Nimbus’ HALO software stack, a total system management solution offering thin provisioning, deduplication, replication, snapshot, and encryption capabilities.

“The ground-breaking advances in Gemini are the culmination of two years of nonstop hardware and software engineering and extensive feedback from our loyal customer base,” said Thomas Isakovich, CEO and founder of Nimbus Data. “We believe that we have set the new standard in flash memory storage, enabling efficiency and performance that unequivocally redefine data center infrastructure.”