Calxeda Rolls Out ARM-Based Open Vault Storage

The Open Compute Project is getting some ARM-powered hardware, but perhaps not where you’d expect. Calxeda today introduced Project Knockout, which teams its low-power processors with the Open Vault storage system.

ARM processors are best known for their use in mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. Austin-based Calxeda is adapting them for servers. With Project Knockout, it has developed a motherboard that can be installed in the Open Vault storage tray, eliminating the need for a separate server to control the disks.

Calxeda is demonstrating Project Knockout at today’s Open Compute Summit in Santa Clara, Calif. It's one of several companies showing off ARM technology, as Applied Micro is also presenting at the summit.

“Project Knockout injects more compute in customers’ storage tier, putting efficient processing close to the data,” said Karl Freund, VP Marketing for Calxeda. ““We are honored to have the Open Compute Project single out our contribution to Open Vault today at OCS.”

Calxeda is also working with Avnet on ARM-based contributions to the Open Compute Project that will leverage Avnet’s data center technologies.  The co-developed solutions are expected to be available to the OCP community Fall 2013

“Partners like Calxeda are critical to bringing creative new design options to the Open Compute Project community and we applaud their technical contributions to the project,” Frankovsky said.