F5 expands data solutions portfolio

ARX4000 is the latest addition to F5’s intelligent file virtualization platforms, and the industry’s first solution to support 10 gigabit Ethernet. F5 Data Manager gives customers granular visibility into their file storage environments, including usage patterns and trends, which can be used to identify areas of potential optimization and cost savings through the use of intelligent file virtualization technology as well as storage planning.

F5 claims its intelligent file virtualization systems simplify the management of large unstructured storage environments—enabling automated tiering or information lifecycle management, reducing backup complexity, and significantly reducing both operating and capital expenses.

“The creation and archiving of unstructured information is having a dramatic impact on organizations’ storage environments, with many IT executives coming to the realization that managing such file-based, unstructured data will become the primary task for many storage administrators in their data centers,” said Richard Villars, Vice President of Storage Systems Research at IDC. “File virtualization solutions like F5’s ARX4000 provide an effective way to tackle the issues of managing large heterogeneous file storage environments while minimizing disruptions in existing environments.”

The ARX4000 enhances the existing ARX portfolio of file virtualization products, which includes the entry-level ARX500, the mid-range ARX1000, and the high-end ARX6000. The ARX4000 provides global namespace and data management policies through an operating system common across all ARX models.

Data Manager is a software product that interfaces directly with all file storage devices, including ARX file virtualization platforms. Data Manager gathers valuable file storage statistics and provides graphical reporting and trending functions to give users clear visibility into their constantly changing data storage environments, helping them respond to business needs and better plan for future growth.