New LSI Nytro MegaRAID Launched

We recently received word that LSI is busy at VMworld this week releasing a new LSI Nytro MegaRAID in 100GB, 200GB and 800GB capacities. This is a product where we really see the fruit of the LSI SandForce acquisition. The product basically combines a LSI MegaRAID controller and caching technology with SandForce solid state drives. 

I actually think this is a good concept in a lot of use cases. LSI is demoing this at VMworld, but with Windows Server 2012 this allows another cool use case. One can add a LSI Nytro MegaRAID into a server, with a SAS expander on the SFF-8087 port for mass storage and then use the onboard solid state eMLC storage to cache commonly used data.

A lot of companies are using Hyper-V with VDI deployments and this would be a good use case for this type of drive. You can build a similar setup, but there is an element to the product that allows one to drop a solution in quickly. Here is a quick video LSI has.

httpv://youtu.be/-sm5IIgCZL0

Here is a snippet from the press release:

LSI Corporation today announced worldwide channel availability of the PCIe flash LSI Nytro MegaRAID cards, providing simple, transparent and cost-effective application acceleration for direct-attached storage (DAS). Nytro MegaRAID cards uniquely integrate PCIe flash technology and intelligent caching software with enterprise RAID data protection using LSI’s leading dual core RAID-on-Chip (ROC) technology.

The increased availability of the LSI Nytro MegaRAID product family coincides with a growing data deluge that is challenging data center managers to reassess ways to balance application performance, storage and data protection requirements in the most cost-effective way possible.

Nytro MegaRAID cards offer strong user benefits:

• Reduce latencies by up to 47x for faster application response time
• Enterprise-class flash performance and reliability from LSI SandForce flash storage processors with DuraClass technology
• Enterprise-class data protection from LSI’s leading dual-core ROC technology
• Lower administrative overhead and significant TCO savings
• Broad compatibility with existing infrastructure through use of LSI SAS and MegaRAID^® drivers featuring extensive operating system and management support

Nytro MegaRAID cards use intelligent caching algorithms to identify application “hot spots” of frequently accessed data and automatically move the data between integrated flash storage and hard drives to blend high-performance and high-capacity storage, resulting in improved cost/GB and cost per transaction.

Nytro MegaRAID cards are built upon the industry’s de facto standard RAID controller technology drivers and management support, enabling broad compatibility with existing storage infrastructures and delivering simple transparent application acceleration.

“Nytro MegaRAID cards provide the performance of flash with proven RAID data protection and intelligent caching software,” said Ken Hostetler, Director of Product Management with Silicon Mechanics. “This is an ideal solution for customer applications that require performance, capacity, and reduced operational costs. The extensive compatibility and driver support out-of-the-box make it a solution I can offer to all my customers.”

Pricing and Availability:

• LSI Nytro MegaRAID NMR 8100-4i $1,795 (4 internal ports; 100GB eMLC flash capacity)
• LSI Nytro MegaRAID NMR 8110-4i $2,795 (4 internal ports; 200GB eMLC flash capacity)
• LSI Nytro MegaRAID NMR 8120-4i $6,995 (4 internal ports; 800GB eMLC flash capacity)

Nytro MegaRAID cards feature a low profile MD2 form factor, PCIe 3.0 compliance and support 6Gb/s SAS or SATA devices. The products are immediately available through the LSI worldwide network of distributors, integrators and VARs.