LeftHand Networks(R), the leading provider of highly available
iSCSI SANs, today announced SAN compatibility and support for Windows
Server 2008, Microsoft´s newest version of its flagship server
operating system. Customers can deploy Windows Server 2008 systems
connected to a LeftHand Networks SAN with confidence since the
LeftHand Networks iSCSI SAN has achieved the Windows Server 2008 iSCSI
target device Logo. The Windows Server 2008 Logo ensures testing and
interoperability with LeftHand Networks SAN systems.
"Windows Server 2008 adds many new storage management features,
and really sets a new standard for iSCSI SAN integration," said Larry
Cormier, vice president of Marketing at LeftHand Networks. "When
coupled with the advanced SAN features found in all LeftHand Networks
SANs, Windows Server 2008 delivers new levels of data protection, high
availability and performance for our mutual customers."
Windows Server 2008 ships with a fully integrated iSCSI initiator
out of the box, so connecting the server to the iSCSI SAN system is
easy and straightforward. In addition to the embedded initiator,
Windows Server 2008 supports larger data partitions on the SAN, the
ability to boot from iSCSI devices, native multi-pathing, the ability
to shrink existing volumes, and installation of the Windows Server
operating system directly to an iSCSI device. The LeftHand Networks
SAN integrates directly with a Windows Server 2008 system with an
updated version of its Solution Pack for Windows. Included in the
solution pack are a VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) provider for
Snapshot management, a VDS (Virtual Disk Service) provider for Volume
provisioning and a Device Specific Module (DSM) for Microsoft MPIO,
all updated to run on the Windows Server 2008 platform.
"As a Microsoft Gold Partner, LeftHand Networks has been working
with the Windows Core Storage team for more than a year on
integrating, testing, and performance-tuning their iSCSI SAN systems
with Windows Server 2008, and we are pleased that they are
participating in the launch," said Tony de Freitas, Director, Windows
Server at Microsoft. "iSCSI is an ideal storage interface for
applications like Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server and SharePoint.
LeftHand Networks fully leverages iSCSI and all the Windows Server
2008 storage capabilities to provide a strong storage platform for
these applications."
For companies of every size, LeftHand Networks offers a simple,
scalable, easy-to-manage data storage solution. LeftHand Networks´
innovative approach to storage allows customers to deploy
full-featured iSCSI SANs that optimize virtualized environments and
deliver enterprise-class capabilities, including Online Volume
Migration, Advanced Thin Provisioning, Network RAID Synchronous
Replication, Remote Copy Asynchronous Replication, Snapshot, proactive
Self-Healing Storage and Centralized Management.
Founded in 1999, LeftHand Networks has more than 2,500 customers
and 9,000 systems installed worldwide. As part of its managed
partnership with Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), LeftHand Networks is
participating in the Windows Server 2008 Launch and is also involved
in pre-release programs for SQL Server 2008 and Windows Hyper-V.
About LeftHand Networks
LeftHand Networks pioneered IP-based storage area networks (SAN)
in 2001. SANs built using LeftHand´s SAN/iQ(R) software are uniquely
able to distribute and protect data across a cluster of
industry-standard storage servers. The company´s patented architecture
increases data availability, allows users to start small and grow the
SAN seamlessly, and simplifies management. The LeftHand SAN is ideal
for storage and server consolidation, multi-site SANs, and disaster
recovery. LeftHand SANs are available in the U.S., Canada and
throughout Europe. For more information, contact LeftHand at
info@lefthandnetworks.com.
