LSI Logic Increases Its Lead With New 4 Gb/s Midrange Storage Systems

MILPITAS, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LSI Logic Corporation today introduced four new Engenio storage system models, creating the broadest family of end-to-end 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel storage solutions available today. The new models join the industry's most widely installed 4 Gb/s storage system, the Engenio 6998, to provide customers with the most sought after features in a full range of performance, connectivity and capacity points for today's rapidly growing midrange to enterprise requirements.

The new family members include the model 3992, 3992 Turbo, 3994 and 6994 systems, each featuring common management through SANtricity(R) Storage Manager software, support for data replication services and full software compatibility between models to provide proven applications interoperability in mixed-model SAN configurations. Investment protection is also assured through data-in-place migration capabilities, enabling convenient upgrades between models.

"LSI was the first to market over a year ago with a 4 Gb/s solution and today's announcement solidifies and confirms their leadership position," said Tony Asaro, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "The LSI family of 4 Gb/s storage systems and components is supported on the low-end to the midrange and up to the enterprise. There is no reason not to adopt 4 Gb/s technology. Customers who previously put off 4 Gb/s investments can now move forward with 100 percent confidence."

Offering increased performance, connectivity and capacity compared to previous models, the new 3992, 3992 Turbo and 3994 storage systems provide customers with features and functionality more commonly associated with higher-end solutions, such as powerful data replication services. The new model 6994 system, based on the field-proven Engenio XBB(TM) architecture, completes the transition from the midrange to the enterprise-class model 6998, allowing customers a choice of five models to provide an ideal fit for almost any need. All models feature drive-level intermix, supporting any combination of high-performance 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel and high-capacity 3Gb/s SATA II disk drives to be freely configured within a system or drive enclosure.

"These new systems bring unmatched value to the midrange, offering enterprise-class reliability and features, outstanding performance and 'pay- as-you-grow' scalability to customers of all sizes," said Phil Bullinger, senior vice president and general manager, Engenio Storage Group, LSI Logic. "With this introduction, LSI continues to demonstrate its leadership role in delivering solutions that change the way people create, store and consume digital information."

The entry-level 3992 and enhanced-entry-level 3992 Turbo models are ideal for environments that don't require the additional connectivity and performance found in the 3994, but can still benefit from enterprise-class features, functionality and drive-level intermix capabilities.

With twice the connectivity, cache, and performance of its predecessor, the midrange 3994 scales up to 112 drives, providing outstanding value and serving as an ideal platform for tiered storage and Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) applications.

All 3992 and 3994 model systems support Replication Express(TM) for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 software, and will be certified shortly by the Microsoft Simple SAN program.

Based upon the same industry-leading XBB architecture deployed in more than 3,000 installations, the extended-midrange 6994 is targeted at the upper- end of midrange requirements, offering eight 4 Gb/s Fibre Channel host-ports, support for up to 224 Fibre Channel or SATA II disk drives and outstanding performance.

SANtricity Storage Manager software configures and administers all Engenio storage systems. Offering flexible configuration and custom-performance tuning, SANtricity software allows users to maximize the use of their capacity and stored data. Assuring the highest levels of information availability, SANtricity software provides complete online administration, including configuration and reconfiguration tasks, system and capacity expansion, performance tuning and firmware maintenance. SANtricity software also supports optional premium features including SANshare(R) partitioning, Snapshot, Volume Copy and Remote Volume Mirror software for enhanced data protection.

The new products will begin shipping immediately through LSI OEM partners. About LSI Logic

LSI Logic Corporation is a leading provider of silicon-to-system solutions that are used at the core of products that create, store and consume digital information. LSI offers a broad portfolio of capabilities including custom and standard product ICs, host bus and RAID adapters, storage area network solutions and software applications. LSI products enable leading technology companies in the Storage and Consumer markets to deliver some of the most advanced and well-known electronic systems in the market today. More information is available at http://www.lsi.com/.

Editor's Notes:

1. All LSI Logic news releases (financial, acquisitions, manufacturing, products, technology, etc.) are issued exclusively by PR Newswire and are immediately thereafter posted on the company's external website, http://www.lsi.com/ .

2. The LSI Logic logo design is a registered trademark of LSI Logic Corporation. Engenio, the Engenio logo design, Replication Express, SANshare, SANtricity and XBB are trademarks or registered trademarks of Engenio Information Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of LSI Logic Corporation.

3. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.