San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2008 – Nimbus Data Systems, the leading innovator in IP storage systems, today unveiled its Breeze Hybrid series of multi-protocol IP storage systems that combine next-generation 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking, an on-demand scalable architecture that unifies block and file storage, and energy-efficient storage tiers to bring dramatic savings in operational and capital costs to midsize enterprises. The Breeze Hybrid, or H-series, is an easy-to-use IP storage system with software intelligence and simple Web-based management. It features seamless iSCSI SAN and NAS capabilities, storage options ranging from fast solid state disks(SSD) to cost-effective SAS and SATA drives, and the Nimbus HALO storage operating system, which provides virtualization and advanced data protection without incremental licensing fees. The two new models include the Breeze VH630, designed for server virtualization, and the Breeze MH860, designed for large-scale rich content storage.

With the Nimbus Breeze Hybrid series, midsize enterprises can:

• Reduce costs of scaling out storage by 50 % as compared to clustered iSCSI arrays
• Reduce storage hardware and software licensing costs by 40% as compared to iSCSI-only arrays
• Increase bandwidth by over 24 times as compared to clustered iSCSI arrays
• Capitalize on a 50 fold improvement in access times for I/O-intensive applications
• Reduce power and cooling costs by 75% as compared to separate SAN and NAS devices
• Utilize 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with 2.5 times the throughput and 75% lower cost than 4 Gigabit Fibre Channel
• Meet the challenges of both rising datacenter costs and ambitious storage and server consolidation projects with a single versatile, affordable, and familiar IP-based infrastructure

“At Loro Piana, our nationwide network of luxury clothing stores depends on nonstop access to critical application servers and storage. Using the Nimbus Breeze unified IP storage systems as the SAN and NAS foundation for our VMware ESX v3.5 environment, our IT operations run smoothly, efficiently, and virtually administration-free,” said Aaron Martin, IT Manager, Loro Piana. “Given the success to date utilizing the 10 Gigabit bandwidth of the system, we further plan to scale out our Nimbus to run a Virtual Desktop environment, as well.”

Unified Block and File Storage over IP for Simple IT Operations

With today’s IT environments dependent on a variety of application servers, from email and ERP to virtual machines and digital imaging, the Nimbus Breeze H-series provides the simplicity of unified iSCSI SAN and NAS, seamlessly presented on one system, one network, and with one Web-based management interface. While iSCSI-only alternatives force enterprises to purchase isolated NAS gateways that increase cost and complexity, the Breeze H-series brings iSCSI, CIFS, and NFS together for storage consolidation across both block and file-level requirements. The comprehensive feature set supports advanced iSCSI commands, multipathing, and Active Directory, making the H-Series systems ideal for ESX, Hyper-V, and Xen-based virtualization, and Windows Server 2003/2008 clustering.

Mainstream 10 Gigabit Ethernet IP Storage Is Here

Multi-I/O technology, an advanced multi-network architecture on which the H-series is built, extends Nimbus’ pioneering leadership in10 Gigabit storage. Both the Breeze VH630 and Breeze MH860 feature dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports and quad Gigabit Ethernet ports for host connectivity, as well as quad SAS links for storage expansion. This combination delivers an aggregate of 74 Gbps of bandwidth, over 24 times more than clustered iSCSI arrays. With 10 Gigabit Ethernet now 75% less expensive than 4 Gigabit Fibre Channel, the Breeze H-series gives IT departments the flexibility to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet for their performance-critical servers and Gigabit Ethernet for more mainstream needs, all on one system and at the same time. With the Breeze H-series, IT departments can deploy a future-proof storage infrastructure for their most ambitious consolidation projects while retaining the familiarity of IP networking.

On-demand, Non-disruptive Scalability Done Right

The Breeze H-series features Nimbus’ second generation FlexScale architecture to provide non-disruptive, pay-as-you-grow storage expansion. Unlike some iSCSI arrays, which require purchasing completely new systems just to add capacity, Breeze systems allow administrators to add nearly 200 TB of storage expansion modules using built-in SAS links, at a fraction of the cost. As capacity increases, cost per TB drops, lowering total cost of ownership by 50% compared to alternatives. Since storage expansion occurs on dedicated SAS links, performance improves linearly as capacity is expanded.

Tiered Storage with Integrated SSD, SAS, and SATA Technology

Nimbus Breeze Hybrid systems introduce high-performance Solid State Disk technology (SSD) in a unified IP storage system. With 32 or 64 GB of mirrored solid state storage built in, the Breeze H-series enables users to capitalize on a 50 – fold improvement in access times compared to 15 K SAS drives, making the system perfect for I/O-intensive virtual machines, databases, and log journals for Oracle, SQL Server, and Microsoft Exchange. Furthermore, the systems can be expanded with any blend of SSD, 15K and 10K SAS, and SATA II hard drives, even within the same enclosure. This flexibility lets organizations increase efficiency and service levels by optimizing their storage based on metrics like performance, density, power usage, cost, and reliability, all on one system.

Green Technology and Rugged Fault Tolerance Features

As businesses face rising energy costs and increased dependence on non-stop IT operations, the Breeze Hybrid series meets new “green computing” standards by consuming up to 75% less power (as low as 19 watts per terabyte of data managed) than separate SAN and NAS devices while supporting mission-critical applications with redundant, user-serviceable components. Persistent write-through caching securely stores data in the event of a power failure without costly UPS devices. Low voltage, multi-core components used throughout the system further reduce cooling requirements. Power supplies, fans, controllers, and host connections are redundant and hot-swappable for easy field replacement. Automatic health monitoring proactively watches for signs of deteriorating hard drive health and notifies administrators before failures occur. An available cluster configuration adds a secondary director node for additional resiliency.

20 Minutes to Storage Virtualization and Enterprise-grade Data Protection

The Breeze H-series runs Nimbus’ HALO storage operating system, an all-inclusive software suite that combines storage virtualization and advanced data protection with the simplicity of one management interface and no license fees. When first powered on, the Breeze system is immediately ready for Web-based setup; no command line or serial connections are needed. With virtual storage tiers, capacity can be expanded on-the-fly with a click. Users can configure various RAID levels based on application requirements. Snapshots and volume clones provide instantaneous mount points or rollback points for quickly recovering from accidents. Synchronous mirroring and asynchronous replication provide bandwidth-efficient disaster recovery without the added cost of replication appliances or host – based software. All HALO features are included free-of-charge; there are no separate license fees for additional options or protocols.

Pricing and Availability

The Breeze H-series is available immediately from Nimbus and its network of authorized business partners. A fully configured Breeze VH630 designed for server virtualization with all software, 22TB of storage, and 32GB of mirrored SSD starts under $75,000. A fully-configured Breeze MH860 designed for large-scale rich content storage with all software, 34TB of storage, and 64GB of mirrored SSD starts under $120,000. Each model is available with quick-ship configurations or as custom-builds that can be configured with the exact blend of hard drive types, speeds, and capacities as requested. To learn more about the Breeze H-series, visit www.nimbusdata.com.

About Nimbus Data Systems

Nimbus Data Systems is a leader in IP storage solutions for today’s rapidly-growing businesses. Nimbus develops industry-leading products that simplify storage management and improve the availability and security of digital information. Nimbus solutions include high-performance and scalable IP SAN storage systems, innovative iSCSI server software, and a ground-breaking line of IP storage controllers designed for global OEMs. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Nimbus products are available through a worldwide network of authorized system integrators, distributors, and OEMs. For more information, visit www.nimbusdata.com.