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Applications

StoneFly Storage Concentrators combine the functionality of an iSCSI-based storage router, seamless media bridging , and a powerful provisioning engine to enable the rapid implementation of easy-to-use, highly cost-effective IP SANs. The Storage Concentrator is the main building block for a variety of StoneFly IP-based storage solutions. Here are some examples of solutions using Storage Concentrators:

	Virtualization: Fast Track to Storage and Server Consolidation

			Using StoneFly IP SANs with virtual servers is an idea way to streamline server, storage and application management under a unified infrastructure. The advanced storage management features of the StoneFusion Operating System makes deploying new virtual servers fast and simple. Learn more



	Business Continuity Planning

			Advanced features such as failover and mirroring (local and remote data replication) support fault-tolerant, highly available storage networks as well as dependable disaster recovery planning.



	Disk-based Back-up / Disk-to-Disk Back-up

			In a StoneFly IP SAN configuration, the back-up software instructs client servers to send back-up data to logical volumes designated by the Storage Concentrator. The Storage Concentrator makes these logical volumes appear as a local drive to each client server. The back-up operation becomes a simple disk copy operation that is performed at disk-to-disk speeds.



	Storage Provisioning

			Storage Concentrators provision both existing and new storage space including large RAID arrays installed across Ethernet networks. These logical iSCSI targets. appear as locally attached disks to the application servers. The iSCSI technology--in which StoneFly is industry-leading--allows currently deployed operating systems, file systems and applications to work with these logical volumes at block-level speeds. Optimizing Large Array Application Note



	Extending the Reach of Fibre Channel SANs

			By connecting the Storage Concentrator directly to a Fibre Channel SAN, all Fibre Channel storage becomes accessible to servers via iSCSI across the Ethernet IP network. Servers on the Ethernet network benefit from immediate access to the Fibre Channel SAN storage resources without additional investment in infrastructure. Extending the reach of Fibre Channel SANs Application Note



	DAS to SAN Migration

			A storage consolidation project or the implementation of a centralized Fibre Channel SAN can result in scores of unused disk arrays. When performing server consolidation projects, it is easy to migrate captured server disks (direct-attached external JBOD or RAID) to an IP SAN using StoneFly's Storage Concentrator. Migrating disk arrays to an IP SAN allows the network administrator to convert data from storage that is directly attached to a server to storage that is on a network. Storage Consolidation Application Note



	Email Storage Solutions

			StoneFly's Storage Concentrator presents the most straightforward approach to establishing a Microsoft Exchange storage resource. Email Storage Solutions Datasheet