DakotaNAS-EQ, featuring the latest in Microsoft® NAS technology, is a flexible, and scalable Network Attached Storage Gateway for EqualLogic PS Series iSCSI SANs. Featuring Microsoft Windows® Storage Server™ 2003 R2 with the new Integrated Management Supplement, DakotaNAS-EQ provides seamless interoperability, solid reliability and simple-to-manage file and print services for EqualLogic SANs at a low total cost of ownership.

Performance
DakotaNAS-EQ is built on a powerful server-class Dual-Core Xeon platform with a dual independent bus architecture and up to 16 GB of memory. Featuring software or hardware-based iSCSI initiators, DakotaNAS-EQ provides high performance file sharing resources for EqualLogic PS Series SANs. DakotaNAS-EQ runs a NAS optimized version of Windows Server 2003™ R2 and is 15-20% faster than a general purpose Windows Server 2003 R2 in file serving.

Microsoft Scalable Networking Pack
Microsoft’s Scalable Networking Pack can help optimize server performance and maximize network throughput via the following ways:
- Reduces CPU overhead related to network packet processing
- Dynamically load balances inbound network processing across multiple processors
- Helps support more users and process requests faster

Scalable Network Accelerators
DakotaStor-WP2 models with Scalable Network Accelerators provide 40% faster throughput and support 50% more users with the same response time.  This is achieved by utilizing the TCP Chimney Offload feature of Microsoft’s Scalable network Pack to free the system CPU of the burden of network packet processing.

Reliability and Data Availability
DakotaNAS-EQ is integrated with best-of-breed components and is based on Windows Server 2003 R2, a robust operating system that provides high reliability and data protection. Redundant hot swap power supplies and mirrored operating system drives ensure high availability in the event of component failure. A mature journaling file system enables easy, dependable file system recovery in the event of unscheduled downtime. Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 is a dedicated file and print server and has all functionality unrelated to file serving removed, increasing reliability and lowering CPU overhead. The DakotaNAS-EQ Enterprise Edition, with cluster support, provides high availability and disaster tolerance for mission-critical file sharing environments.

Multi-Protocol Connectivity
Because DakotaNAS-EQ is powered by Windows Server 2003, it is designed to exist in heterogeneous network environments and transfer data using industry standard file sharing protocols (SMB/CIFS, NFS, AFP, FTP and HTTP) over industry standard network protocols. Therefore, clients can share storage resources, regardless of their operating environment. Cross-platform connectivity provides common storage resources and increased user productivity.

Security
DakotaNAS-EQ features the tight enterprise-level security of Windows Server 2003 R2. Full Active Directory Services™ support enables DakotaNAS-EQ to integrate seamlessly into a Windows enterprise network. Other authentication features include NT Domain Authentication (PDC) and Unix Network Information Services (NIS). DakotaNAS-EQ also integrates completely into Distributed File System (DFS) environments.

Manageability

The Windows Storage Server 2003 MMC-based management console enables administrators to perform the majority of storage management tasks from a central location.  The Unified Share and Storage Management snap-in provides wizard-based provisioning of volumes, shared folders, and iSCSI targets, as well as the ability to configure quotas, file screening, Single Instance Storage, and indexing.  DakotaNAS-EQ can be managed remotely via a web browser from Windows and non-Windows clients.  A keyboard, mouse, and monitor (or KVM) is supported for local management.

Configurations
DakotaNAS-EQ is available in 2U models and options include dual CPUs, software or hardware-based iSCSI storage connectivity ports, redundant hot swap power supplies, mirrored operating system drives, and external SCSI port(s), providing the flexibility you need to fit your current and future file serving requirements.

EqualLogic Host Integration Tools
DakotaNAS-EQ ships pre-installed with PS Series connectivity tools, which include Microsoft’s iSCSI Initiator, MPIO, VSS provider, VDS Provider, & Java for seamless integration with EqualLogic storage.

File Server Resource Manager
File Server Resource Manager provides a suite of tools for administrators to understand, control, and manage the quantity and type of data stored on their DakotaNAS-EQ. File Server Resource Manager enables you to place quotas on folders and volumes, actively screen files, and generate comprehensive storage reports.

Storage Management for SANs
Storage Manager for SANs helps you create and manage logical unit numbers (LUNs) on EqualLogic PS Series arrays. Use Storage Manager for SANs to create and assign LUNs, manage connections between LUNs and the servers in your SAN, and set the security properties for iSCSI storage subsystems.

Unified Share and Storage Management

With the Share and Storage Management snap-in, you can easily set up and manage shared folders and storage. Share and Storage Management provides the following:

• MMC-based management of shared folders and storage.
• Provision Storage Wizard for creating and configuring storage, including creating a LUN and formatting a volume.
• Provision a Shared Folder Wizard for creating and configuring shared folders that can be accessed using either the server message block (SMB) or NFS protocol.
• This makes it possible to complete most of the administrative tasks required to create and manage shared folders and volumes, configure Single Instance Storage (SIS), configure quotas, configure file screening, and enable indexing from a single management point.

Distributed File System (DFS)
The Distributed File System (DFS) solution in Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 provides simplified, fault-tolerant access to files and WAN-friendly replication. Distributed File System consists of two technologies:

• DFS Namespaces. Formerly known as Distributed File System, DFS Namespaces allows administrators to group shared folders located on different servers and present them to users as a virtual tree of folders known as a namespace. A namespace provides numerous benefits, including increased availability of data, load sharing, and simplified data migration.
• DFS Replication. The successor to File Replication service (FRS), DFS Replication is a new state-based, multimaster replication engine that supports scheduling and bandwidth throttling. DFS Replication uses a new compression algorithm known as Remote Differential Compression (RDC). RDC is a protocol that can be used to efficiently update files over a limited-bandwidth network. RDC detects insertions, removals, re-arrangements of data in files, enabling DFS Replication to replicate only the deltas (changes) when files are updated.

For more information on DFS, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/storage/dfs/default.mspx

Indexing Service
Indexing Service extracts the information from a set of documents and organizes it in a way that makes it quick and easy to access that information through the Search function for computers running Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP. This information can include text from within a document (its contents), and the characteristics and parameters of the document (its properties), such as the author's name. Once the index is created you can query the index for documents that contain key words, phrases, or properties.

Single Instance Storage
Single Instance Storage (SIS) recovers disk space by reducing the amount of redundant data stored on a volume by identifying identical files, storing only a single copy of the file in the SIS common store and replacing the files with pointers to the file in the SIS common store.

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)
System administrators can use point-in-time shadow copy technologies to make up to 512 snapshots per volume (of which 64 are reserved for Shadow Copies for Shared Folders) using applications that have a VSS requestor. These shadow copy backups are available for rapid restores should the need arise. Unlike tape backups which can take hours to restore, these shadow copy backups can be restored in minutes. The end user can also benefit from point in time imaging technologies, using the Shadow Copies for Shared Folders (SCSF) feature. SCSF enables users to restore accidentally deleted or overwritten files or entire folders without the need for IT intervention. A maximum of 64 SCSF per volume can be created.

Print Management
Print Management is an updated Microsoft Management Console snap-in that you can use to view and manage printers and print servers in your organization. You can use Print Management to manage all network printers on print servers running Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, Windows Storage Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, or Windows Storage Server 2003 R2.

Windows SharePoint® Services
Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services is a powerful Web-based team collaboration environment that is included in Windows Storage Server 2003 R2. Windows SharePoint Services provides an integrated portfolio of collaboration and communication services designed to connect people, information, processes, and system both within and beyond the organizational firewalls.

Total Cost of Ownership
DakotaNAS-EQ enables you to reduce your total cost of ownership by ensuring fast deployment in EqualLogic PS Series environments, seamless network interoperability, high uptime, low administration and no client license costs.

For more information about Windows Storage Server 2003 R2, visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/wss2003/default.mspx