DakotaRAID-WP2, featuring the latest in Microsoft® NAS technology, is a highly scalable Windows Storage Server® R2 Appliance that delivers seamless interoperability, solid reliability and simple-to-manage storage resources for heterogeneous network environments. Just attach it to your existing network and within minutes your Windows, UNIX, Linux, and Macintosh clients can share RAID protected storage. DakotaRAID-WP2 is integrated with Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 technology from Microsoft, providing advanced storage management features at a low cost of ownership. The optional iSCSI Software Target module enables you to provide both file and block level storage from one appliance.

1 TB to 24 TB Models

Performance
The DakotaRAID-WP2 Standard Edition is built on a powerful server-class Dual-Core Xeon platform with single or dual processors and up to 4 GB of memory. Dedicated SCSI or SATA 3 Gb/s Hardware RAID controllers provide enterprise-level storage performance. In addition to the dual Gigabit Ethernet connections with teaming capability and jumbo frame support, optional TCP/IP Offload Engines enhance performance and accelerate Ethernet throughput to near wire speed. DakotaRAID-WP2 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.

Reliability and Data Availability
DakotaRAID-WP2 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. Support for multiple RAID levels protects your data against disk failure while features such as hot swappable disks, hot spares, automatic drive failure detection, automatic data rebuild and redundant hot swappable power supplies provide for high data availability. RAID level 6 support on the SATA models improves fault tolerance by implementing two parity drives. 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 Distributed File System (DFS) solution provides simplified, fault-tolerant access to files and WAN-friendly replication.

Multi-Protocol Connectivity
Because DakotaRAID-WP2 is powered by Windows Server 2003 R2, 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
DakotaRAID-WP2 features the tight enterprise-level security of Windows Server 2003 R2. Full Active Directory support enables DakotaRAID-WP2 to integrate seamlessly into a Windows enterprise network. Other authentication features include NT Domain Authentication (PDC) and Unix Network Information Services (NIS). DakotaRAID-WP2 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 and shared folders, as well as the ability to configure quotas, file screening, Single Instance Storage, and indexing.  DakotaRAID-WP2 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.

Configuration and Scalability
DakotaRAID-WP2 features high performance SATA 3Gb/s disk drives in multiple RAID configurations, providing the flexibility you need to fit your price, performance and data protection requirements. DakotaRAID-WP2 supports multi-terabyte configurations and is available in tower and rack models. A flexible design, featuring external SCSI ports and PCI expansion slots enables you to add external storage or a tape library.

iSCSI Software Target

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target option enables you to implement an iSCSI SAN with storage provisioning and management capabilities. Managed via the Microsoft Management Console, administrator’s can create and manage iSCSI targets and iSCSI virtual disks, as well as schedule, export, and locally mount snapshots for use in backup and recovery operations.  Wizards are provided to facilitate these features.

• Virtual Disk Storage

Disks created using iSCSI Software Target are iSCSI virtual disks, which are files in the virtual hard disk (VHD) format. These virtual disks offer flexible and effective storage. They are dynamically extendable to provide extra capacity on demand, enable efficient storage utilization, and minimize the downtime required to create and install new disks.

• Snapshots

To facilitate backup and recovery operations, you can schedule and create snapshots of iSCSI virtual disks. Snapshots can be scheduled to be created automatically without stopping programs and can be mounted locally or exported to facilitate backup and recovery operations.

• Hardware Providers

To support advanced management of iSCSI virtual disks and snapshots, you can install the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) and Virtual Shadow Copy Service (VSS) hardware providers, provided with system.

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 servers. File Server Resource Manager enables you to place quotas on folders and volumes, actively screen files, and generate comprehensive storage reports.

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 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.

Storage Management for SANs

Storage Manager for SANs helps you create and manage logical unit numbers (LUNs) on fibre channel and iSCSI disk drive subsystems in your storage area network (SAN). Storage Manager for SANs can be used on storage subsystems that support Virtual Disk Service (VDS). 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. Available in Standard and Enterprise editions.

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.

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. Available in Standard and Enterprise editions.

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.

Print Management

Print Management enables you 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.

iSCSI SAN Connectivity
Support for Microsoft's iSCSI software initiator or third party iSCSI HBAs and accelerators, enables DakotaRAID-WP to easily integrate with IP targets and IP SANs.

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.

Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape (D2D2T) Backup
DakotaRAID-WP2 can be configured as a powerful and versatile network disk-based Backup Appliance. Data can be backed up to RAID protected hard disks, greatly accelerating the backup process and providing for near-instant data restores, then transferred to tape for off-site or long-term archive. DakotaRAID-WP2 supports Windows Server 2003 compatible backup applications and agents.

Anti-Virus Support
Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 is built upon the Windows Server family of operating systems, therefore you can benefit from the increased security provided by existing antivirus software from a variety of supported Microsoft partners. For more information on Microsoft’s antivirus partners, visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/partners/antivirus.asp.

UPS Support

The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) support provides access to the Microsoft Windows 2003 UPS service using the Web user interface. Through this support, NAS administrators can access UPS status information, configuration parameters, and alerts.

Total Cost of Ownership
DakotaRAID-WP2 enables you to reduce your total cost of ownership by ensuring fast deployment, 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