Helen Constantinides, server and storage practice head for Sun Microsystems SA, explains that these additions introduce three features to modular storage customers. The first feature meets standards around the Removal of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) standard, she explains. Sun has also standardised modular storage devices around the four gigabit data throughput rate and provided a common management interface called Control Access Manager that allows for easy management of storage solutions throughout the modular family, including the 6000, 3000 and NAS ranges.
 
For SME and enterprise customers who need to support business-critical applications, Sun's modular storage line aims to deliver non-disruptive flexibility, complete system availability, lower overall cost and a faster time-to-business benefit.

The modular arrays are also claimed to be the first products to be released under the combined Sun StorageTek brand, incorporating the best of both companies; heterogeneous service and support expertise from StorageTek and end-to-end system expertise from Sun, the company says.
 
Constantinides adds that another advantage of the range is in virtualisation. The StorageTek products introduce the concept of virtualised storage solutions, another feature which can be easily managed using the free management software which is included with all devices, she states.
 
The StorageTek 6140 array is fibre-channel based and is designed to offer four gigabit-per-second transfers, aiming to support both direct-attached and SAN-attached storage. The system is claimed to feature fully redundant architecture with drive intermixing, which allows for the use of either fibre channel or SATA-2 drives with eight ports and a maximum capacity of 112 disk drives, Constantinides adds.
 
The StorageTek 6540 array is said to offer similar features, and is focused on large databases and high-performance computing. This unit offers a maximum capacity of 224 disk drives, Constantinides concludes.