What is the POPnetserver 4600?
The POPnetserver 4600 is a high capacity, high performance mid-range network-attached storage (NAS) appliance. The POPnetserver 4600 features four hot swappable drives that can provide up to 1TB of storage capacity in a 1U enclosure, and is loaded with features that enhance reliability, ensuring 24x7 data availability. The POPnetserver offers a choice for RAID by way of support for multiple RAID volumes, as well as single volume options. By configuring the POPnetserver to support multiple RAID volumes, the unit can be composed of multiple RAID groups for more efficient application usage. This offers IT managers with more administrative flexibility. Also, the unit can be pre-configured for RAID 5 plus hot spare, providing automatic fail-over protection. RAID 0, RAID 1 (mirroring), and RAID 5 (striping with parity) are available. Additionally, the POPnetserver's includes high-end features such as a choice of dual 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet that provides load balancing, and dual LAN fail over, or the option of enhancing your network connection using Fiber Gigabit NAS. The device also supports local-attached SCSI 3 tape backup drives using a SCSI Ultra 160 technology. For uninterrupted data access, the POPnetserver 4600's four hot swappable drives allow network administrators to add or change drives without taking the system offline. Available in 160, 320, 480, 720 or 1TB configurations, the POPnetserver 4600 is flexible enough to meet the data storage needs of growing companies, including small to mid-sized businesses, and enterprise departments and workgroups. The system is fully engineered for performance and network file sharing using a built-in 400MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) supporting Intel's Celeron and Pentium 4 (1.7 or 2GHz) processors, DDR PC12000 RAM (256MB or 512GB), and ATA/133 7200 rpm HDD technology. The POPnetserver 4600 supports heterogeneous network environments, including Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, Linux, Unix, Apple, and Netware. The POPnetserver was designed to provide easy installation and manageability for businesses with limited or no IT staffing. Security features are also available including support for Microsoft's ADS and ACL.

What is the key distinguishing feature that makes the POPnetserver 4600 stand out in its class?
The key distinguishing feature about the POPnetserver 4600 is that it brings high-end features to an affordable price point, especially in the areas of reliability and availability. No other network-attached storage appliance offers high-end features such as multiple RAID volume support, integrated backup and restore, load balancing, LAN failover, choice of Fiber or Ethernet Gigibit LAN, RAID 5 capabilities, hot swap, and hot spare, and support for tape backup for under $5,000. These features, particularly multiple RAID volume support, are normally found in NAS appliances costing upwards of $10,000 to $20,000. POPnetserver's Multiple RAID volume support provides an integrated cache subsystem that supports four variable volume types for more efficient application usage. Now IT Managers can partition their storage to accommodate accounting, marketing and engineering lab applications. No other product in this class provides this feature. The POPnetserver 4600 is the only NAS option for businesses that require the utmost in reliability and performance at an affordable price.

How does the POPnetserver 4600 represent a breakthrough in networking?
In today's business environment, new data-intensive Internet applications are significantly increasing the requirements for reliable, scalable, and cost-effective networked storage solutions. The POPnetserver 4600's storage networking model offloads file sharing from application servers and relocates the storage onto its own independent platform. By freeing up file server bandwidth and reducing overhead on existing application servers, applications can be processed more quickly and efficiently. The POPnetserver 4600 also serves as a single network storage repository capable of serving all network users, in contrast to the inefficiency of multiple storage pools attached to individual servers scattered throughout the enterprise. The resulting consolidation of storage resources provides simplified management and scalability, dramatically reducing network administration time and increasing productivity. The POPnetserver 4600 is also completely non-disruptive to the existing network, since applications and storage are no longer running on the same system. With the POPnetserver 4600, the risk of application failures interfering with data services is eliminated, and data availability is enhanced. Components within the network become more specialized, and the overall system becomes more fault-tolerant and easy to service.

What is the business case for the POPnetserver 4600? How can it save money or contribute to your bottom line?
The POPnetserver 4600 is designed to help businesses save money in several different ways. First, its low price point makes highly reliable, networked storage affordable to small and medium-sized businesses, as well as enterprise departments and workgroups, for the first time. To achieve its low cost, the POPnetserver hardware is based on industrial standard components such as, Intel-based processors, and ATA disks. High volume, quality proven components provide a cost advantage that allow the POPnetserver to be cost competitive while still incorporating the latest technologies for reliability and high performance. High reliability at a low cost is also achieved through FIA's stringent testing requirements. All POPnetserver products are automatically configured, controlled and tested with a computerized database system during the manufacturing process. By preventing against costly downtime, the POPnetserver 4600 ensures that businesses have 24x7 access to the mission-critical data they need to run at maximum productivity and profitability.

Additionally, FIA's management software provides an industry leading value proposition that delivers timely innovative management features to simplify storage intelligence for the user. The POPnetserver helps businesses reduce the time and costs normally associated with IT management and storage administration. The POPnetserver is a plug and play solution that provides any user, regardless of experience level, with the ability to create networked storage within five minutes and two mouse clicks. POPassist, a web-based GUI that can manage single or multi POPnetserver servers via a standard Internet browser, also greatly reduces the time spent on storage management by providing administrators with remote, real-time monitoring and management of their storage resources.

What are some examples of how the POPnetserver 4600 is significantly better than the competition?

FIA POPnetserver 4600 is available in five attractively configured models: model 160GB, 320GB, 480GB, 720GB, and 1TB are priced at $1,699, $2,199, $2,599, $3499, and $4,599, respectively. Selected models are named for comparison.

- Against the PowerVault 725N Model 160GB from Dell Corporation The POPnetserver 4600's model 160GB compares feature-to-feature to the Dell PowerVault 725N model 160GB. However, the POPnetserver 4600, priced at $1,699 is $100 less and is scalable to 1TB, and provides fast networking Fiber Gigabit option, whereas the Dell 725N at $1,799 is limited to a maximum 480GB of storage and does not offer Fiber Gigabit LAN.

- Against the PowerVault 725N Model 320GB from Dell Corporation For $100 dollars more at $2,599 or $5.41 per GB, the POPnetserver 4600 model 480GB offers 160GB more storage capacity, more reliability features with choice of Gigabit Ethernet or Fiber Gigabit LAN, plus an 10/100 Ethernet LAN, and multiple RAID volume support, than the PowerVault 725N model 320GB from Dell Corporation. The POPnetserver 4600 features 480GB of storage capacity; standard RAID, with levels 0, 1 and 5 plus hot spare options; and hot swappable drives. For $2,499, or $7.80 per GB, the PowerVault 725N only offers 320GB storage, RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 5+ hot spare; and hot swappable drives, and dual 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN. This means that for the a few dollars more, the POPnetserver 4600 provides higher capacity storage, is scalable to 1TB, provides flexibility and extreme reliability with multiple RAID volume. Or, you can purchase a POPnetserver 4600 model 320GB for $250 less than Dell.

- Against the Total Storage NAS 100 R12 from IBM Corporation The POPnetserver 4600's model 720GB's price-to-feature ratio is significantly higher than that of the Total Storage NAS 100 R12 from IBM Corporation. For $3,499 or $4.85 per GB, the POPnetserver 4600 offers 2GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512MB memory, 720GB of storage capacity using ATA/133 7200 rpm HDD technology, RAID levels 0, 1, 5, or 5 + hot spare; and hot swappable drives; dual 10/100/1000 NICs that support load-balancing and LAN failover with a choice of Ethernet or Fiber Gigabit, and multiple RAID volume support. For $4,499 or $9.37 per GB, the Total Storage NAS 100 R12 only offers P3 1.26GHz processor; 480GB storage capacity; RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 5+; and no multiple RAID volume support. This means that for $1,000 less, the POPnetserver 4600 provides higher performance processing and 240GB more storage, plus high reliability features found in more expensive NAS models.

- Against the Guardian 4400 from Quantum Corporation The POPnetserver 4600's price-to-feature ratio is significantly higher than that of the Guardian 4400 from Quantum Corporation. For $4,599, the POPnetserver 4600 offers Pentium 4 processing, 1TB of storage capacity; RAID 5 plus hot spare, (0, 1, and 5 options); and hot swappable drives, multiple RAID volume support, choice of dual 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet or Fiber Channel LAN. For $5,795, the Guardian 4400 offers only 1.26GHz Pentium 3 processing, 720GB of storage; and RAID levels 0, 1, and 5; and 5+. This means that for $1,200 less, the POPnetserver 4600 provides 280GB or $4.50 per GB more capacity and substantially more high-end reliability features.