User`s guide

Document Number: MAN-002000-000 Version 2.6
Sil 4726 Manager User’s Guide
Page 2
1 Introducing the SiI 4726
Storage Appliance
This chapter introduces the SiI 4726 Storage Appliance through a product overview, a description of system-
level function, and definition of the SiI 4726 storage policies.
Product overview
The SiI 4726 Storage Appliance is powered by Silicon Image’s industry-leading Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment (SATA). SATA is an interface between desktop computers/servers and attached hard disk drives.
SATA supersedes the Parallel Ultra ATA/100 interface, improving performance from 100 MB/sec to a data
transfer rate of 150 MB/sec with SATA Generation 1 (gen1) and 300 MB/sec with SATA Gen2. Populated with
five SATA drives, the SiI 4726 Storage Appliance stores as much as 2.5 terabytes of data.
The SiI 4726 Storage Appliance is coupled with a processing architecture that provides enhanced data
protection, high-performance storage, and plug-and-play functionality. The SiI 4726 Storage Appliance is a
simple and affordable solution that transparently replicates data, eliminating a vulnerability that is too often
overlooked or considered too expensive to solve. Volumes can be created with mirrored drives, providing
automated data protection along with notifications when a drive needs replacement.
The SiI 4726 Storage Appliance is available from leading storage partners in preconfigured user set-ups or it
can be set up on site. The end-user does not need to be an experienced storage network administrator to
understand and configure the SiI 4726 Storage Appliance, nor does he need prior knowledge of physical disk
drives or storage concepts. The SiI 4726 Manager can be run at any time to monitor or reconfigure the Storage
Appliance. The SiI 4726 Manager’s monitoring function allows preventive maintenance and enables
troubleshooting by using environment-control feedback. The guided configuration utility helps the end-user set
up and maintain the best possible configuration for his/her organization.
For demanding performance applications such as video or audio editing, digital imaging, sophisticated data
manipulation, or just the fastest gaming platform in town, the SiI 4726 Storage Appliance can be preconfigured
as a striped disk array, simultaneously accessing multiple drives for blazing fast disk performance.
The industry-approved external SATA connector assures a robust and reliable interconnect and extends the
reach of your SiI 4726 Storage Appliance.