MicroNet Technology, an innovator in storage solutions, today rolled out a new compact high-performance e-SATA storage array that combines multi-terabyte capacity and exploits the full potential of SATA-2 data bandwidth to deliver an unprecedented performance and value in RAID storage for SMB and SOHO customers.
The new SR-4 Blackbird SATA RAID array is MicroNet’s answer to the traditional RAID disk array. It packs four SATA drive bays with up to 4 TBs of capacity into a compact 12-pound device with a desktop footprint about half the size of a sheet of notebook paper. MicroNet designed the SR-4 Blackbird array for best-in-class performance, providing an ideal high-speed, high-capacity storage solution for the busy professional and home user. Utilizing cutting edge eSATA-300 technology, the MicroNet SR-4 Blackbird SATA RAID boasts a pure SATA-2 architecture, eliminating the costly and performance-draining interface bridging and protocol conversions that other solutions require. It also leverages the Native Command Queuing feature of SATA-2 technology to further improve data throughput by intelligently managing the file transfers and adds up to 16 MB of data buffer cache to further boost data throughput. The result is best-in-class read performance of up to 240 MB/sec., and write performance of up to 200 MB/sec.

“eSATA is a key enabling technology that opens the door for SOHO and SMB users to SCSI-type performance at a fraction of the cost of traditional SCSI RAID solutions,” said Joe Trupiano, director of marketing at MicroNet. “Just as with its SR-71 namesake, the SR-4 Blackbird was built for speed, but at a price that makes it accessible to a wide range of customers, from home users needing high capacity to store data intensive digital content, to SMB and SOHO business customers that need multi-terabyte capacity combined with performance that can support bandwidth intensive applications such as digital video production and streaming media.”

In addition to its market-leading performance, the SR-4 Blackbird SATA array maintains MicroNet’s traditional simplicity and ease of use. It provides an operating system independent design with support for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Each unit is bundled with an eSATA RAID controller, enabling the customer to specify either
PCI-Express or PCI-X controllers. The SATA-2 drives plug directly into the unit’s backplane, eliminating the complexity of drive cabling and simplifying the process of swapping out drives for repairs or upgrades. The SR-4 Blackbird SATA RAID provides the customer with complete configuration flexibility to meet specific storage requirements. It can be configured for any home or office requirements, including a simple JBOD, high-speed parity protection or as a maximum performance disk array with support for RAID-0, RAID-1, RAID-5 and RAID-10.

MicroNet’s SR-4 Blackbird SATA RAID arrays are currently available in 1, 2, 3 and 4 TB capacities. Pricing starts at $599 for a 1 TB configuration with a PCI-X card and scales up for the 4 TB model with a PCI-Express card. All SR-4 Blackbird SATA RAID arrays are protected by MicroNet’s 1 year limited warranty.

www.micronet.com