Apple today announced a major upgrade to Xsan, its enterprise-class storage area network (SAN) file system for Mac OS X. Xsan 2 represents the first upgrade since the original product was released in 2005.

The new version of Xsan introduces MultiSAN, which allows users to access multiple SANs at the same date from a individual workstation. MultiSAN offers significant speed improvements considering it allows file copies from one SAN volume to another directly by FibreChannel. that could be vital in enterprise scenarios like newsrooms where users have to access broadcast and print-production files at the same instance.

Keeping It Simple

Apple said Xsan 2 simplifies setup and deployment through the redesign of its administration tools. Administrators can now preset volume workload settings for “optimal streaming of all file types,” Apple said. The system can handle huge files like compressed high-def video as well as small data-center files.

In addition, Appled explained, the Xsan Admin module is designed to

simplify tasks such as expanding a volume, optimally configuring volume settings, or managing file system permissions. The system represents SAN components such as computers, volumes, and LUNs as “assets” and prominently displays an overview of SAN health.

The new version of Xsan plus has other features to improve performance, particularly in large SANs with dozens or even hundreds of individual nodes. The Inspector feature provides data about volumes, LUNs, computers, and the other components that form up a storage network. Xsan 2 plus includes new options for connecting to remote computers and servers using Server Admin, SSH, and screen sharing.

Xsan 2 plus integrates with OS X Leopard features — so users can, for instance, search across volumes with the Spotlight feature — and Leopard Server features, like iCal Server and Mail Server, to support clustered file systems to maximize performance and availability.

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