Mass Storage for Mobile Workstation

NextComputing (Nashua, NH) has introduced the NextPak massive storageoption for its portable NextDimension FlexTop personal supercomputer.

The NextPak option is said to be ideal for many applications requiringmassive datasets and high-performance sustained transfers, such as datamonitoring, traffic generation appliance applications, high-speedanalog data acquisition, and enterprise class server/virtualizationapplications requiring high-performance processing. Designed forsingle-box mass storage needs, configuration possibilities include upto five 2.5-inch hard-disk drives. The maximum storage and performancespecifications include: 500GB SATA/7200 RPM RAID with sustained writesaround 120+MB/Sec; or 900GB SATA/5400 RPM RAID with sustained writesaround 120+MB/Sec; or 240GB SAS/10KRPM RAID with sustained writesaround 160+MB/Sec.

The NextPak module is a factory option that attaches to the lower, backportion of the chassis. A thin 1-inch unit, this mass storage optiondoes not compromise the portable workstation’s overall size and, withthe NextPak installed, the system has one free full length PCI Expressor PCI-X slot. NextPak drives are accessible with thumbscrews on theback panel, and the drives themselves are removable.

NextComputing also recently announced the availability of the thin,lightweight 17-inch flat-panel monitors suitable for creating portablehigh-resolution multiple-display visualization centers. One of thesemonitors can clip right onto the front of the NextDimension with theNextPak option attached to the back. At a total of 2 inches, theseoptions together maintain the NextDimension’s small form factor andportability. Click here to read about these new monitors.

The NextDimension FlexTop mobile graphics workstation is built around AMD Opteron processors and the ATI FireGL V7350 graphics accelerator.It enables end users to leverage open standards architecture andmultiple I/O options. Click here to download the NextPak datasheet orclick here to go to the NextComputing website to learn more.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.