Dot Hill Delivers Virtual RAID Adapter Technology for Supermicro Server Solutions

Software-Based AssuredVRA From Dot Hill Offers Enterprise-Class RAID for Supermicro AMD-Based Offerings


LONGMONT, Colo., Jan. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dot Hill Systems Corp. (Nasdaq:HILL), a leading provider of SAN storage solutions, has entered into an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) agreement with Supermicro® (Nasdaq:SMCI), a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology and innovation, to incorporate its Virtual RAID Adapter (AssuredVRA™) software into Supermicro AMD-based server solutions. This integrated solution is available immediately to Supermicro customers worldwide.

Dot Hill AssuredVRA replaces traditional RAID-on-motherboard (ROMB) offerings with a proven, robust data protection solution for internal storage that rivals more expensive add-in card-based RAID controllers. Eliminating the need for such controllers along with the associated power, cooling and support costs, Dot Hill Virtual RAID Adapter software enables businesses to lower storage costs while providing data protection and management for compute-intensive applications.

"Supermicro has become a market leader by delivering first-to-market advantages, optimized technologies and a range of high performance server solutions that lower customers' total cost of investment," said Garret Wein, vice president of worldwide OEM sales, Dot Hill Systems. "With a worldwide reach and a presence in many of our key vertical markets such as big data, HPC, oil & gas, and media & entertainment, Supermicro is a highly synergistic go-to-market partner for our AssuredVRA technology. We continue to see demand from OEM customers for this innovative technology, which allows manufacturers to support high-performance RAID protection for disk drives inside their AMD-based computing solutions."

"Supermicro's wide range of AMD-based server solutions lead the industry with maximum performance, efficiency and reliability," said Don Clegg, vice president of marketing and business development at Supermicro. "Dot Hill's AssuredVRA technology combined with our dual and multi-processor platforms offers customers the most advanced options available for building high-performance RAID-protected arrays out of internal server storage. Our unique and innovative solution ensures maximum data integrity with the advantage of overall reduced system costs."

Dot Hill AssuredVRA Offers Alternative to Hardware and Software Based RAID

Dot Hill AssuredVRA technology enables client, server, storage and motherboard vendors to integrate RAID technology into their products by leveraging the power of today's multi-core CPUs instead of a dedicated and ROC-based RAID add-in board, helping to reduce hardware, power, cooling and support costs. Basic AssuredVRA and enhanced AssuredVRA products directly support the built-in core logic SATA ports that come as part of these systems, enabling vendors to easily add RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 capability to these otherwise unused, built-in SATA controllers, without the need for a more expensive ROC based solution.

Dot Hill AssuredVRA technology leverages a sophisticated RAID software stack, enabling today's computer systems with both hard disk drive (HDD) and solid state drive (SSD) support to effectively process RAID tasks without compromising performance needed for other operations. AssuredVRA's innovative write-caching engine provides high performance that often exceeds that of competing host software RAID stacks or ROC-based adapter cards. Because Virtual RAID Adapters are software-based, they can easily incorporate other data protection services, such as n-way mirroring schemes, to support simple, transparent and cost-effective system backup and recovery.

Overview of AssuredVRA Key Features/Functionality

Dot Hill AssuredVRA technology's key features include:

  • Single, unified O/S driver and single-pane web-based management suite capable of managing RAID sets on both core logic SATA and SAS/SATA I/O controllers
  • Performance enhancements for SSD drives, including TRIM support which internally wipes unused blocks of data
  • Native support for multiple motherboard vendors that use the AMD SP5100 and other supported AMD chipsets
  • Broad Operating system support -- Windows 7, 8, 8.1, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012 R2, RHEL 6.X, SLES 11; Ubuntu Client, Win PE
  • 4K native drive support and Serial General Purpose Input/Output (SGPIO) LED support
  • Support for basic RAID 0, 1, 10 features or higher featured RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 schemes
  • Hidden arrays and split mirror
  • Support for mixed capacity drives allowing 100 percent usage of all disk capacity available
  • Logical Array Secure Erase
  • RAIDAble support allows RAIDAble arrays to be transformed to R0 or R1 with new drive auto detection

About Dot Hill

Leveraging its proprietary Assured family of storage solutions, Dot Hill solves many of today's most challenging storage problems – helping IT to improve performance, increase availability, simplify operations, and reduce costs. Dot Hill's solutions combine breakthrough software with the industry's most flexible and extensive hardware platform and automated management to deliver best-in-class solutions. Headquartered in Longmont, Colo., Dot Hill has offices and/or representatives in China, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit us at www.dothill.com.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Supermicro® (Nasdaq:SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems worldwide. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green®" initiative and provides customers with the most energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly solutions available on the market. For more information, visit www.supermicro.com.

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ from those expressed or implied by the statements. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties that Dot Hill may face, please consult the Forms 10-K and 10-Q most recently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Dot Hill. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made and Dot Hill undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect changes in circumstances.

Dot Hill is not responsible for statements made by third parties, including Supermicro.

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