EMC Corp. has unveiled the next generation of its flagship high-end storage array - the EMC Symmetrix DMX-4 series.

With an end-to-end 4 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) design, a new point-to- point fiber channel back-end and support for the newest high capacity disk drives, Symmetrix DMX-4 systems will deliver advances in performance, security, availability and energy efficiency.

Through these architecture and software-driven improvements, EMC is increasing overall Symmetrix throughput by as much as 30 percent.. The new systems are up to 30 percent faster in RAID 5 and RAID 6 configurations for higher availability; offer 33 percent faster synchronous replication at distances up to 100 kilometers; and the ability to synchronously mirror data at distances up to 200 km for business continuity using EMC's leading SRDF (Symmetrix Remote Data Facility) software. Local replication, using EMC TimeFinder software, can be done up to 10 times faster for improved point-in-time backups, online restores and volume migration.

EMC continues to deliver high-end storage security through the addition of advanced security functionality from its RSA security division. Symmetrix DMX-4 systems now enable storage logs to be integrated as a part of audit log and compliance reporting provided by the RSA enVision platform. Symmetrix DMX-4 systems feature built-in support for the enVision platform, providing automated, policy-based audit log management to enable customers to take quick action based on log-captured events, helping them to meet compliance requirements and to enhance their overall security. This new functionality - in tandem with the advanced RSA authentication, authorization and audit capabilities introduced earlier this year - provides Symmetrix DMX-4 systems with the industry's most comprehensive set of built-in capabilities to preserve information confidentiality, integrity and availability.

The new Symmetrix DMX-4 system is the first high-end storage array to support new high-capacity 750 GB SATA II disk drives alongside high- performance 4 Gbps fiber channel disk drives. By placing the right data on the right type of disk drive to meet service levels, customers can reduce the amount of power it takes to store a terabyte of information by up to 91 percent. EMC offers the ability to mix and match the broadest range of disk drive configurations to further help customers consolidate application tiers through "in the box" storage tiering - the alignment of data accessibility requirements with capacity, power and cost considerations. Support for the latest lower cost, high capacity disk drives also enables Symmetrix DMX-4 customers to maximize storage density, which in turn optimizes energy efficiency. Symmetrix DMX-4 is the most energy efficient enterprise storage array in the world, using up to 70 percent less power than competitive offerings. In addition, EMC plans to introduce thin provisioning capabilities for Symmetrix DMX in the first quarter of 2008, enabling customers to further improve storage use and simplify storage allocation while continuing to improve energy efficiency.

For customers looking for cost-effective, high-end storage in a compact footprint, the new Symmetrix DMX-4 950 system is an entry point into the Symmetrix DMX-4 family. It supports FICON for connectivity in mainframe environments, in addition to iSCSI and Fibre Channel connectivity, and delivers the full performance, functionality and availability of Symmetrix DMX-4 systems for customers with constrained space, power and cooling resources.