Nimbus Data launches new Gemini flash memory arrays that offer 10-year endurance, no single point of failure with redundant controllers and self-healing drives, and up to 48TB of flash capacity in a 2U rack space. The arrays deliver 12GBps of throughput and over 1 million IOPS through a parallel memory architecture. They support multiple protocols and switching between Ethernet, InfiniBand, and Fibre Channel connections through software. The Gemini arrays are available in Q4 2012.

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Scott Kline
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Nimbus Data Launches Powerful New Flash Memory Arrays
to Enable Future-proof Ultra-efficient Data Centers
10-year endurance, nonstop high availability, and advanced multiprotocol capabilities
extend Nimbus’ technology leadership in all-flash storage systems
South San Francisco, CA, August 20, 2012 – Nimbus Data Systems, Inc., the leader in Sustainable
Storage®, today introduced its Gemini flash memory arrays, setting new industry standards in solid state
resiliency, performance, and data center efficiency. In unveiling this new platform, Nimbus debuts several
patent-pending design achievements in hardware and software that offer compelling operational and
economic advantages for virtualization, database, and cloud initiatives:
 10 year endurance that supports up to 1 PB of weekly data writes without performance loss
 No-single-point-of-failure with hot-swap redundant controllers and self-healing flash drives
 Patent-pending Parallel Memory Architecture capable of 12 GBps and over 1 million IOps
 Software-configurable ports to support the highest Ethernet, Infiniband, and Fibre Channel speeds
 Up to 48 TB of flash capacity in 2U, achieving 1 PB and 20 million IOps per rack
“The new Gemini flash memory array from Nimbus certainly sets a high bar in terms of completeness and
vision for flash storage arrays,” stated Mark Peters, senior analyst at ESG. “Gemini stands out from the
crowd with its architecture designed from the ground up and seamless multiprotocol versatility. The
flexibility, performance and efficiency needs of contemporary and future applications will increasingly
require data centers to deploy capabilities inherent in designs such as those demonstrated by Nimbus.”
The new Gemini system meets the rigorous availability and performance requirements of server
virtualization, databases, VDI, and IO-intensive data processing applications. The fully-redundant “hot-
swap everything” design offers dual controllers, non-disruptive software updates, and intuitive lights-out
management in one system – no bulky external controllers, gateways, or cabling required. Unlike IO-
bound off-the-shelf servers and disk arrays that fail to harness the performance potential of solid state
technology, Gemini offers 6x more bandwidth through a non-blocking design. This Parallel Memory
Architecture (PMA) enables all flash drives to operate at full speed in unison, providing superior
scalability for virtualized infrastructures that depend on low-latency, high throughput storage.
Gemini supports all major storage networking technologies at their fastest available data rates, including
Ethernet (1/10/40 GbE), Infiniband (20/40/56 Gb), and Fibre Channel (4/8/16 Gb). Gemini’s ports are
also software-programmable, switching instantly from Ethernet to Infiniband or from Fibre Channel to
Ethernet simply by changing transceivers. This dual-personality capability offers flexibility should
storage networking requirements change in the future. All major block and file storage protocols are
supported in-the-box, including iSCSI, FCP, SRP, NFS, and SMB, giving customers choice and the
investment protection to adapt to changing needs effortlessly.

2. To enable service providers to defer data center capital expenditures, Gemini packs 8x more capacity per
rack than 15K RPM disk arrays, without resorting to cumbersome top-loading designs that complicate
field service. Gemini also utilizes a fraction of the power and generates significantly less heat than 15K
RPM disk arrays, slashing power and rackspace costs by 85%. Delivering up to 20 million IOps in one
rack, Gemini flash memory arrays enable a 30:1 consolidation in rackspace on a performance basis,
giving customers a powerful weapon against unrelenting data growth.
Gemini incorporates Nimbus’ new Flash Lifecycle Management technology, which builds on over two
years of production deployments of Nimbus solutions at some of the most demanding Global 5000
customers. Wear-leveling is performed system-wide, not just at the drive level, eliminating hot-spots and
delivering consistent performance. This technology enables Gemini flash arrays to deliver up to 10 years
of endurance, surpassing disk arrays in reliability. An intuitive graphical dashboard displays real-time and
historical flash utilization, offering customers unique insight into the health of the storage infrastructure.
Gemini flash memory arrays feature Nimbus’ HALO software stack, a total system management solution
offering thin provisioning, deduplication, replication, snapshot, and encryption capabilities. Included
without any licensing fees, HALO is easy to use, enabling complete system setup in minutes.
“The ground-breaking advances in Gemini are the culmination of two years of nonstop hardware and
software engineering and extensive feedback from our loyal customer base,” stated Thomas Isakovich,
CEO and founder of Nimbus Data. “We believe that we have set the new standard in flash memory
storage, enabling efficiency and performance that unequivocally redefine data center infrastructure.”
Gemini flash memory arrays are available in single and dual-controller configurations with either 4 x
QSFP ports per controller (for Ethernet and Infiniband) or 4 x SFP+ ports per controller (for Ethernet and
Fibre Channel). Capacity ranges from 6 to 48 TB per 2U system, before data reduction. The new Gemini
flash memory arrays will be generally available in Q4 2012.
About Nimbus Data Systems
Nimbus develops award-winning Sustainable Storage® systems, the most intelligent, efficient and fault-
tolerant solid state storage platform engineered for server and desktop virtualization, databases, HPC, and
next-generation cloud infrastructure. Combining low-latency flash memory hardware, comprehensive
data management and protection software, and highly-scalable multiprotocol storage features, Nimbus
systems deliver dramatically greater performance at a significantly lower operating cost than conventional
disk-based primary storage arrays, all at a comparable acquisition cost. For more information, visit
www.nimbusdata.com, or follow Nimbus at twitter.com/nimbusdata.