ATTO Technology Prepares Major Upgrade to Xtend SAN iSCSI Initiator for Mac OS X

Version 3.0 Provides Major Feature Upgrades to Enhance Xtend SAN Functionality

Jun 18, 2007

Amherst, NY (June 18, 2007) — ATTO Technology, Inc., a global leader of storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions for data-intensive computing environments, announced today that it is developing version 3.0 of the Xtend SAN iSCSI Initiator for Mac OS X for release in September 2007. ATTO's Xtend SAN allows Mac users to utilize and benefit from Internet SCSI (iSCSI), one of the fastest growing storage networking protocols today. iSCSI allows users to take advantage of existing Ethernet expertise and equipment and reap the benefits of a Storage Area Network (SAN), while avoiding the cost and complexity associated with Fibre Channel. iSCSI is an important enabler for applications such as collaborative digital video/audio workflows, laptop connectivity to SANs, and remote backups.

Version 3.0 of Xtend SAN provides new features to aid Macintosh users operating in iSCSI environments including:

Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) Support – CHAP is the primary authentication mechanism for iSCSI SANs. The implementation of CHAP in Xtend SAN enhances security of iSCSI SANs by validating the identity of remote clients.
Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) Support – iSNS is designed to facilitate the automated discovery, management and configuration of iSCSI storage devices. By implementing iSNS support, Xtend SAN provides a mechanism to simplify device discovery, reducing the time and effort associated with the initial configuration of an iSCSI SAN.
Login Redirect – Login redirect increases the availability and reliability of the storage being accessed via Xtend SAN. Enabling login redirect in Xtend SAN allows it to redirect users to their intended targets in situations where the targets may not be available at the expected address. Without redirect, the user would not be able to log in to the intended target if it has moved.

"The upcoming release of Xtend SAN version 3.0 is another affirmation of ATTO's continued support of the iSCSI protocol, especially with regards to Macintosh OS X users,” states Tom Kolniak, Manager of Products for ATTO Technology, Inc. “ATTO has been developing iSCSI products for over five years now, providing us with a wealth of expertise and knowledge with regards to the protocol. Xtend SAN is a reflection of ATTO's experience with iSCSI, as the version 3.0 release will make Xtend SAN the premiere, most fully-featured iSCSI initiator available on the market today for Mac OS X.”

In addition to Xtend SAN, ATTO also carries an extensive line of iPBridges that provides iSCSI connectivity to either SCSI or Fibre Channel storage devices. When ATTO iPBridges are combined with Xtend SAN, SCSI and Fibre Channel storage devices are transformed into iSCSI-enabled devices which Mac OS X users can access via their Gigabit Ethernet port. This allows Mac OS X users to fully realize the benefits of SANs in general, and iSCSI specifically.

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