Startup Xangati stepped out of the shadows today, touting the ability to identify storage problems before they materialize by scanning the behavior of applications crossing the network. (See Xangati Delivers First Products.)
The vendor unveiled its family of Rapid Problem Identification (RPI) appliances, which it claims can quickly pinpoint the source of application and network performance issues. "It's a solution for the bullied network operations folks," says Dave Messina, Xangati's vice president of marketing, explaining that the appliances can scan any device with an IP address, from storage arrays to servers and IP phones.
The RPI devices scan network data from the switches and routers from the likes of Cisco, Foundry, and Juniper. They use a set of algorithms to check the bit and packet rates associated with applications. "In the context of storage, we can be aware of when backups are at their busiest," says Messina, explaining that this information can then be used to reallocate storage resources, if necessary. "If a storage device, for some reason, is under-serving the number of requests to do backups, we would be aware of that."
Xangati offers a family of 2U appliances. At the low end, the X100 can handle 3,000 endpoints, whereas the mid-range X500 can cope with 10,000 separate devices. The X1000, which can monitor 100,000 devices, fills out the high end of the product line.
Pricing for the entry-level X100, which, like the X500 and X1000, is available now, starts at $35,000.
