Thecus N8900 2U Rackmount 10GbE Ready NAS Server
SKU: THN8900
MFR: N8900
The Thecus N8900 features the latest firmware revision as well having full 64-bit kernel support making provision for 6Gb/s dual SAS and SATA support courtesy of the PCI-e LSI combo controller. Designed from the ground up and not like many other units, merely a CPU upgrade here and there then repacked and sold, this one hosts the Intel Core i3-2120 processor, integrates 2 cores at 3.3GHz and the performance is optimized with a generous 8GB of DDR3 memory allowing for excellent response times for virtualized environments and storage operations.
This is a total shift from the traditional onboard controllers normally found on all NAS devices in this class. The SAS aspect of the N8900 is a welcome addition as it helps to provide further longevity of the entire system and squeezes that extra bit of performance that is currently prevalent over SATA drives. Mind you it is at a bit of a premium! However not so if you select Enterprise Class SATA III drives as the same specification drives in the SAS class are very close to the same cost. Prudence calls for examining SAS pricing.
The Thecus N8900 is designed and built well, clearly to last with quality materials that clearly depict the seriousness of Thecus' commitment to the Enterprise market. As users continue to struggle with keeping up under the deluge of increasing data, the N8900 with support for a total of 30TB will be a breath of fresh air. The N8900 provides support for multiple file systems that includes ExT3, ETx4 and also its popular xFS, without the normal volume barriers.
Packed with a generous 8GB DDR3 memory, its' a real boon when working under virtual modes as the extra memory provides the necessary oomph, when needed. Mind you one does not need to start with all 8-bays populated as adding more drives is quite simply a matter of inserting drive/s and selecting to expand within the current volume or creating a new volume, also supported is RAID expansion that allows RAID migration from RAID 5 to RAID 6 without loss of data, this basically means one can go upwards in RAID levels but not backward, which is only possible if you delete and start over.
The one thing that stands out head and shoulders above all is the excellent performance sustained over numerous tests and coupled with certification to be VMware, Hyper V and Citrix Ready and support for iSCSI with Thin Provisioning and many other features, the N8900 is ready for enterprise prime time.
