First 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 drives announced by Promise Technology
Promise Technology on Thursday announced two new external storage solutions featuring high-speed Thunderbolt 2 connectivity -- the first drives of their kind to hit the market.
Promise's new Pegasus2 RAID storage solution with Thunderbolt 2.
The new Pegasus2 and SANLink 2 lineups both offer 20Gbps connectivity thanks to Thunderbolt 2, which is supported by Apple's most recent Macs.
Promise said its Pegasus2 line of RAID storage solutions can accelerate and simplify 4K workflows. And the SANLink 2, featuring a Thunderbolt 2 to 8G Fibre Channel bridge, can ease storage bottlenecks for both desktops and portable systems.
The Pegasus2 comes in sizes ranging between 8 terabytes and 32 terabytes. It will launch in Apple's online store and other resellers in November, while the SANLink 2 is scheduled to arrive in December -- the same month Apple's new Mac Pro desktop will arrive.
Promise's new SANLink 2 with Thunderbolt 2.
"SANLink2 and Pegasus2 have set new standards for performance and flexibility, creating a whole new realm of possibilities for multimedia pros and power users," said James Lee, CEO of Promise Technology.
Being the first company to bring to market storage solutions with Thunderbolt 2 technology further validates Promise's position as the leader in designing high-performance devices for the media and entertainment market -- which revolutionizes the creative workflows of our customers so they can be ready for creating, editing, and delivering HD and 4K and beyond content."
Thunderbolt 2 runs bi-directionally at 20Gbps, doubling the bandwidth of the original Thunderbolt port and its accessories. The Pegasus2 RAID storage solutions come in 4- 6-, and 8-bay enclosures, and feature two Thunderbolt 2 ports, allowing up to 6 devices to be attached, daisy chaining up to 6 Pegasus enclosure units, Thunderbolt Displays, or mini DisplayPort devices.
In addition to its dual 8Gbps Fibre Channel ports, the SANLink2 has dual Thunderbolt 2 ports and can be used to connect Thunderbolt 2 systems directly to a high-speed Fibre Channel SAN, such as the Promise VTrak x10 or x30 RAID storage systems, or a VTrak A-Class shared SAN storage appliance.
Promise's new Pegasus2 RAID storage solution with Thunderbolt 2.
The new Pegasus2 and SANLink 2 lineups both offer 20Gbps connectivity thanks to Thunderbolt 2, which is supported by Apple's most recent Macs.
Promise said its Pegasus2 line of RAID storage solutions can accelerate and simplify 4K workflows. And the SANLink 2, featuring a Thunderbolt 2 to 8G Fibre Channel bridge, can ease storage bottlenecks for both desktops and portable systems.
The Pegasus2 comes in sizes ranging between 8 terabytes and 32 terabytes. It will launch in Apple's online store and other resellers in November, while the SANLink 2 is scheduled to arrive in December -- the same month Apple's new Mac Pro desktop will arrive.
Promise's new SANLink 2 with Thunderbolt 2.
"SANLink2 and Pegasus2 have set new standards for performance and flexibility, creating a whole new realm of possibilities for multimedia pros and power users," said James Lee, CEO of Promise Technology.
Being the first company to bring to market storage solutions with Thunderbolt 2 technology further validates Promise's position as the leader in designing high-performance devices for the media and entertainment market -- which revolutionizes the creative workflows of our customers so they can be ready for creating, editing, and delivering HD and 4K and beyond content."
Thunderbolt 2 runs bi-directionally at 20Gbps, doubling the bandwidth of the original Thunderbolt port and its accessories. The Pegasus2 RAID storage solutions come in 4- 6-, and 8-bay enclosures, and feature two Thunderbolt 2 ports, allowing up to 6 devices to be attached, daisy chaining up to 6 Pegasus enclosure units, Thunderbolt Displays, or mini DisplayPort devices.
In addition to its dual 8Gbps Fibre Channel ports, the SANLink2 has dual Thunderbolt 2 ports and can be used to connect Thunderbolt 2 systems directly to a high-speed Fibre Channel SAN, such as the Promise VTrak x10 or x30 RAID storage systems, or a VTrak A-Class shared SAN storage appliance.
Comments
For some reason I have never really liked Promise storage. But I'm happy to know my next Macbook Pro will have Thunderbolt 2 if only for bragging rights.
Scanned around and am not seeing prices... Anyone know what they are?
A Promise 12GB RAID (6 bays, 2GB drives - similar to the one in the picture) is $2299. I imagine the TB2 RAIDs will be priced similarly.
And here's a professional-grade storage solution for those complaining about the lack of internal storage on the Mac Pro. No sane pro keeps important files on a drive with no redundancy or backup for any longer than they need to (if at all).
Terabyte, right? What’s the cost for the thing empty?
Scanned around and am not seeing prices... Anyone know what they are?
Probably as much or more than the Mac Pro itself. Basically, like it's predecessor, Thunderbolt 2 is priced too high and as such, just as worthless to the average user. That's ok though, since USB 3 is more than fast enough to saturate any peripheral storage device.
The only sorts of devices I was looking forward to seeing that took advantage of thunderbolt were high speed replicator docks and some of the external video card tech that's been teased for the last 4 years, neither of which have materialized in any meaningful way.
Nothing wrong with the offer per se, just not what I want. I want external PCI-e storage that connects directly to thunderbolt (TB) as the fastest transfer mechanism; and by way of USB3 as a secondary connection when TB is not available.
Terabyte, right? What’s the cost for the thing empty?
Yea, TB (duh!). Not sure if they sell an empty unit.
No sane pro keeps important files on a drive with no redundancy or backup for any longer than they need to (if at all).
Many wrongfully think that RAID is a way for securing data, it is not. Statistically, even a RAID 5 is more susceptible of failing than a single drive volume, and no RAID level (1, 5, 10, 50) will ever protect the data from users errors. RAIDs are made for 1) having a big volume than it possible with a single drive volume, 2) have a greater disk access performance by accessing multiple drive at the same time.
You always need a backup, Raid or not.
First, Promise Thunderbolt enclosures are not meant for the casual user. They never have been. If you use your Mac for data intensive work where time is money and performance is everything, then this is for you. I know enough people in my own town slobbering at the mouth for gear like this because it's right for their business.
Also, I don't think that Promise sells bare enclosures with these. You can use other drives with it, but it will come with some that are certified with the product. Again, something that Pro users appreciate.
Now all we need is a Retina Thunderbolt 2 Display with at least 4K, USB 3 and maybe some Firewire for backward compatibility and I'm sure every video pro out there will be making their list for Santa (i.e., procurement).
This looks like another multi-hard-drive enclosure, with each hard drive connected by SATA III. High transfer speeds are only obtained in RAID configurations.
Nothing wrong with the offer per se, just not what I want. I want external PCI-e storage that connects directly to thunderbolt (TB) as the fastest transfer mechanism; and by way of USB3 as a secondary connection when TB is not available.
There is no PCI-e HDD, they commonly use SATA or SAS port only. As for USB 3, every video professional will told you how USB is a CPU sucking port.
Many wrongfully think that RAID is a way for securing data, it is not. Statistically, even a RAID 5 is more susceptible of failing than a single drive volume, and no RAID level (1, 5, 10, 50) will ever protect the data from users errors. RAIDs are made for 1) having a big volume than it possible with a single drive volume, 2) have a greater disk access performance by accessing multiple drive at the same time.
You always need a backup, Raid or not.
Agreed on the user error and backup points. However, statistically speaking, I fail to see how it's more likely that two drives will fail at the same time than one given the same number of disk accesses on all drives (RAID 1). Especially if you ensure you source drives from different production lines and/or different manufacturers (as you should).
And here's a professional-grade storage solution for those complaining about the lack of internal storage on the Mac Pro. No sane pro keeps important files on a drive with no redundancy or backup for any longer than they need to (if at all).
I am sure those complaining about the lack of internal storage on the new Mac Pro were aware there was going to be expensive external Thunderbolt solutions available. This is why they were complaining about the lack of internal storage.
There are many use cases where inexpensive internal drives are a far better solution for day to day work leaving inexpensive external solutions for onsite/offsite backup needs.
The new Mac Pros are fantastic machines and I believe they will sell well. That doesn't change the fact that there are a bunch of people out there that want a professional Mac but the new Mac Pro will be a terrible fit for them. It lacks needed features and is expensive. Many pros don't need dual GPUs. Many pros don't need Xeon class CPUs. However, just about all professionals can use loads of inexpensive storage... and if you suggest an iMac or a MacBook Pro you are a clueless dumbass.
However, Apple has a captive audience and they know that. From a business standpoint, the new Mac Pro is great. It allows Apple to trumpet their pointless "assembled in America" crap, the margins are likely higher than the old model and it will be much cheaper to ship.
There will be a few users where such a machine will be a perfect fit. More power to them. However, many more will forced down to Apple's disposable class hardware (good for Apple's bottom line) or they will leave the platform altogether (and there is more of that going on than you might think).
-kpluck
Agreed on the user error and backup points. However, statistically speaking, I fail to see how it's more likely that two drives will fail at the same time than one given the same number of disk accesses on all drives (RAID 1). Especially if you ensure you source drives from different production lines and/or different manufacturers (as you should).
True for a RAID 1, where it neglect both the aspect of having a RAID at the first place (Speed and Capacity). On a RAID 5 with more than 3 drives, even with one redundancy drive you have more the chance of eventually having 2 failing drive, but chances are they will not fail at the same time leaving time to changes the defectives drive without losing your data. But real world situation is else, last month alone I've rebuilt-repairs 4 raid array. In 2 cases it was a RAID 5, who having an up and down HDD when a second drive decides to crash completely, losing the whole RAID, making recovery impossible. RAID need extra carefulness unfit for common users.
I am sure those complaining about the lack of internal storage on the new Mac Pro were aware there was going to be expensive external Thunderbolt solutions available. This is why they were complaining about the lack of internal storage.
There are many use cases where inexpensive internal drives are a far better solution for day to day work leaving inexpensive external solutions for onsite/offsite backup needs.
Really? In such a scenario, a couple hundred bucks for an external TB drive pales in comparison to the cost of a high-end machine and the ongoing cost of a proper offsite backup service. Especially given that an external drive gives you far more flexibility in how you work.
The new Mac Pros are fantastic machines and I believe they will sell well. That doesn't change the fact that there are a bunch of people out there that want a professional Mac but the new Mac Pro will be a terrible fit for them. It lacks needed features and is expensive. Many pros don't need dual GPUs. Many pros don't need Xeon class CPUs. However, just about all professionals can use loads of inexpensive storage... and if you suggest an iMac or a MacBook Pro you are a clueless dumbass.
So basically, a lot of blah blah blah with no examples of such people or the missing features they need, with an insult tacked on the end. Well said.
And here comes the cheapskate mentality. What industry do you work in exactly? Maybe I should analyze why I shouldn't pay as much as I do for the products produced by that industry because it should be using cheap labour sourced from other areas of world and generally cutting corners on everything that goes into it. We reap what we sow when we focus on cheap.
Maybe in your world. In mine, most people are finally starting to come around to the value they get from using a Mac. They can work faster because the tools are better designed, they're getting more longevity out of their machines, when they do need service, it's not as time consuming, and the cost of maintaining the machine throughout its lifetime is less. Good to see people looking at end-to-end costs rather than just the sticker price.
This is getting old now.
Stop thinking like a PC user. The MP, plus these storage options are meant for professionals. Not people like you wanting a high-horsepower workstation-class system at Mac-mini prices.
The Promise system does cost less than the MP but it's not like it matters considering the direction you're going.
These systems are for people where time truly is money. If people with money want to buy it for bragging rights and to surf the internet, so be it, but that is the exception to the rule.
True for a RAID 1, where it neglect both the aspect of having a RAID at the first place (Speed and Capacity). On a RAID 5 with more than 3 drives, even with one redundancy drive you have more the chance of eventually having 2 failing drive, but chances are they will not fail at the same time leaving time to changes the defectives drive without losing your data. But real world situation is else, last month alone I've rebuilt-repairs 4 raid array. In 2 cases it was a RAID 5, who having an up and down HDD when a second drive decides to crash completely, losing the whole RAID, making recovery impossible. RAID need extra carefulness unfit for common users.
It all depends on what you're using your RAID for (fault tolerance, speed, or capacity). There's also RAID 10 which gives you the fault tolerance gains of RAID 1 plus the speed gains of RAID 0 (at the cost of more drives). And yes, I've lost RAID 5 arrays in that same way too -- I feel your pain.
It all depends on what you're using your RAID for (fault tolerance, speed, or capacity). There's also RAID 10 which gives you the fault tolerance gains of RAID 1 plus the speed gains of RAID 0 (at the cost of more drives). And yes, I've lost RAID 5 arrays in that same way too -- I feel your pain.
True, there is so many exotic configuration possible with RAID at great expense. My own rule of thumb is to avoid RAID setup as much as possible on workstation, for unattended server or SAN this is another games.