Sun Microsystems has announced the expansion of its disk storage portfolio with two new high-performance disk storage arrays that enable customers to consolidate workloads within the same data center footprint for greater efficiency. The new Sun Storage 6580 and 6780 modular arrays complement a range of server architectures, including Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 systems running the Solaris Operating System.

The Sun Storage 6580 and 6780 Arrays help enterprise customers upgrade their storage infrastructure to scale storage needs within the same power and space envelope. The new Sun Storage 6580 and 6780 arrays are ideal for midrange and high-end enterprise and throughput-intensive workloads that target database and enterprise-email applications and add enterprise management tools at no cost through the Sun StorageTek Common Array Manager software. Customers have already started to leverage Sun's upgrade and trade-in programs, which uncover hidden equity in a customer's current IT infrastructure by giving trade-up allowances for both Sun and competitor products.

Sun Storage 6580 Array offers improved response time remains versus previous generations; includes these product specifications: up to 256 disks (256 TB), eight 4Gb FC host ports, 8GB Cache, 16 expansion trays per controller, an intermix of SATA and FC drives and support of RAID 6.

Positioned above the Sun Storage 6500 line, the Sun Storage 6780 offers two times the IOPS and four times the throughput performance over the 6500 class of arrays. Product specifications include up to 448 disks (448 TB), eight or 16 4Gb FC host ports, 16GB cache, 28 expansion trays per controller, an intermix of SATA and FC drives and support of RAID 6.