09.16.2010

LaCie Ships RAID Storage with USB 3.0

Paris-based storage provider LaCie has launched what it claims is the first

RAID system

 to incorporate USB 3.0 connectivity.The company said the twin-disk LaCie 2big and the single-disk LaCie d2—which work with both Macs and PCs—feature high-speed USB 3.0 ports.

Developed primarily for design and video professionals and small businesses that require high capacity and fast transfer speeds, the LaCie 2big USB 3.0 features high I/O performance of up to 205MB/s, said Clement Barberis, product manager for LaCie's Professional Desktop Solutions.

The LaCie 2big USB 3.0 comes in capacities of up to 4TB, allowing users to store and transfer large files without waiting lengthy periods of time. Users have been known to transfer a 50GB Blu-ray disk in less than 5 minutes—six times faster than USB 2.0, Barberis said.

The 2big model includes two 7,200-rpm hot-swappable

hard disk

s and three

RAID

 modes for performance and security, Barberis said.

RAID 0

 utilizes the full speed and capacity of the 2big USB 3.0, while

RAID 1

 Safe Mode runs slower but focuses on full data protection against

disk failure

, he said. A JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) mode also is available for users who don't mind mounting the two disks separately for scheduled backups using the included LaCie Backup software for Mac or PC, Barberis said.

In addition to its fanless, ultra-quiet heat sink design, the LaCie 2big USB 3.0 provides advanced power management through customizable sleep and deep sleep modes, Barberis said.

The 2big external device comes with two hot-swappable

hard drive

s: each can be 1 or 2 TB drives, giving the 2big total storage configurations of 2 or 4 TB. The 2big supports three RAID modes (Raid 0 for full capacity , Raid 1 for mirroring and RAID data recovery, and JBOD for mounting the devices separately for backups and data recovery). The 2big also features a fanless design and customizable sleep and deep sleep modes to help with power management when the device is idle or not in use. Of course, the device is backward compatible with USB 2.0, but users will be limited to USB 2.0 speeds. The 2big is compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7 and Mac OS X 10.5 or newer, although no Macs currently ship with USB 3.0 ports

Source:www.eweek.com