[Discuss] Iomega StorCenter NAS

[tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)]

I saw this 2-bay NAS selling for $140 (no disks) and took a look out of
curiosity:
http://www.buy.com/prod/iomega-storcenter-ix2-network-storage-enclosure/231935535.html

and noticed:

  Utilizes the acclaimed EMC LifeLine(TM) software, a fully-developed
  Linux operating environment that incorporates select EMC world class
  storage technologies typically available only for enterprise-level
  customers.

Iomega was bought by EMC a while back, right? I guess they are
leveraging that to make their consumer-level device more enterprisy to
distinguish it from the competition.

Anyone familiar with EMC LifeLine?

I'm assuming the "Linux operating environment" they are referring to is
what is running on the NAS. Is it hacker friendly? Looks like it:
http://www.pkguild.com/2010/01/shell-access-to-your-ix2ix4-exposed-get-yer-red-hot-ssh-here/
http://iomega.nas-central.org/wiki/Ix2-200_Debian_Installation

Hardware highlights include a Marvell 6282 CPU at 1.6 GHz, 256 MB RAM,
GB Ethernet, and 1 USB 2.0 port. (No mention of where the OS is stored.)
The review below says it used 7 watts idle (5 watts claimed), and was a
bit noisy (28 dBA claimed).

Software highlights include cloud integration (Iomega Personal Cloud -
not sure how proprietary that is; it's about time we had some
standardized cloud storage APIs), rsync, cron jobs, iSCSI target, will
interface with a UPS via USB, and "Video surveillance support via
MindTree SecureMind" (seems to be bundled proprietary software created
by an Indian IT firm; see demo video
http://www.securemind.mindtree.com/; handles 5 cameras but comes with a
license for only 1; would have seen ZoneMinder integrated).

A review:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-reviews/31762-iomega-storcenter-ix2-dl-network-storage-reviewed

  ...I saw big jumps in both write and read, RAID 0 and 1 and Windows
  file copy and NASPT file copy. My guess is that there may be other
  processes running on the NAS that are affecting throughput.
  [...]
  The upshot of this is that it's hard to call whether I'd bin the new
  ix2 as a mid-30 MB/s or 60 MB/s NAS. So let's look at how other NASes
  with the same processor perform. Figure 8 shows Windows File Copy
  write for the QNAP TS-219P+, Synology DS211+, Synology DS211 and
  Buffalo LinkStation Pro Duo LS-WVL. All use 1.6 GHz 88F6282 Kirkwood
  SoCs and all have better RAID 1 write throughput, with the QNAP
  TS-219P+ the best performer at 58 MB/s.
  [...]
  So while the new ix2 isn't as speedy as other two-bay NASes with the
  same Marvell Kirkwood SoC, the two charts above show that the new ix2
  is faster than the ix2-200 it replaces.

  iSCSI performance, on the other hand, was pretty good--better, in fact
  than the QNAPs and Synologys just referenced at 52 MB/s write and 64
  MB/s read.

  USB backup speeds, though, weren't anything to brag about, coming in
  at 12 MB/s for FAT and 15 MB/s for NTFS formatted drives. The better
  of comparative NASes can max out USB 2.0 bus capacity in the mid 20
  MB/s range. Backup to an rsync target was also comparatively slow at
  19 MB/s vs. mid-20 MB/s.
  [...]


 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/