HP's StorageWorks NAS 1200s is an entry-level Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliance, part of the revised HP StorageWorks range and based on similar hardware to the low-end NAS 1000s. It is primarily an update to take advantage of Microsoft's Windows Storage Server (WSS) 2003 operating system.

WSS offers a range of new or improved capabilities, such as the Volume Shadow copying service, to provide redundancy and fast data recovery. There's enhanced support for all major file serving protocols, and enterprise-level capabilities such as Storage Area Network (SAN) integration and clustering capability. Aside from the standard functionality provided by WSS, redundancy in the NAS 1200s has been enhanced with dual OS partitioning as well as the ability to perform a quick factory restore using the supplied DVD-ROM.

Although it uses a 1U rackmount chassis, the space available has been fully utilized for storage, with four drive bays. Unfortunately, minor details - such as the inability to lock the front bezel or the drives - are a little disappointing, and the limited space means there is no redundant power supply.

The drives are hot swappable and housed in a custom caddy that interfaces to the proprietary backplane. As it's based on standard Ultra ATA technology, it should be possible to replace drives speedily and cost effectively.

HP supplies the unit in three fixed raw capacities of 1TB, 640GB and 320GB. Our 320GB review system was populated with four Maxtor 80GB Ultra ATA/133 hard drives.

The OS, data partitions and redundancy features take a large chunk out of the raw storage capacity and we were effectively left with 200GB for data storage. Although it uses a software RAID array it still performed far better under heavy loads than a typical entry-level server.

Management is via a browser interface run by WSS, although the keyboard/video/mouse connections on the server are functional, unlike some other NAS appliances. Therefore, you can administer the server directly, while the underlying Windows operating system is not locked down.

HP has also included start-up wizards that should help to configure the system quickly. Support for HP Openview and other enterprise management software is provided through SNMP.

Existing NAS 1000s customers shouldn't worry about missing out on the benefits of WSS, as a software upgrade kit is available (£609 ex. VAT).

Overall, the NAS 1200s provides a high-performance entry level NAS solution for small businesses or workgroup environments, although the fixed capacities available may be too restricted for some.

Contact: HP (0845) 270 4222
www.hp.co.uk

Specifications: