PowerDsine
PD-6012G/AC/M PoE 12-Port Hub: $799
www.powerdsine.com

POWER OVER ETHERNET—OR POE–PLAYS AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN VOICE over IP, the deployment of network security cameras, and the easy installation of wireless access points. It saves the trouble of finding an outlet next to every one of those network devices. In some cases, it's a matter of convenience. In others, it also affects the physical security of a deployment. After all, it isn't very difficult to get around a security camera plugged into the wall next to you.

PowerDsine's 6000-series of midspans, which inject power onto an Ethernet network, help enable PoE at a reasonable price. The PD-6012, for example, slides right into a 1" rack slot, features 12 PoE ports, and supports data rates as high as 1 Gbps. Of course, not every device connected to the PD-6012 must employ PoE. The hub automatically detects and protects any non-compliant component you plug in.

LSI Logic
LSISAS3041E-R PCIe SAS HBA: $255
www.lsilogic.com

LSI LOGIC IS CONFIDENT IN THE SUPERIORITY OF A SERIAL ATTACHED SCSI infrastructure. It's so confident, in fact, that it's eliminating the price delta that separated its esteemed SATA controllers from its SAS offerings. Given equal pricing, LSI's move leaves no reason to buy a SATA controller anymore. Instead, you deploy a SAS HBA. Even if you use SATA hard drives, at least the door is open to upgrade to SAS storage down the road.

The LSISAS3041E-R exemplifies the value in LSI's lineup. Equipped with four 3 Gbps ports on a PCI Express x4 card that is able to push 2.5 Gbps of data, performance is most definitely one of the board's high points. Use SAS expanders on those onboard ports and the LSISAS3041E-R will also scale well, supporting up to 122 devices. Moreover, LSI integrates its RAID processing technology, minimizing the host CPU's role in addressing storage. A low-profile design and software compatibility with more than 10 different operating systems makes LSI's SAS HBA a solid SMB choice.

CRU-DATAPORT
Data Express DX115 Removable Drive Enclosure: $135
www.cru-dataport.com

THE LATEST SERIAL STORAGE technologies include a number of optional features that rarely see use in desktop installations. Hot-swapping simply isn’t a necessity in your average pedestal chassis. When information has to move, though, a removable hard drive enclosure lets you differentiate by taking advantage of functionality already enabled in the hardware you sell.

CRU DataPort’s Data Express DX115 is a combination drive carrier and receiving frame that lets you mount a 3.5" SATA or SAS drive into an open 5.25" peripheral slot. The enclosure is hot-swappable, protected by CRU’s Soft Start circuitry to prevent power arcs. A bundled key can also lock the carrier into place. Built-in cooling aids ventilation, heavy-duty drive connectors help maintain functionality after thousands of cycles, and integrated LEDs keep tabs on drive status. Network administrators responsible for running backups and maintaining off-site redundancy should appreciate the DX115’s combined security and ease of use.

D-LINK
DSN-3200 xStack iSCSI SAN: $4,500
www.dlink.com

IMAGine A RACK OF SERVERS, EACH WITH ITS OWN POOL OF HARD drives serving up storage. As the need for extra capacity causes the number of systems to increase, managing all of those boxes can get complicated. The more elegant solution is to use one SAN. Each server on the network connects to a pool of data on the SAN, which can be adjusted and expanded by an IT support staff. You cut back on cost, since new hard drives are being dropped into one box rather than a whole handful, and you simplify management.

D-Link's DSN-3200 fits the role perfectly with its powerful iSCSI system-on-chip platform, eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, and up to 11TB capacity spread across 15 drive bays. The 3U chassis accommodates SATA 3 Gbps disks arranged in RAID 0, 1, 1+0, and 5 configurations, yielding plenty of performance. Accordingly, its Gigabit Ethernet interfaces can all be aggregated together to keep pace.