The StorageReview In The Lab series examines the behind the scenes and inner workings of our Cincinnati-based enterprise test lab. The content is designed to take a look at the equipment, software and tools that keep the lab going, with an eye toward helping IT administrators get new ideas while also seeing the challenges faced by a growing IT organization.
April 3rd, 2015 by StorageReview Consumer Desk
In the Lab: Upgrading the Netstor TurboBox to Thunderbolt 2
In our latest In the Lab Series we will be upgrading our TurboBox (NA211TB-LD) from Thunderbolt 1 to the newest Thunderbolt 2 technology, which we reviewed back in October of 2013, using the company's Thunderbolt 2 upgrade kit. The Netstor TurboBox is an slick looking external PCIe enclosure that offers storage expansion through a Thunderbolt connection (10Gb/s originally and 20Gb/s with an upgrade) using its equipped three PCIe slots and four 2.5" bays; which support both SSDs and SAS/SATA HDDs. Users also have the option of adding a RAID card to the TurboBox, which allows for multiple RAID configurations. The TurboBox is equipped with a 250W power supply alongside a fan as well as an abundance of ventilation located on the front and back of the high-end aluminum enclosure. The Netstor TurboBox is primarily targeted towards mobile users looking to expand on local storage options, including creative professionals who require incredibly fast transfer speeds and need to offload data quickly for sharing and editing of their work. Switching to Thunderbolt 2 technology will further increase the performance of the TurboBox, enabling more efficiency in enthusiasts' workflows.
April 1st, 2015 by Kevin OBrien
In The Lab: AXIS Security Cameras
Axis is a leader in the video surveillance market, distributing a wide variety of cameras for use cases as broad as there are buildings and people to protect. In the StorageReview Lab we use several models of Axis cameras paired with a Synology NAS and Surveillance Station 7 to provide visualization of our space both while we're on premesis via flat panel in the lab, or remotely via Synology's mobile apps. What follows is a overview of the cameras in place, their core strengths and how they are part of the overall security strategy for StorageReview.
March 20th, 2015 by Kevin OBrien
In The Lab: Dell UltraSharp 32" 4K Monitor
The Dell UltraSharp 32 Ultra HD Monitor (UP3214Q) is designed for video editing, animation, application and game development as well as other use cases where having fine detail on your monitor is imperative. With a native resolution of 3840 x 2160, four times as much space as 1080p, the UP3214Q has exceedingly high pixel-density, allowing us to see the smallest of details in GUI, videos, and images. The Dell 4K monitor also features PremierColor technology, which provides reliable, true-to-life color as well as factory-tuned Adobe RGB and sRGB modes; all without requiring extensive calibration. In addition, the UP3214Q also works well in dark areas due to its color depth of 1.07 billion colors. The monitor itself is 31.5 inches with a 176°/176° viewing angle, allowing us to have ample room for most of interface and monitoring needs. In addition, digital workspace management is aided by the Dell Display Manager’s Easy Arrange feature, allowing users to easily display windows side by side. The monitor also enables us to quickly and easily adjust it when needed using the tilt, swivel, and height-adjust functionality.
December 26th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Preparing a NAS for FIO Tests
One of the frequent routines we go through in the NAS Test Lab (1GbE) is preparing a variety of consumer SOHO and small enterprise NAS platforms for benchmarking. While this is sometimes brought up in individual reviews, the testing process behind the scenes allows us to put each system's best foot forward with an infrastructure in place that doesn't interfere with that goal. To that end in this glimpse into the test lab we show you how we go about configuring one of the systems that recently went through our benchmarking process.
December 22nd, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Giving Client SSDs an Edge in Enterprise
There are many factors that differentiate client SSDs from enterprise SSDs. One of those attributes is the amount of over-provisioning (OP) an SSD has. Over-provisioning on a flash device is the amount of space reserved for controller background activity; less OP means greater capacity with slower write performance, while more OP means less capacity and better sustained write performance.
December 15th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Netgear Ethernet Networking Infrastructure
One of the more integral components in any lab is its traditional Ethernet networking infrastructure connecting servers, storage, networking and related components. While high-speed interconnects such as 10/40GbE, Infiniband or Fibre Channel might be the primary production links for storage or other means, gigabit is still needed to make all that gear manageable. For every switch, server or storage array, the management or KVM ports are required for day to day upkeep. This article covers what makes the StorageReview Test Lab tick when it comes to Ethernet fabric.
December 13th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Studio Photography of Large Equipment
Behind the scenes at StorageReview, we go to great lengths to offer detail-oriented photography you see published in reviews. To make this possible, we have an on-site studio where we can shoot devices as small as micro-SD cards and as large multi-shelf storage arrays. This setup includes three main components; a large light tent, a dSLR camera and a ton of continuous lighting... 1000 watts of CFLs or roughly 65,000 lumens. Those compnents along with some heavy lifting make our images possible.
December 11th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Smart Cooling
As the StorageReview Test Lab continues to grow in terms of testing capacity and testing load at any given time, the cooling requirements and associated costs balloon as well. With 2,000-6,000 watts of compute activity throughout the week, or about 7,000 to 20,000 BTU of heating capacity, the costs just to cool the space can get quite hefty. The approach we've taken to address HVAC in our lab and building not only helps save us money, but literally heats our building during the heating months. While our needs may not be representative, most small data centers that start as telco rooms then grow into a rack or more of compute and storage, can have similar problems.
December 10th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: Mellanox SX1024 Switch Configuration
In today's look into the StorageReview Lab, we are working on the initial configuration of a new Mellanox 10/40Gb Ethernet switch, the SX1024. Offering 48 10Gb SFP+ ports and 12 40/56Gb QSFP+ ports, it adds an immense number of ports to our top-of-rack connectivity for high-speed storage arrays and host connections. To get the switch up and running in our lab environment, we make a number of changes from the stock shipping configuration, which in most cases is a blank switch.
December 9th, 2014 by Kevin OBrien
In the Lab: On-Site Testing Toolkit
At StorageReview, almost all reviews on the site are tested with hardware in our own lab on-premises in Cincinnati. As we grow and expand to testing larger storage systems, the need for proper on-site testing equipment grows. Rather than use gear supplied by a vendor for in-lab visits, we prefer to keep as much control as possible in these environments to ensure data reliability. Of course taking our lab on the road isn't possible, so we've endeavored to create the next best thing, a mini-lab built around an EchoStreams Innovative Solutions very short depth 1U dual-proc server that is easy to transport between locations.