archived press 2003
nStor SAN Powered by Sanbolic for Content Creation at Siggraph
Shared Storage Solution Addressing NLE and 3D Workflow Requirements

San Diego, CA, July 29, 2003 - nStor Corporation, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of nStor Technologies, Inc. (AMEX: NSO ), and Sanbolic, Inc., a privately held company, are demonstrating a shared storage area networking solution for non-linear editing and 3D graphic animation users at Siggraph '03, booth #2351.

nStor, an innovative developer of storage-network technologies, has teamed with Sanbolic, a developer and manufacturer of software and file systems for shared storage solutions, to use Sanbolic’s Melio FS to improve workflow for content creators by providing faster and more reliable access to shared data. Sanbolic’s software and file systems are compatible with a variety of NLE and graphic applications.

SAN solutions are used in content creation environments to keep all data in a central place, rather than using isolated direct attach storage. Consolidating the storage saves hardware cost and nStor’s Fibre RAID volume management allows users to access and share different parts of the storage simultaneously. Simultaneous access to data, improved workflow, and simplified management, are achieved via file and volume sharing software. Sanbolic’s Kayo volume sharing software works as a layer between the file system and the operating system to overcome the obstacles of a non SAN-aware file system. Sanbolic’s Melio FS, shown by nStor at Siggraph, is a shared file system that replaces or coexists with the native file system allowing multiple writers to work on a file and an unlimited number of readers to view changes to the file simultaneously in compliant applications over Fibre channel, Ethernet, or an IP network.

In a content creation environment, workstations ingest the data, turn it into the format needed for editing, and then write it to the shared storage. Once the data is on the shared storage NLE any graphic station may access it, for video, audio or creative 3D editing. When the material is finalized it will be reformatted and distributed via video servers to the output medium. The difference between a traditional work process with direct attached storage, and consolidated SAN storage formatted with Melio FS, is that multiple editors can work on different parts of a file simultaneously. They can all view what the others are doing, and they don't have to manually transfer any data. nStor and Sanbolic work together to provide customers and application manufacturers with SAN solutions fulfilling these advanced requirements.

"Manufacturers of 3D and NLE applications should be able to focus on their products, and not have to assemble SAN solutions for their customers. We partner with storage vendors such as nStor to be able to recommend and supply application manufacturers, and their customers with solutions," says Eva Helén, Sanbolic, Inc.

Some of the applications that have been tested with nStor's storage and Melio FS in a workgroup environment are Pinnacle Liquid Purple, Silver and Blue, Pinnacle Targa 3000, Harris Corporation/DPS Velocity Q, and Adobe Premier.

About nStor Corporation, Inc. (www.nstor.com)
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, nStor Corporation, Inc. designs, develops and manufactures external data storage solutions, including high density storage enclosures, storage management software and its Wahoo controller technology. nStor’s product lines support a variety of operating systems including Windows NT, Windows 2000, UNIX, Macintosh and Linux. Designed for storage intensive environments and mission-critical applications, nStor’s products are offered in various architectures including Fibre Channel, Fibre-to-SCSI and SCSI. nStor markets its products through a direct sales force and a global network of reseller and OEM partners. Additional information can be found by visiting nStor's web site at www.nstor.com.

About Sanbolic, Inc. (www.sanbolic.com)
Sanbolic, Inc. is a privately held company incorporated in 2000 and located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Sanbolic, Inc. is providing the market with the latest software for sharing and access of data. The product offerings are Kayo, volume sharing software, and Melio FS, a shared file system with heterogeneous operating system support for storage systems. Sanbolic distributes its products worldwide through a network of distributors, OEMs, VARs and system integrators.

Copyright © 2003 by Sanbolic. Sanbolic, Kayo and Melio FS are registered trademarks of Sanbolic, Inc. All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders.

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