EtherDrive

EtherDrive storage uses Ethernet connections between servers and a shared storage array. Coraid products use the ATA-over-Ethernet (AoE) protocol, which provides a means for a block storage device to be connected directly to an Ethernet network. An AoE device can be a single physical disk or a logical device made up of multiple disks.

Coraid markets three EtherDrive storage product categories:

- Storage+RAID Appliances provide a shared Ethernet interface for multiple disks. These appliances provide a bridge between the disks and Ethernet using AoE and include a RAID controller. Each disk is individually accessible on the network (JBOD) or can be configured into RAID sets presenting one or more logical EtherDrive storage devices to the network.

- Storage Blades provide a separate Ethernet interface for each disk. The blade's processor (one processor/disk) provides a bridge between a single disk and Ethernet using AoE.

- RAID Appliances provide the RAID controller function for Storage Blades or when RAID sets span across multiple Storage+RAID Appliances. RAID Appliances present logical EtherDrive storage devices assembled from EtherDrive Storage Appliances or EtherDrive Storage Blades.