Direct Attached Storage offers database performance and increased file storage capacity for dedicated and managed hosting customers.

The Planet, a privately held dedicated hosting company, today announced that it has launched direct attached storage, a new offering for dedicated and managed hosting customers who require enhanced database performance and increased file storage capacity. The company states that this DAS product, based on Dell's MD series, is available in three configurations that can be used as primary storage or for backup and archiving.

It avers that users will experience improved performance and increased security, since each DAS unit is directly attached to the customer's server. The company explains that its scalable design allows for daisy-chaining, so customers can add one or two additional DAS units to support up to 45TB of storage. Further it says that customers are also able to manage and monitor both their Dell servers and DAS devices through the Dell OpenManage management console.

''Web sites are the lifeblood of every company that operates an online business, so having a high-speed, highly available site is critical, especially during the upcoming holiday season,'' said Rob Walters, The Planet's general manager of storage and data protection. ''Our new DAS product provides online retailers - and SMBs of any kind - enhanced redundancy with clustering and failover capabilities. DAS is an affordable way to keep critical data protected, so companies can experience peace of mind any time of the year.''