Linux-based home NAS boasts 5-18 Watt power consumption

By Eric Brown
2009-10-08

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Iomega announced a Linux-based, dual-drive networked attached storage (NAS) appliance for the home-business and consumer market. The Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, and offers RAID 1 support, user-replaceable storage, a QuikTransfer copy button, 5-18 Watt power consumption, and a DLNA/UPnP media server, says Iomega.

StorCenter devices run LifeLine, developed by Iomega parent company EMC, and billed as being a "fully-developed Linux operating environment and suite of information management, security, and sharing software applications." Other Iomega NAS devices based on EMC LifeLine include the 1-2TB StorCenter ix2, and the recently introduced Iomega ix4-200d, which comes in comes in 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB versions.

Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 with hard disk drive

The ix2-200 settles down in between these two offerings with dual 3.5-inch bays that provide 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB hard disk drive (HDD) options for user-replaceable storage, says Iomega. The device is said to support RAID 1 and JBOD, as well as iSCSI block-level access for more efficient storage.

The ix2-200 runs LifeLine Linux on an unnamed 1GB CPU with 256MB RAM, and provides a gigabit Ethernet port, and three USB 2.0 ports. The device is also said to offer a front panel "QuikTransfer" button for copying selected files directly between networked storage devices or with an attached Windows, Mac, or Linux PC. A USB-based Bluetooth option supports data transfers with mobile devices, says Iomega.

Front and back views of StorCenter ix2-200

Measuring 3.7 x 8.0 x 5.6 inches (94 x 203 x 141mm) the ix2-200 is equipped with an AC 100-240 VAC power supply, with power consumption ranging from 5 Watts to 19 Watts, says Iomega. The Energy Star certified ix2-200 is said to offer power management features including automatic HDD spin-down when the appliance is not copying or serving up data.

Firmware and software features touted for the StorCenter ix2-200 include:

Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops
Device-to-device replication for business continuity and file recovery
DLNA certified UPnP AV media server
Windows Active Directory support
IP security camera support connects up to five Axis Network video cameras
VMware certification for virtualization installations
Time Machine target for Apple computer backups
Built-in torrent support for file-sharing
Cooliris slide show plug-in for photo viewing
Remote web access
Print server
Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) for USB transfers
EMC Retrospect Express backup software
RSA BSAFE encryption security technology

Stated Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC, "The new StorCenter ix2-200 is definitely the easiest to use small office and consumer network storage appliance in the marketplace today."

Availability

The 1TB StorCenter ix2-200 is now available in the Americas and Europe for $270, and the 2TB model is available for $370, says Iomega. The 4TB model will be available later this month for $700, and next month all three versions will be available in Asia. More information may be found here.

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