Microsoft To Unveil New NAS OS With OEM Partners

Microsoft initially unveiled details of Windows Storage Server 2003 and released it to NAS OEMs last June.

The operating system allows the creation of point-in-time copies of a single volume or multiple volumes using Volume Shadow Copy Services.

It is also expected to incorporate file replication, server clustering and multipath support and integrate with commonly used network environments and management software as well as the Active Directory directory service.

A number of OEMs including EMC, Hewlett-Packard and Dell are expected to ship Windows Storage Server 2003-based NAS appliances this fall, according to industry sources.

Until the Microsoft TechEd conference in early June, the operating system was known as Windows Powered NAS. Two years ago, it was known as the Server Appliance Kit.