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Promise's NS4600: Intel's Tolapai Enables Better Network Performance
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1. Promise Updates Its NAS Platform

Last September, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at the Promise NS4300N. We were quite taken with the unit’s build quality, its wide-ranging support for various network protocols, and its clean and well-organized configuration interface. The unit's data transfer rates were a mixed bag, though.

While the NS4300N acquitted itself quite well in office productivity testing, its transfer rates were only average in our multimedia benchmarks. Luckily, Promise hasn’t just been sitting idle since then, and is presenting the successor to the NS4300N, the NS4600.

More RAM, New CPU

On the outside, the NS4600 appears to be virtually identical to its predecessor, but Promise has made a lot of changes under the hood. For example, the new model sports 256MB of RAM, twice as much as its predecessor. Promise also replaces the 400 MHz MPC 8343 Freescale CPU with Intel’s first x86-based System-on-a-Chip (SoC) since 1994, the EP80579 (code named Tolapai), running at 600 MHz.

This second improvement gives us a couple of points to look at when assessing Promise’s new NAS. First, how does it stack up against the Freescale architecture that came before, and second, how well does Intel’s latest SoC perform? Will it turn out that embedded solutions will remain the domain of vendors like Freescale (Motorola), AMD, and Marvell? Or does Intel have a chance here?

XOR Calculations on the CPU

The embedded solutions manufactured by the aforementioned companies all offer fairly high performance coupled with low power consumption. This is significant because a NAS appliance's data transfer rates are influenced to a large degree by the processor it employs, since most NAS devices use host-based RAID solutions that rely on the system’s CPU. 

Simply put, instead of using dedicated hardware to processor parity calculations (XOR bits) used in certain RAID configurations and to distribute the data across the various disks, these tasks have to be handled by the NAS server’s CPU. As a result, any NAS device’s performance greatly depends on the hardware architecture at its core.

Tolapai: Attacking AMD‘s Geode?

Intel designed its EP80579 SoC for use in telecommunications systems, VPN, firewall appliances, VoIP gateways, and storage solutions like the one we're looking at today. These are all areas which have traditionally been covered by companies catering to the embedded market and, increasingly, by AMD. One such NAS device that is powered by AMD’s Geode processor is the Thecus N4100 Pro. The introduction of the EP80679 means that together with its Atom, Core 2, Xeon, and Itanium processors, Intel now offers a product for almost any class of device.

Over the next few pages, we’ll take a look at the feature set and bundle of the Promise NS4600, in addition to analyzing how Intel’s embedded EP80579 performs.

2. Accessories And Specifications

Accessories

Promise sells its NS4600 as a barebone enclosure, following the build-your-own approach. It comes bundled with everything a NAS unit needs, save the hard drives. Its printed multi-language manual that guides users through the setup steps is something of a rarity these days, and a pleasant surprise. Screws for fastening the drives in place, a power cord, a network cable, and a CD containing software (such as the SmartNavi application) round out the bundle.

Build Quality and Connectivity

Promise once again picks plastic as its material of choice for the casing and the drive bays of the NS4600, just as it did with the NS4300N.

The column of drive status LEDs found on the right side of the case’s front plate is now set behind a little plastic window of sorts, blending into the overall design of the unit much more unobtrusively and increasing the perception of quality. The design of the drive covers has been revised as well, adding small ventilation holes for better airflow inside the case. Another new feature found on the front of the case is a small lock to physically secure the drives.

The on/off button has moved to the back of the case, leaving the One-Touch-Backup button as the sole front-mounted control. This feature allows users to copy the contents of USB devices to the NAS device literally at the touch of a button. Joining the power button on the back of the case is an eSATA connector, which can host an external HDD. While that drive can't be included in the RAID array, it can be used to offload some of the data stored on the NS4600. The unit is powered by an internal power supply unit.

Comprehensive Multimedia Functionality

The NS4600 offers a good bit of multimedia functionality right out of the box that users had to tack on to the NS4300N by using plug-ins. Those features include the BitTorrent and eDonkey client MLdonkey 2.9.1, the Firefly media server for iTunes support, and DLNA server. This last addition allows users to stream videos and music to other media-capable devices on the network, such as an Xbox 360.

Using the DLNA-standard is meant to ensure that other compatible devices will be able to detect the NS4600 automatically. Promise’s NAS also supports media tagging for better organization of movies and music files, allowing users to add information about a piece’s artist, album, genre, and title to individual files.

RAID and Snapshots for Data Security

Users can configure the NS4600 to use RAID modes 0, 1, 5, or 10. If RAID 5 is selected, there is a choice between using all four drives for the array or keeping the third as a spare to be used if one of the other drives fails.

The snaphsot feature is also very handy. As the name implies, it can take snapshots of files at user-defined intervals, creating either one or several backup versions of it. If a file accidentally gets deleted, it can be restored from one of the snapshots. Usually, only much more expensive NAS devices like Thecus' N7700 offer this feature.

Power Consumption

We measured the device’s power consumption while the NS4600 was equipped with four identical Samsung Spinpoint HD321KJ hard drives. As it turns out, power draw is indeed similar to that of the Thecus N4100 Pro powered by AMD’s Geode.

Promise NS4600: Power Consumption
Off
3 W
Sleep (HDD Power Down)
25 W
Idle
48 W
Rebuild ( RAID 5, HDD 4)
54 W


Specifications



CPU/RAM
Intel 600 MHz / 256MB DDR II 
Power Supply
Internal, 90-100W with PFC, 100-230V auto-ranging, 50-60Hz AC 
Weight
2.5 kg (excluding drives)
Dimensions (HxWxD)
188 x 152 x 229 mm
Warranty
3 years (1 year for PSU-fan)
Supported Network Protocols
SMB/CIFS (Microsoft), AFP (Apple/MAC), NFS (Linux/Unix), FTP, DHCP client, NTP client 
Supported Operating Systems
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista x86/64, Linux/Unix, Mac OSX v10.4
SmartNavi  Software: Supported Operating Systems
Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista x86/64, Mac OSX v10.4
Security / User Management
Domain integration, Microsoft ADS, Unix NIS; User Level, Group & Quota management
USB Connectivity
HDD/Flash-Drive (FAT/FAT32, EXT3), Printer, APC UPS 
eSATA Connectivity
HDD (FAT/FAT32, EXT3) 
Data Backup
Snapshot Backup, NAS-to-NAS Replication, Client-to-NAS Backup (SmartNAVI), One-touch Backup for USB-Drives and digital cameras
File System
EXT3 journaling file system, multi-volume 
Misc.
Integrated print server
Network and Multimedia
Multimedia Server
UPNP and DLNA certified media server 
Download Server
eDonkey, BitTorrent 
Remote Access
Supports various browsers on portable devices 
RAID Management
RAID Modes
RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 
RAID Features
Hot spare, on-line RAID-level migration, capacity extension 
System Management
Supported Browsers
Internet Explorer 6 or above, Opera, FireFox 1.5+, Netscape 7.0, Safari 
Languages
English, German, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French, Korean, Russian
Coding System
Unicode
Management Protocols / System Messages
HTTP/HTTPS, NTP, SMTP, E-mail, A/V feedback (buzzer/LEDs)
Management Tools
SmartNAVI, WebPASM, One-Touch  
Network Interface
LAN Interface
1000BASE-T,100BASE-TX, 10 BASE-T
Supported Speeds
10/100/1000 Mbps, Jumbo frame 4K/9K/16K supported at 1,000 Mbps
USB Connections
Type and Number of Ports
2 x USB 2.0 Type A
eSATA Connections
Number of Ports
1 Connector
Disk Interface
Number of Drives
4 Drives (3.5") / hot-swappable
Specifications
Supports 3 Gb/s and 1.5 Gb/s SATA drives with NCQ/TCQ; 48-bit LBA support
3. Browser-Based Interface And Test Setup

Accessing the NS4600 by its network address in a Web broser, users are redirected to a landing page rather than being allowed straight to the configuration interface. From there, you can choose to either continue on to the administration panel or access media files stored on the NAS.

Administration Interface

The NS4600 uses the same Web interface previously found on the Promise NS4300N and the NS2300N. Available in ten languages, it is very clearly structured, letting less-experienced users manage and configure the NAS device with ease.

However, we must say that it’s best not to use Google’s Chrome browser, since we experienced some problems with the way DHTML was displayed. Also, make sure you click the button labeled Login, as simply pressing enter or return did not send the user/password combination.

Like the NS4300N, the NS4600 is aimed at home users and small to mid-sized businesses. Thus, its “NAS replication” feature will probably be more interesting to businesses that employ several NAS devices and that want to automatically replicate certain data across various units.

Web-Based Access to the Media Center

Access to music, videos, and images stored on the NAS is not limited to the local area network. Instead, users can also employ a Web browser and connect to the NS4600 through the Internet, provided the router’s port forwarding rules have been configured appropriately.

Again, the first step is authentication using a username and password combination. Promise even thought to include a simplified interface for the media center designed for mobile devices. It can be selected during the login process.

The media center interface is just as self-explanatory and easy to use as the administration section

Test Setup and Benchmarks

System Hardware
Intel LGA 775 Platform
Asus P5E3 Deluxe, Rev.1.03G, Intel X38 chipset, BIOS: 0810 (02/11/2007)
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 (65nm Conroe core)
RAM
2 x 1024MB Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600 
e-Sata Controller
JMicron JMB363 
System Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9, 160GB
7,200 RPM, SATA/300, 8MB cache
NAS Drives
Samsung Spinpoint HD321KJ, 320GB
7,200 rpm, SATA/300, 16 MB Cache 
ODD
Samsung SH-D163A , SATA150 
Graphic Card
Gigabyte Radeon HD 3850 GV-RX385512H
GPU: 670 MHz
Memory: 512 MB DDR3 (830 MHz, 256 Bit) 
NIC
Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller 
Audio
Integrated
PSU
Cooler Master RS-850-EMBA, ATX 12V V2.2, 850 Watt   
Operating System and Drivers
Operating System
Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 
DirectX 10
DirectX 10 (Vista-Standard) 
DirectX 9
Version: April 2007 
Graphics Driver
ATI Radeon Version 7.12 
Networking Driver
9.0.32.3 (Vista-Standard) 
Intel Chipset Driver
Version 6.9.1.1001 (20/02/2008) 
JMicron Chipset Driver
Version 1.17.15.0 (24/03/2007) 


All tests were conducted using firmware version 02.00.0000.15.

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

We tested the Promise NS4600 using Intel’s NAS Performance Toolkit. You can find a detailed description of the benchmarks in our story Benchmarking With Intel's NAS Toolkit.

4. Geode Versus Tolapai: Multimedia Benchmarks

Check out our image gallery for more benchmark charts.

Our benchmarks show the NS4600 achieving good to very good results in the multimedia benchmarks. It does especially well when tackling workloads consisting of numerous small files, such as photographs, even outpacing Intel’s SS4200-E, which is based on a Celeron 420 CPU.

Even in the remainder of the benchmarks, the Promise NS4600 offers better performance than the Thecus N4100 Pro using AMD’s Geode processor.

5. Geode Versus Tolapai: Office Benchmarks

Check out our image gallery for more benchmark charts.

The performance pattern we saw in the multimedia benchmarks repeats itself in the office tests, with the N4600 doing especially well in the productivity section. Depending on the RAID level employed, the Promise NAS achieves results similar to or better than the AMD-based Thecus N4100 Pro.

6. Old Versus New: Comparing The NS4300N And NS4600

Comparing the data transfer rates lets us appreciate just how much the performance of the NS4600 has improved over the NS4300N. Depending on the benchmark and the RAID mode used, the NS4600 is up to twice as fast as its predecessor. Even if it’s not completely apparent in all scenarios, the NS4600 offers much more performance than the model it’s replacing.

7. Conclusion: More Performance Thanks To Tolapai

Promise’s updates to the NS4600 are very effective across the board.

Visually, the revised case design is better looking than that of the older NS4300N. Promise continues to use plastic as its material of choice, but it doesn't feel cheap, and overall build quality remains good. Even still, we found ourselves thinking that a metal case would have been more appropriate, improving the overall impression even further.

More Convenience

The addition of an eSATA port offers additional value. The same goes for the integration of download, media, and iTunes servers right out of the box. Users are no longer forced to go hunting around the Web to find compatible plug-ins, and then install them manually. Thanks to its integrated DLNA support, as well as the media and iTunes server, the NS4600 comes well-equipped for multimedia duties on the home network.

Easy Backups

Small and mid-sized companies won’t care about the multimedia functionality as much. Instead, this group will focus on the device’s NAS replication capabilities, able to copy files to other NAS devices in the background. The snapshot backup feature will also be appreciated for providing several copies of current files as a sort of extended “undelete” feature.

More Performance

Great data transfer rates with lots of small files, such as Word documents or photographs, suit NS4600 well for use in business environments. It is also quite speedy when backing up or restoring files over a network.

All of this is made possible by the NS4600’s fresh architecture. The EP80579, code named Tolapai, represents Intel’s first embedded processor since 1994. Developed specifically for use in telecommunication infrastructure, this processor also provides sufficient performance for NAS devices. With it, Promise’s N4600 operates in the same league as the Thecus N4100 Pro based on an AMD Geode processor.

It will be interesting to see whether other NAS vendors follow Promise’s lead and offer products built around Intel’s EP80579 rather than processors by Freescale, Marvell, and AMD.