Many enterprises are getting into iSCSI storage via NAS solutions rather than via pure play IP SANs. To compete in the space of the IP SAN/NAS combo play EqualLogic – a pure play IP SAN evangelist – has introduced a Windows 2003 NAS gateway server optimized to work with its PS series iSCSI-based SANs.

EqualLogic’s NAS gateway product is a Windows 2003 storage server that provides multi-protocol (CIFS, NFS, FTP) NAS file services on top of an PS Series IP SAN array. The gateway is manufactured by an EqualLogic partner company, AMS Storage, and starts at $6,675.

A NAS gateway is a diskless NAS server that uses a SAN array as its storage back end. The disk storage has the benefits of SAN management – such as scalability, disk virtualization, and local/remote replication – while the gateway provides a network based filer.