The GS7KTM appliance is a scale-out parallel file system solution complete with enterprise-class features, NAS access and Cloud tiering capabilities. The system includes fully integrated enterprise data management and protection capabilities, in a simple, all-in-one, scale-out appliance. It leverages the power of Storage Fusion Architecture with the embedded performance and scalability benefits of GPFS. Multi-level data protection capabilities like battery-backed cache, flexible RAID, integrated backup and DirectProtect with no single point of failure increase reliability. The appliance starts with 60 drives in 4U and capacity that can be expanded non-disruptively by adding up to four additional 4U 84 drive enclosures.