WHAT IS CAS?

CAS is a new category of automated networked storage established to store large volumes of fixed content over extended periods of time. Unlike NAS that is designed to facilitate collaboration and file sharing or SAN that focuses on performance, CAS is specifically designed for fixed content which might have a significantly extended life-cycle compared to transactional data. The essential characteristics of CAS are:

1. CAS stores content as 'objects' which consist of data and annotated metadata. A good example for this could be an x-ray image which is stored as the data component, while the patient's name and other medical record details are stored as attached metadata. Metadata could be stored in an agreed format, and be made indexable and searchable by independent tools. Also, metadata can help us record and save important contextual information about the data, which may be used to interpret and make use of the data many years later..
   
2. CAS generates a globally unique name (address) for each object, which is independent on the current computing environment, organization, location or technology. As a consequence, objects may move around freely in time, changing their physical or technological location, all transparent to their current owner. This property is a fundamental enabler for transparent ILM.
   
3. Applications access CAS storage via a spectrum of interfaces. The primary access method is a dedicated Application Programming Interface which supports the notion of metadata and other advanced features of CAS. Alternatively, CAS storage devices may also be accessed via more traditional methods, like NAS-type protocols, FTP and HTTP, although at the cost of limited functionality.

CAS ARTICLES:

·	CAS Conundrum How do you define "sticky technology?" It's a fashionable term being bandied about by purveyors of content addressable storage (CAS) products, but what is it?
·	CAS at a Crossroads When it comes to content-addressable storage (CAS), the word on the street is software, and a smattering of companies are beginning to pay attention...
·	2005 Storage Year In Review
·	Symantec Dips Into De-Dupe DCT developed its de-duplication technology for content addressable storage (CAS) software for archiving, but Symantec saw it as a good fit for backup...
·	ADIC Buying Data De-duplication Company ADIC is buying an Australian based company for its blocklets technology that removes duplicated data from stored information and can effectively compress up to twenty times as much data into the space needed to hold unduplicated information. - Chris Mellor, Techworld
·	Joint Solution Is The First CAS-Based Storage Solution With Integrated Disk And Optical Nexsan’s Assureon CAS system is combined with DISC’s blue laser optical libraries to provide a solution that offers customers the security, speed, accessibility, and management capabilities necessary to meet the compliance regulations and corporate governance requirements for long term archiving.- IT Backbones Storage News
·	A State of Data Independence SNIA has launched a potentially groundbreaking solution that will revolutionize the way data is accessed on storage devices by standardizing metadata access and presentation methods. - Chris Mellor, Techworld
·	Messaging Architects, Nexsan Combine Email Archiving and Secure Compliant Storage Nexsan applies its CAS-based Assureon system to develop a secure compliant email archiving solution. - Yahoo! Finance
·	Data Storage Takes Center Stage at Executive Summit The rapid emergence of FCS has given birth to an executive roundtable discussion, hosted by Larstan Business Reports - Larstan Business Reports
·	Could CAS replace time-honored file systems? File-based storage has been standard for years, but now object-based storage, also known as content-addressed or content-aware storage (CAS), is making inroads on the file-based market. - Carol Hildebrand, SearchStorage.com
·	Quite Content Content-addressed storage, with its strong association with data compliance, is becoming increasingly valuable to the enterprise. - Tim Stammers, Computer Business Review investigates.
·	CAS by Any Other Name by Senior Analyst, Tony Asaro, Enterprise Strategy Group - Whatever the technology is ultimately referred to as, CAS or otherwise, the market is emerging at a rapid rate. CAS offers a uniquely valuable approach that is innovative in its scale, manageability and intelligence.
·	The Case for CAS CAS is key to business because it overcomes the threats posed by these new storage challenges—the unmanaged, exponential growth in capacity and the number of fixed content objects.
·	Just What Is 'Content-Addressed Storage'? CAS is an ideal technology for dealing with fixed content. "Fixed content" simply refers to data that is written once and never changed. It could be an invoice, a purchase order, a financial statement, archived e-mail, or a medical X-ray. It's information that needs to be stored but cannot be altered in any way.
·	CAS defined by Webopedia
·	Nexsan Targets CAS startup CAS systems store fixed content -- data that won’t change such as financial records, receipts, and archived email. Nexsan sees the market as a logical extension of its primary product direction, which is low-cost ATA and SATA disk-backup systems.
·	DCT joins 'CAS pack' CAS systems store fixed content -- data that won’t change such as financial records, receipts, and archived email. Nexsan sees the market as a logical extension of its primary product direction, which is low-cost ATA and SATA disk-backup systems.

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