Modular Storage Systems
Tableau's Modular Storage System (MSS) is a collection of RAID storage products that have been designed specifically for the needs of the computer forensics community. MSS products meet forensic storage needs across acquisition, analysis and near-term storage, and ultimately archival and offline storage.
Integrated Storage Module
Model TMSS-IIO1
Tableau TMSS-IIO1 Integrated Storage Module
Tableau TMSS-IIO1 Integrated Storage Module
The first member of the Tableau MSS storage family, the TMSS-IIO1 is an integrated storage system which combines a four-drive RAID-5 array, RAID electronics and fans in a single enclosure. The TMSS-IIO1 is packaged in a sleek, ergonomically-designed plastic enclosure with a sturdy interior frame of metal. An integrated recessed handle makes the TMSS-IIO1 easy to carry.
As with other Tableau MSS products, the TMSS-IIO1 can be used to build very large drive arrays. For example, an array built using 2TB drives could have an effective capacity of 6TB. An array built with 3TB drives could have an effective capacity of 9TB.
The TMSS-IIO1 has eSATA, FireWire800/400, and USB 2.0 host connections, giving the user complete flexibility in attaching the MSS unit to the host computer. A single, compact AC adapter, the TP4, supplies the power needs of the TMSS-IIO1 and is compatible with 100 - 240VAC operation.
The TMSS-IIO1 is supported by the free Tableau Storage Manager (TSM) application. TSM streamlines and simplifies RAID management when using MSS products like the TMSS-IIO1. And, as with all Tableau-brand products, the firmware in the TMSS-IIO1 can be updated using the free Tableau Firmware Update (TFU) application.
Two Families
Tableau's MSS products come in two families, "integrated" units and "modular" units. Integrated units like the TMSS-IIO1 are similar to conventional standalone RAID enclosures, combining the hard drives, fans, and RAID electronics in a single enclosure. The TMSS-IIO1 will be familiar to anyone who has worked with standalone RAID enclosures, though the TMSS-IIO1 is much smaller, lighter, and more ergonomically designed than competitive products.
Modular units like the TMSS-S1 "brick" and TMSS-BIO1 "base station" represent a new, patent pending concept in RAID storage. In the modular systems the hard drives are housed in the TMSS-S1 brick and the RAID electronics and fans are housed in a separate base station such as the TMSS-BIO1. Separating the hard drives from the RAID electronics reduces the size, weight, and most importantly the cost of the TMSS-S1 brick. A user can share a single base station like the TMSS-BIO1 with multiple, inexpensive TMSS-S1 bricks, adding more bricks as storage demands increase.
The TMSS-IIO1 integrated units and TMSS-S1 storage bricks share numerous design elements, including a built-in recessed handle and a unique, patented slot for an evidence tag.
Management Software
One of the weaknesses of many standalone RAID systems is the lack of availability or poor quality of the RAID management software. Recognizing this issue, Guidance Software created the Tableau Storage Manager (TSM), a Windows application which streamlines and simplifies the management of Tableau MSS products. TSM provides a simple interface for initializing the drive array in new MSS storage units, monitoring the health of the hard disks in a unit, identifying failing hard disks, and rebuilding the drive array in a unit after replacing a failed drive.
Recognizing that many users don't use Windows as their day-to-day operating system, Guidance also incorporated unique error reporting capabilities directly in the MSS units themselves. If an MSS unit is unable to initialize the drive array for any reason the MSS unit creates a "phantom" partition (FAT32) which contains a single "README" text file. Any host computer with standard storage drivers can mount this partition and the user can view the README file to see the real-time status of the MSS array and of each drive within the array.
Portability
Forensics often involves the acquisition of terabytes of data in the field. Tableau MSS products give the practitioner compact, easily transported storage with the capacity to handle large cases in the field. Measuring under 5 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches deep by 6 3/4 inches tall (including recessed carrying handle), the TMSS-IIO1 is by far the most compact, lightweight four-drive RAID product on the market. The TMSS-S1 is even smaller at roughly 5 1/2 inches W x 7 inches D x 6 inches H.
MSS products use an ergonomically-designed exterior made of plastic to reduce weight and an inner metal frame for strength and RF shielding. A comfortable plastic carrying handle is recessed into the top each TMSS-IIO1 or TMSS-S1 for ease of transport.
High Availability
RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) is the secret to high-availability computer storage. Using a RAID-5 architecture MSS storage products work to ensure the availability of sensitive forensic data.
RAID-5 systems provide an effective capacity of "N-1" drives. So, four-drive systems like MSS have an effective capacity of three drives. More importantly, any one of the four drives can fail without losing access to the data. The MSS firmware in combination with the Tableau Storage Manager software make it easy to identify failing drives and rebuild a storage array if necessary.
And of course, a good way to ensure high availability is to prevent hard drives from failing in the first place. A clever mechanical design ensures proper cooling of the hard drives at all times. Drives are mounted vertically in the enclosure and fans force air past the main drive surfaces, expelling warm air through vents in the top of the enclosure. Hard drives - especially high performance drives - can run hot, and this design ensures that drive heat is managed appropriately.
Scalability
Scalability can be measured in two ways: 1) how big an array can be built and 2) how expensive is it to add additional arrays.
MSS units support big drives, and it is readily possible to build huge arrays. For example, an array built using 2TB drives could have an effective capacity of 6TB. An array built with 3TB drives could have an effective capacity of 9TB. Note, however, that not all combinations of operating systems and drivers are capable of supporting arrays larger than 2TB. The TSM software incorporates features to help ensure that you build arrays that can be managed correctly by your operating system and drivers.
Adding new storage arrays in MSS can also be dramatically less expensive than when using competitive solutions. The TMSS-IIO1 is one of the most aggressively priced integrated RAID systems on the market. The modular TMSS-S1 and TMSS-BIO1 combination is nothing less than ground breaking. Because the TMSS-S1 houses only the hard drives (placing the expensive RAID control electronics in the separate TMSS-BIO1), it is possible to add new arrays simply by purchasing additional TMSS-S1 bricks. Generally speaking, storage capacity added using the TMSS-S1 will cost a fraction of conventional integrated storage units.
Upcoming Features
With future firmware updates (no hardware changes), Guidance expects to release additional, useful features for the Tableau MSS products.
Dynamic fan-speed control. MSS units incorporate internal temperature monitoring features. A future firmware update is expected which will make use of temperature information to control fan speed dynamically, thus reducing the operating noise generated by MSS units.
TMSS-IIO1 Gallery
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