An `Iceberg' Is Bearing Down On Ibm's Disk Business

Sometimes many small pieces can do a job better than one large item. Some of the fastest supercomputers, for example, are now built from hundreds or even thousands of microprocessors, rather than a single large processor. Likewise, in data storage, refrigerator-size disk drives with platters measuring 14 inches across are giving way to scores of 3 1/2- or 5 1/4-inch disk drives. Together, these "redundant arrays of inexpensive disks," or RAID, can outperform large disks.

On Jan. 28, one of the most keenly anticipated RAID products will be unveiled by Storage Technology Corp. It's designed to serve networks of IBM mainframes and smaller computers. Shipment plans for Iceberg, named after the unheated building in which its development began, have slipped to mid-1992, apparently because of software problems. But industry analysts say Iceberg will still give Storage Tech a renewed chance of challenging mainframe-disk market leader IBM.