NeoPath Networks

About NeoPath Networks

NeoPath Networks, founded in 2002, specialized in high-performance, scalable file storage management solutions. The company developed appliances and patented virtualization technology to simplify the management of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and other file servers for enterprise customers.

The core products were the File Director family, intelligent appliances that created a virtualization layer between clients and file servers. This technology, known as SMART virtualization, decoupled the physical location of a file from its name and path. This allowed IT administrators to consolidate storage, migrate data without user disruption, and manage heterogeneous server environments from a single point. The system worked with any file server or NAS device, supporting both NFS and CIFS file types, and enabled policy-based file migration to optimize storage tiers. The File Director FD-200, for example, was aimed at midsize to large companies and allowed them to create virtual file shares that could span multiple NAS units, harnessing previously unused storage space.

The Santa Clara-based startup raised at least $29 million in venture capital from investors including August Capital, Cisco Investments, and DCM Ventures. On March 13, 2007, Cisco Systems announced a definitive agreement to acquire the privately-held company. At the time, NeoPath had approximately 55 employees. The acquisition was completed on April 3, 2007, with the NeoPath team and products being integrated into Cisco's Datacenter Switching and Security Technology Group. However, shortly after the acquisition closed, Cisco discontinued NeoPath's product line, intending to port the underlying virtualization technology to its own switching silicon rather than continuing to sell the standalone appliances.