We use several RDS devices and are very satisfied with them. However, for many of our customers, the device is oversized with its number of storage slots and 100G interfaces.
Four to eight storage slots would be sufficient, and 2 to 4 25G and 12 to 16 1G interfaces would be sufficient as network interfaces.
I am not necessarily concerned about the price of a potentially smaller device, but rather that an additional device would be required to provide the necessary number of interfaces. This would result in more space, interfaces, and power consumption.
Therefore, this is not about a device designed only for storage use, but rather a device that can handle network and storage functions in networks for smaller customers.
It does seem strange to go straight for enterprise rather than make something with a big market appeal right out of the gate.
100% conspiracy but the RDS seems like a potential SORM node with it’s high speed interfaces and many storage slots, with low power and 1u. Seems like enterprise customers would prefer something mature for file storage/serving.
Usually when I want serious storage, it’s 3.5” HDDs on synology or similar. Their lack of taking 10g seriously opens a real market for Mikrotik. I’d still put it behind a firewall rather than an all-in-one device. UI is getting into the NAS business, and I like their wifi and cameras, but don’t want to do everything through their controllers.
MikroTik offers ISOs for RouterOS that you can install either in a VM or bare metal on devices. There you can also choose between x86 or ARM64. You would then only need your hardware and pay for the RouterOS license. Ifs that you looking.
2-4 nvme slots (M.2 2280), some 2.5g ports and maybe a USB3/usb-c port for misc like external backup disk. When reasonably priced it could be a bestseller.
What you’re describing sounds like a slight modification to the CCR2116, which has one NVMe slot. Adding a couple more slots, perhaps some outward-facing, would make for a great Gen-2 version of that machine.
I personally modified a CCR2116 by installing a NVMe→6-port SATA adapter, cut an opening in the back, and ran super-thin SATA cables out to a 6-bay SATA SSD enclosure (the size of a 5.25” CD/DVD).
As stated, you could easily run RouterOS on a mini-PC like a Minisforum MS-01 (or its AMD equivalent), loaded up with three NVMe drives, onboard 2x10G SFP ports, add a 25G or 40G card, and be on your way. It would be easy to connect to a downstream switch for distribution, and costs about the same as a CCR2116.
Enterprise have many more needs than "big average market". It's better to test a solution on enterprise field and trim it down, than upgrade smaller to bigger version.