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| New Series of iSCSI Software Solutions Based on SANmelody 2.0 DataCore Software has announced a new series of iSCSI software solutions based on SANmelody 2.0. The basic package supports multi-terabyte virtual storage pools, powerful disk performance acceleration technology, simple Windows disk migration for SQL and Exchange users, and "point and click" disk capacity, which can be served over Ethernet/LAN connections to Microsoft, Linux, Solaris, AIX, Netware, VMware, MacOS and Unix systems. Other packages come equipped with automatic thin-provisioning virtual capacity, Fibre Channel support, and snapshot and volume shadow copy services (VSS) to ease disk backup and recovery for SQL Server, Exchange 2003 and VSS aware systems. These new solution offerings and an extensive set of IP storage services enable DataCore to deliver the industry's most comprehensive suite of storage area network (SAN) and disk management capabilities to iSCSI users. These packaged solutions are available starting in January 2006 through DataCore's authorized solution provider network. SANmelody 2.0 software is a first in providing iSCSI users with a complete range of advanced SAN features and network storage services - making it practical to build robust, scalable and affordable SANs using standard IP networks and LANs utilizing iSCSI protocols. Highlights of SANmelody's iSCSI capabilities include: * The ability to easily consolidate and centralize storage management for Microsoft, Linux, Solaris, AIX, Netware, VMware, MacOS and Unix systems and to serve "point and click" disk capacity over the LAN connections to meet storage growth demands. * Simplified backup and rapid disaster recovery for SQL Server database volumes, Exchange 2003 information stores and Windows 2003 file systems utilizing Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS). Thus supports recovery and off-line work from a point-in-time copy of the data. * Easier Windows data migration - enabling users to re-purpose old disks and move data rapidly. Existing disks can continue to be used normally and their live data can be seamlessly migrated onto newer disk technologies. Older disks can be removed from service without impacting operations. * Virtual capacity, which provides enormous, multi-terabyte disk capacity to be automatically provisioned over iSCSI as needed to application servers stopping "out of space" alerts and downtime. * New capabilities to easily move, import and manage existing, live data that resides on Windows files and data volumes. Administrators can move and protect data in real-time using either synchronous disk-to-disk mirror capability over iSCSI, complete image snapshots, IP replication or host mirroring. * A best of both worlds capability in terms of NAS/SAN co-existence, which serves highly available and fast cache-accelerated virtual volumes to Network Attached Storage (e.g., Windows Storage Server NAS). * Enhanced Windows volume management. This enables pre-formatted, virtual disks with NTFS/FAT files and data to be served up easily from a central point to other systems via iSCSI. * Business-critical, end-to-end iSCSI failover and enterprise-level data protection that uses existing Ethernet LAN connections. Instead of proprietary or specialized cluster configurations for fail-over, DataCore lets you do enterprise level fail-over using iSCSI connections. * Enhanced support for Microsoft environments. SANmelody's iSCSI capabilities support Windows file system volumes and storage services such as Virtual Disk Services (VDS), Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS), and MultiPath I/O (MPIO). * iSCSI support for Microsoft Clusters, Virtual Servers (e.g., VMware) and Blade Servers. * "Boot from the SAN", diskless server and rapid emergency boot disk recovery support using IP SAN connectivity to server farms, grids, blades and VMware-based virtual infrastructures. * Support for latest iSCSI and IP SAN security features to better protect the network from threats. * Functionality that enables hardware-independence and the use of iSCSI connections to "bridge" different types of storage (e.g. SATA, SAS, iSCSI, IDE, FC) to application servers. * Enhanced ease-of-use and operation. The user interface has simplified and improved storage administrative tasks and a Windows Wizard installation process has significantly reduced the time to set up a production iSCSI IP SAN down to a few minutes. * The ability to non-disruptively add SANmelody performance acceleration and functionality to enhance all your disks or just the ones you want! Select "in the SAN or out" when required - there is no lock-in. Administrators have the freedom to select SANmelody enhancements to disks that need them, when needed. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Computing News :: home page |