InfoStor articles from December 2003

InfoStor archives from December 2003

New approaches to managing reference information.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... Although it's one of this year's leading buzzwords, "reference information" is a term that should not-and, ill many cases, cannot--be ignored. In fact, some analysts say the sheer enormity of the impending reference information boom begs prompt...

Network Appliance acquires Spinnaker Networks: NAS leader pushes storage grid strategy.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... With its recent acquisition of network-attached storage (NAS) startup Spinnaker Networks for approximately $300 million in stock, Network Appliance is making its move into the massively scalable NAS market that it could not previously target...

IBM, Cisco team on virtualization.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... This month, IBM delivered virtualization and storage services on Cisco's MDS 9000 line of fabric switches and directors. IBM ported its TotalStorage SAN Volume Controller (SVC) software to Cisco's Caching Services Module (CSM), a specialized...

Dispelling common backup misconceptions.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... When it comes to protecting data, users have an increasing number of options, which can make choosing the right product--or combination of products--a gargantuan undertaking for large data centers, small businesses, and those in-between. ...

The year in review, in 700 words or less.(editorial)
December 1, 2003... The economy didn't help much, bur this was still an exciting year in the storage industry. Here are my picks for the Top Trends in 2003, in no particular order. Disk-based backup. End users have been waiting for D2D to be an economically...

Hewlett-Packard has signed an agreement to acquire Pleasanton, CA-based Persist Technologies for its software designed for long-term storage and access of reference information.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Hewlett-Packard has signed an agreement to acquire Pleasanton, CA-based Persist Technologies for its software designed for long-term storage and access of reference information. Hewlett-Packard expects the acquisition to close by year-end.

SANZ, a storage consulting and integration firm, has announced a storage assessment service based on its StorTrust process.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... SANZ, a storage consulting and integration firm, has announced a storage assessment service based on its StorTrust process. StorTrust applies business process re-engineering of storage management to lower storage management cost and improve...

CNT and Brocade Communications Systems have' an expanded strategic alliance to enable seamless extension of Brocade SANs over distance using CNT solutions.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... CNT and Brocade Communications Systems have' an expanded strategic alliance to enable seamless extension of Brocade SANs over distance using CNT solutions. Under the terms of the partnership, CNT will continue to oilier the Brocade family of...

The InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) have reached an agreement to take the SNIA Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) through the INCITS Fast Track process.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... The InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS) and the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) have reached an agreement to take the SNIA Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S) through the INCITS...

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) and IXOS Software signed a deal for developing and distributing software.(Business Briefs)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) and IXOS Software signed a deal for developing and distributing software. HDS will provide IXOS archiving and enterprise content management software to its customers and will integrate IXOS products into HDS's storage...

Arkivio and five other vendors recently hosted a forum on information life-cycle management (ILM) and prepared a report on how ILM tools can help companies with issues such as storage consolidation, disaster recovery, data retention, and capacity management.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... Arkivio and five other vendors recently hosted a forum on information life-cycle management (ILM) and prepared a report on how ILM tools can help companies with issues such as storage consolidation, disaster recovery, data retention, and...

StoneFly Networks has a strategic partnership with McData to provide cost-effective storage provisioning with an IP SAN through local aggregation and server consolidation.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... StoneFly Networks has a strategic partnership with McData to provide cost-effective storage provisioning with an IP SAN through local aggregation and server consolidation. Separately, StoneFly's flagship product, the Storage Concentrator, has...

Following the October approval by the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI,) has accepted the standard for 10Gbps Fibre Channel, called 10 GFC.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... Following the October approval by the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI,) has accepted the standard for 10Gbps Fibre Channel, called 10 GFC. The standard...

Security threats drive users to encryption.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... IT organizations are redefining data protection to encompass more than just backup, restore, and replication. Today, data protection sometimes means a bulletproof vest for data on storage arrays, and maybe even tape libraries. Some...

Veritas pushes toward DLM, integration.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... In what was described as one of the company's most comprehensive product rollouts this year, Veritas last month announced plans to expand and enhance its enterprise data-protection family with a variety of new or enhanced backup, data...

Blue-laser optical systems debut.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... This month, Plasmon and Sony began shipping optical disc drives based on new blue-laser technology. Libraries based on the drives are expected early next year. The long-awaited blue-laser technology enables cheaper media, higher capacity,...

EMC and Nortel Networks have a new joint services offering to help enterprises utilize optical MANs and WANs for remote mirroring of their data.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... EMC and Nortel Networks have a new joint services offering to help enterprises utilize optical MANs and WANs for remote mirroring of their data. The new offering, Business Continuity over Optical Networks, is an EMC Proven Solution and is...

Imation and Exabyte have an agreement that establishes Imation as the exclusive worldwide distributor of Exabyte-brand media products.(Business Briefs)
December 1, 2003... Imation and Exabyte have an agreement that establishes Imation as the exclusive worldwide distributor of Exabyte-brand media products. As part of the agreement, Imation will make an equity investment in Exabyte, representing less than 5%. The...

External hard drives.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Increase Your System's Storage without opening the case Work Anywhere Business professionals who make their living on the road are always looking for a way to shed a few extra pounds. If you travel between multiple offices and have...

Internal hard drives.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Get More Boom to Grow--Upgrade Your Systems' Internal Hard Drives More than Just More Room When choosing a hard drive, there's much more to consider than just capacity. Upgrading to drives with higher rotational speeds improves file...

Network attached storage.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... NAS: the Smart Fix for Overtaxed File and Application Servers Give your servers breathing room. Call you Account Manager today for a full range of NAS solutions designed to fit any environment, from small workgroups to enterprise...

Stand--alone tape drivers.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Simple, Affordable Data Storage and Protection Looking for the right medium? Call PC Connection. We'll talk with you about your current infrastructure, applications, and user schedules to determine just the right tape medium for your...

Storage media.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Media: The Essence of all Data Storage The most important part of any storage, backup, or archiving system is the often under appreciated media. While drives play an important part, moving data from your system, it is the media where your...

Automated tape drives.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Stay Ahead of Your Backup Window-Upgrade to Tape Automation Autoloaders and tape libraries offer data capacities and backup rates that are untouchable by single-tape Direct Attached Storage (DAS) solutions, making them ideal for staying one...

Storage management software.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Finally, Speed and Accuracy in Backup and Restore For too long, backup administrators have had to compromise between speed and accuracy because traditional backup software forces a choice between slow backups with accurate restores or fast...

Storage area networks.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Moving Beyond Server-Based Storage Switching to a SAN architecture enables faster backups, greater control The continuously increasing data volumes that made server-based storage prohibitively expensive and necessitate a move to NAS...

Line listings.
December 1, 2003... Line Listings Item # Mfr. Name Controller Cards 211735 Adaptec FireConnect 4300 FireWire IEEE 1394 Adapter Kit 107987 Adaptec AVA-2906 SCSI Card 2906 Kit 434934 Adaptec SATAConnect Serial ATA Host...

Optical drives.(Storage)
December 1, 2003... Data, Video, Digital Images... Put Your Business on Disc Now You Know... There are currently two variations of rewriteable DVD technology--DVD-RW and DVD+RW. Both formats offer the same capacity and general performance, but they are...

Arrow distributes first IP SAN bundle.(news analysis & trends)
December 1, 2003... Arrow Enterprise Storage Solutions is distributing all IP storage area network (SAN) bundle based on iSCSI products from Adaptec and Network Appliance. This is the first iSCSI host bus adapter (HBA) and native iSCSI target configuration...

CIM, WBEM deliver the building blocks of SMI-S: key benefits of the SMI-S standard will be software interoperability and reduced management costs and hassles.(SNIA on storage)
December 1, 2003... Management is at the crux of any effective storage environment. However, administrators are faced with overseeing multiple management applications, most of which are not interoperable, leading to expensive configuration and integration woes....

IP vs. Fibre Channel SANs: although iSCSI and Fibre Channel SANs may be complementary in some situations, if you have to choose, it basically comes down to price and performance evaluations.(Special Report)
December 1, 2003... The advent of iSCSI-based storage area networks (IP SANs) is generating some controversy relative to established Fibre Channel SANs as some early adopters have finally climbed onboard and observers are placing bets on the outcome. At issue...

Fibre Channel or IP, or both? In many cases, the best solution may be a combination of Fibre Channel and IP storage protocols such as iSCSI, iFCP, or FCIP.(opinion)
December 1, 2003... Fibre Channel is the dominant protocol and transport for storage area networking (SAN). Being first to market with a high-performance solution for moving block data at gigabit speeds, Fibre Channel has been the enabling technology for a wide...

Leveraging replication to improve disaster recovery: replication is becoming more affordable, thanks in part to host- and network-based replication as well as ATA and Serial ATA disk subsystems and new software.(Part II)
December 1, 2003... Although traditional disaster recovery challenges (i.e., natural disasters, fires, massive power outages) loom as large as ever, organizations that are preparing disaster-recovery strategies today must address host of new challenges and...

From NAS filers and gateways to SAN filers: "SAN fliers" may offer an option for consolidating enterprise-wide file services, overcoming some of the drawbacks of traditional NAS.
December 1, 2003... Thanks in part to simplicity an reliability, the network-attached storage (NAS) market is growing faster than the market for general-purpose servers. By consolidating data on easily deployed platforms, IT managers have found a simple solution...

Take an integrated approach to e-mail archiving: "unified archival" integrates regulatory compliance, attachment management, and content management.
December 1, 2003... It's almost enough to drive us back to snail mail Last year, the SEC got serious, corralled some big banks, and collectively fined them $8.25 million. Their offense? They didn't have an e-mail archival system that the SEC deemed adequate....

Protecting mid-tier storage investments: hardware and software compatibility across platform generations reduces management and training costs.(opinion)
December 1, 2003... Companies are increasingly challenged to find mid-tier storage solutions that will evolve with their business needs. They need hardware and software combinations that will provide a stable path to future growth while reducing IT costs,...

New twists on disk-vs.-tape backup debate: backup and restore should be based on a storage hierarchy that meets end-user requirements and should not be dictated by software limitations.(opinion)
December 1, 2003... In just about every storage-oriented publication you read these days, there is an article that discusses the virtues of either disk or tape technology as a backup medium. The same arguments are repeated over and over. Disk is faster For...

McData tackles BC/DR with iSCSI/iFCP.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... The first product to result from its acquisition of Nishan Systems, McData's Eclipse 1620 provides long-distance connectivity via the iSCSI and/or iFCP protocols. Targeted applications include business continuity and disaster recovery, as well...

QLogic simplifies SANs.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... In an attempt to lower the cost and complexity associated with Fibre Channel SANs, QLogic recently shipped a pre-configured SAN bundle for Windows Server 2003 environments. Priced at $6,999 (MSRP), the connectivity kit includes a SANbox Fibre...

Xiran enters iSCSI accelerator market.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Xiran, a division of SimpleTech, is targeting OEMs with a set of iSCSI-based products, including the DirectPath iSCSI + evaluation kit (which is based on the company's DPA-1200i accelerator) and HBAs with full iSCSI and TCP/IP offloading. Xiran...

Wasabi courts OEMs for iSCSI appliances.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Wasabi Systems' Storage Builder is a turnkey system and operating environment that enables OEMs to build iSCSI appliances for IP SANs. The system is optimized for deployment on Intel IA-32 and XScale platforms, including the IOP310 and IOP320...

Nexsan upgrades ATA disk arrays.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Nexsan Technologies' ATABeast RAID array includes hot-swappable components and high density (up to 3.15TB per 1U form factor using 300GB drives). The array is priced at less than $0.04 per gigabyte, or $47,000 for a 12.6TB configuration. ...

Snap integrates with Active Directory.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Snap Appliance's GuardianOS version 2.6 software enables the company's network attached storage (NAS) servers to be integrated with Windows Storage Server 2003 Active Directory service environments. The software also allows scalability with...

Fastora NAS starts at $995.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... At last month's Comdex show, Fastora (the storage division of Axiomtek) demonstrated a number of Windows-based NAS servers. The low-end LiteStor NAS-T2-1W ($995) includes 600GB, two IDE drive bays, one Fast Ethernet and one Gigabit Ethernet...

Finisar introduces blade-based analyzer.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Finisar's Xgig Analyzer Version 1.5 is a blade-based device for testing multi-protocol SANs, including Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet (IP storage) networks. Protocol support includes iSCSI, FCIP, FCP-4, and FCIP-SCSI. The analyzer automates...

Rancho extends SCSI.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Rancho Technology's RTLVD-HVDR4E is an Ultra320 LVD/HVD SCSI expander that comes in a 1U form factor and incorporates LVD-to-HVD conversion. Features include a dual-blower cooling system, fan failure circuit, and a multimode capability that...

Atto adds virtual tape to disk arrays.(Disk/Connectivity)
December 1, 2003... Atto Technology has added a virtual tape option to its Diamond line of disk arrays. The Diamond Virtual Tape (VT) disk-to-disk backup system increases backup-and-restore times and improves data reliability. The system can be used with existing...

ADIC integrates disk and tape.(Tape)
December 1, 2003... This month, ADIC began shipping its Pathlight VX integrated disk-to-tape backup system, which combines the benefits of disk and tape in a single data-protection product. Data is backed up to Serial ATA disk first and then to tape...

STORServer adds libraries to backup appliances.(Tape)
December 1, 2003... Using Qualstar's RLS rack-mount libraries, STORServer's latest series of backup appliances reduces rack space to a 5U form factor. The K1400, K2400, and K3400 backup appliances hold up to 70 AIT tapes. The appliances scale from 12TB to 35TB and...

StorageTek to revamp library architecture.(Tape)
December 1, 2003... At its annual user conference in October, StorageTek previewed its next-generation tape library--the StreamLine SL8500--which is expected to ship "in the first half of next year." The library will support mixed media and interfaces, providing...

CreekPath augments management software.(Software)
December 1, 2003... CreekPath has released an upgraded version of its Storage Operations Management Suite, which includes support for storage arrays and Fibre Channel directors/switches that implement SMI array and fabric profiles. The software supports disk...

Softek delivers replication tools.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Softek (formerly Fujitsu Softek) recently released three new replication tools: * Softek Replicator for host-based mainframe (z/OS) and open systems (Windows, Unix) replication; * Softek TDMF for host-based mainframe and open systems...

Arkivio upgrades ILM software.(Software)
December 1, 2003... The latest release of Arkivio's auto stor data/information life-cycle management software includes new features such as seamless data migration, relocation, replication, and deletion. A policy simulator allows administrators to test the results...

Invio enhances data-management suite.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Invio Software recently announced enhancements to its Storage Practice Manager data-management software suite, which allows users to integrate and control multi-platform system operations, policy management, and cross-functional workflows as an...

Corporate profile.
December 1, 2003... Corporate Description JNI Corporation merged with AMCC on October 29, 2003. AMCC now delivers JNI's industry-leading connectivity products that addresses the high-performance needs of Fibre Channel storage area networks (SANs), in addition...

Emulex ships HBAanyware 2.0.(Software)
December 1, 2003... One year after shipping the 1.0 version c its centralized HBA management software, Emulex has released the 2.0 version of HBAanyware, which includes new features such as * Remote driver configuration; * Remote persistent binding...

iReady releases iSCSI target software.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Designed primarily for OEMs and integrators, iReady's iSCSI "Target" software suite can be bundled with the company's ethernetMAX iSCSI controllers and HBAs. The ethernetMAX controller supports iSCSI hardware acceleration, full TCP/IP offload,...

Zantaz introduces online archival tool.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Zantaz, a provider of compliance and electronic discovery services and products, this month released an online archival tool for its Digital Safe service. The Audit Center tool is designed to help companies quickly search and access terabytes...

Dantz offers D2D option.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Dantz Development recently released a disk-to-disk edition for its Retrospect 6.5 backup-and-restore software. Retrospect Disk to-Disk can be used to back up Windows servers to 1394/USB2 hard drives or CDs/DVDs. With as few as two 1394 or USB2...

Calendar.(new products)(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... January 6-7 Storage Visions 2004 Conference--Las Vegas, NV This conference which precedes the Consumer Electronics Show, focuses on storage for entertainment distribution, editing, and creation, as well as storage for consumer electronics...

OuterBay adds encapsulated DB archive software.(Software)
December 1, 2003... OuterBay expanded its application data-management suite with encapsulated archive software, a standards-based XML archive that allows users to encapsulate data and archive it for long term accessibility even if hardware and applications change....

Bocada automates reporting/compliance.(Software)
December 1, 2003... Bocada, a provider of data-protection reporting, compliance, and chargeback software, has released BackupReport 2.5, which features new automated capabilities, fine reporting elements, and information management. The software collects and...

Start-up ships backup analysis software.(Software)
December 1, 2003... SysDM's WysDM for Backups backup analysis software analyzes information collected from network, storage, system, and application domains to provide real-time analysis of backups. The software performs predictive trending and analysis with...

NetEx accelerates data transfer over WAN IP networks.(Disaster Recovery)
December 1, 2003... Less than a month after introducing its HyperlP accelerator for high-volume data transfer over WAN IP networks, NetEx announced a data compression capability that the company claims can further boost data throughput speeds by 2x to 4x. ...