StorageTek Announces Tape Mirroring Technology

StorageTek has launched a new Tape Mirroring automated tape replication solution aimed at cutting the time, cost and risk involved in simultaneously creating a safe copy of critical information. The new technology forms part of StorageTek’s range of data protection solutions designed to ensure that companies always have timely access to their information assets.

Speaking from the Storage World conference in San Jose, StorageTek President, Chairman and CEO Pat Martin said, “Information is seen as the lifeblood of many companies. It is arguably a company’s most critical non-human asset. To ensure competitive advantage — or even survival — businesses need to ensure the availability of their data at each stage of its lifecycle, as well as protect that data from unexpected loss.”

StorageTek’s Tape Mirroring software is an option to its StorageNet 6000 (SN6000) storage domain manager and is an integral part of a customer’s consolidated backup solution. It is targeted at organizations recognizing the need to create simultaneous copies of vital data in Unix and Windows environments.

This solution enhances current software on the market from vendors such as VERITAS and Legato by helping automate the backup process and eliminating costly human intervention. In addition, it is far faster than the traditional method of cloning a copy after the original has been created.

“The need to efficiently address reduced backup windows with resilient solutions means that mirrored tape solutions offer a secure alternative to provide multiple tape copies simultaneously,” said Hamish E. Macarthur, founder and managing director of Macarthur Stroud International. “StorageTek is a leader in the tape solutions markets and is expected to show how new technologies and developments can deliver real benefits to users when protecting the burgeoning volumes of information.”

StorageTek’s Tape Mirroring software starts at $20,000 and should be generally available next month. It is currently in early release in the U.S. and Europe.

In related news, StorageTek has also introduced the next-generation of its V2X Shared Virtual Array disk storage system. The V2X Shared Virtual Array (SVA) disk storage system is the latest offering in StorageTek’s V-Series family of virtual disk storage systems for both mainframe and open systems environments, and is designed to eliminate the under-allocation and over-purchasing of disk storage capacity that is required with conventional enterprise disk storage systems.

William Brest, manager, storage management, Lufthansa Systems GmbH, information technology providers for leading European airline Lufthansa, said, “At Lufthansa Systems, we have been using virtual technology, including SnapShot and PowerPPRC, to store and protect 7 terabytes of data for the last 2.5 years and have relied on StorageTek to provide us with solutions tailored to meet our ever-changing needs. The arrival of the V2X SVA disk storage system comes at an important time. The enhanced capabilities of the V2X will allow us to save time and money and is the key to our whole data storage and protection solution.”