Marking Time: FalconStor Releases TimeMark Snapshot Option

Protecting against the confusion of multiple virtual images, FalconStor has
released the TimeMark Option for its IPStor suite of storage services.

The TimeMark Option works like it sounds: it manages multiple virtual images
of the same disk marked by “time.” In order to ensure high data
availability, a robust network storage infrastructure needs to be able
to recover from and guard against both hard and soft errors. IPStor’s existing
suite of storage services, including
the active-active high-availability option, real-time mirroring, and remote
replication, offers indispensable defense against hardware or even site
failures. For soft errors including accidental deletion of files and
software/virus issues leading to data corruption, the only defense up to this
point is periodic backups to tape or other disks.

With IPStor’s existing Zero-impact Backup Enabler Option and Database-Aware
Snapshot Agent, the administrator can effectively perform full image snapshot
backups of live data with transactional integrity- typically a task performed
once every weekend. The availability of the TimeMark Option allows IT managers
to perform an ultra-fast backup of an active disk on-demand or periodically with
minimal disk space overhead. Each individual virtual disk image or “TimeMark,”
is potentially stored on low-cost disks. The TimeMark represents only the
changes made to the primary disk and is only a small fraction of the primary
disk size. Should there be a need to retrieve a deleted file or “undo”
a data corruption, the IT manager can direct IPStor to recreate/restore the disk
instantly based any of the existing TimeMarks.

“The new TimeMark Option diminishes the lengthy restoration process an
IT administrator must go through for data corruption on the server due to
accidental or malicious deletions from human error or viruses,” said Jamie
Gruener, senior analyst, The Yankee Group. “FalconStor is one of the
frontrunners in the storage virtualization and data management space to recognize the need to make it easier
for enterprises to restore lost data quickly and efficiently with TimeMark’s
rollback capability.”