Windows IT Pro Storage UPDATE--Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support--February 5, 2007

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==== 1. Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support ====
by David Chernicoff, [email protected]

Microsoft formally began supporting iSCSI more than two years ago when it included iSCSI initiator support in Windows Server 2003. However, Microsoft didn't release its own version for the other half of the equation, iSCSI target software, until July 2006, when Microsoft released the iSCSI target technology it acquired from String Bean Software in early 2006. The target software, called Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, is available as the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target Application Pack and only through OEMs selling Windows Storage Server and Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003. By adding the iSCSI Software Target Software Application Pack to either of the Microsoft storage server offerings, a user could provide an end-to-end Microsoft solution for deploying an iSCSI-based storage network.

To view the rest of this article, click here:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=95100

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==== News from the Industry ====
by Blake Eno, [email protected]

The Year of Green Storage

If you work in a data center, you're probably familiar with green storage: environmentally friendly storage, which uses less power and physical space than traditional storage. Gartner predicts green storage as the most highly hyped data storage trend for 2007. I talked to Pillar Data Systems' Russ Kennedy, senior director of marketing and strategy, and Chris Drago, director of worldwide PR, to learn more about why it's important for companies to start thinking about green storage.

Drago and Kennedy provided some astonishing statistics. In 2005, Gartner reported that $6 billion was spent powering data centers in the United States alone. Gartner also predicts that by the end of 2008, nearly 50 percent of data centers worldwide won't have sufficient power and cooling to support high-density equipment.

Kennedy and Drago stressed that companies need to more efficiently use their storage if they plan to continue operating successfully in the future. This means that companies will need to have flexible storage platforms and consolidate multiple storage platforms. "The proliferation of different boxes can't continue," says Kennedy. Related to consolidation are physical space limitations, which Pillar Data Systems asserts is one of the largest challenges facing IT professionals today, especially in densely populated regions. Insofar as companies' growing space needs and use of Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) storage tiers increase power consumption, these factors also drive the green storage movement.

Kennnedy and Drago's goal is to make green storage as simple as possible and to help users understand what efficiency is all about. For Pillar Data Systems, attaining this goal means maximizing application performance and data capacity with the most efficient use of floor space and power consumption. To determine the efficiency of Pillar Data Systems' storage products, the company uses the efficient quotient (EQ): capacity (GB) x performance (I/O operations per second--IOPS) / power (watts) x space (square meters). When Pillar Data Systems ran its EQ against some of its competitors' products, Pillar found that the EQ for its products was nearly twice as large as that of its competitors, meaning that Pillar Data Systems products had a high performance and capacity while consuming the lowest levels of energy and space. Pillar products' relatively high EQ stems largely from its ability to consolidate multiple applications and tiers of storage onto one platform. Additionally, the company is able to deliver multiple storage technologies such as Fibre Channel and Serial ATA (SATA) on one platform. Going forward, be sure to think about green storage, and talk with your vendors to help you determine how efficient your storage really is.

Is storage efficiency a concern in your organization? Does your company plan to address this issue in the next couple of years? Tell us your thoughts at http://forums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=46&threadid=83847&enterthread=y .

==== New and Improved ====
by Blake Eno, [email protected]

Disk Cartridges Designed for SMBs

ProStor Systems announced the addition of a 160GB capacity to its product line of RDX removable disk cartridges, which operate like traditional tape drives but provide the functionality and performance of disk-to-disk systems. This new capacity means that RDX is now offered in native 40GB, 80GB, 120GB, and now 160GB capacities, providing small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) a choice of cartridges and backup options for their servers and workstations. The RDX 160GB capacity, like the other capacities, is fully forward and backward compatible with all RDX drives. For more information, contact ProStor Systems at 303-545-2535 or visit the company on the Web at:
http://www.prostorsystems.com

Recover an Entire Server: OS, Applications, and Data

Double-Take Software announced two new products to address disaster recovery challenges. The first product, Double-Take Server Recovery Option, lets customers restore entire servers, including the OS, applications, and data as well as restore to servers with different hardware configurations. The second product, Double-Take ShadowCaster for Small Business Server, provides whole-server replication and failover between a Windows Small Business Server (SBS) box and a standby system. For more information, contact Double-Take Software at 317-598-0185 or 888-674-9495, or visit the company on the Web at:
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