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Windows IT Pro Storage UPDATE--Disk-Based Backup and Compliance--March 14, 2005

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1. Commentary
- Disk-Based Backup Well-Suited to Compliance

2. From the Community
- IT Pro Seeks Automated Client Backup Solution

3. New and Improved
- EMC Unveils Networked Storage and SMB-Oriented Strategy
- Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt!

==== Sponsor: VERITAS Software ====

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==== 1. Commentary: Disk-Based Backup Well-Suited to Compliance ====
by David Chernicoff, [email protected]

I've been writing lot lately about the various storage issues that deal with regulatory compliance. For the most part, the strategies for dealing with regulatory issues are focused on tape-backup technologies, especially write once, read many (WORM) and DLTIce tape technologies. What hasn't gotten as much attention are strategies that use live disk backups, rather than disk-to-tape.

Tape has taken center stage in the compliance-technology discussion because tape vendors have concentrated on enabling their products to create tape backups that can't be modified--only appended to--which addresses some regulatory compliance requirements.

However, the disk-to-disk backup-technology market also meshes with the requirements, especially those that mandate that specific records be easily available throughout large parts of the storage lifecycle. Disk-to-disk backup solutions can easily be integrated in end-to-end storage/backup solutions. Such solutions are available in a wide selection of offerings: everything from services, whereby vendors offer the application service provider (ASP) model with real-time backup performed over an Internet connection, to appliance-based solutions that offer plug-and-play capabilities into the existing network infrastructure.

Disk-based backup solutions are available as hardware packages with software components from vendors such as Quantum ( http://www.quantum.com/am/products/eb/default.htm ) as part of the vendor's Enhanced Backup Systems offering. Designed to emulate a tape library, Quantum's solution gives the backup process the higher performance of direct disk-to-disk backup and is pitched as part of a complete disk/tape backup system. Overland Storage ( http://www.overlandstorage.com/disk.html ) also offers an assortment of disk-to-disk backup products, ranging from a plug-and-play drop-in system for small offices or branch offices to full-blown solutions that provide close to 10TB of online storage and support for Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel, making them applicable backup solutions in the Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN) space.

LiveVault ( http://www.livevault.com ) offers an interesting automated end-to-end backup and recovery solution that makes use of an onsite appliance and Internet-based backup. The combination lets LiveVault offer a product that provides automatic backup, quick data restoration, and the security of offsite backup as a single service offering. The LiveVault service provides centralized management of backups across the corporate enterprise without requiring a dedicated backup staff. The LiveVault option deserves some serious ROI analysis to determine whether your company needs to provide backup across multiple offices and is large enough to make the initial investment in its products. Even a single-site business can benefit from the offsite storage of backup data that LiveVault offers, although your organization should carefully evaluate the vendor's service offering to determine whether it fits in your specific business model.

Last, but not least, Microsoft has entered the disk-based backup marketplace by announcing Data Protection Server (DPS), a disk-based backup and recovery product that will be available in the second half of this year. You can find more information about DPS in the Windows IT Pro article "What's Data Protection Server?" at http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=45248 and at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/dps/evaluation/default.mspx .

On a slightly different note, LiveVault is really reaching out to the management or C-level executive who was old enough to enjoy the Monty Python invasion of the 1970s with a very Python-esque marketing video starring John Cleese. You can find the video on LiveVault's website or at http://www.backuptrauma.com . Using the image of a medical institute that deals with the victims of backup trauma, Mr. Cleese works hard to remind us of a Monty Python skit, even down to the Python-style animations. I'm not sure that the video will convince anyone to evaluate the LiveVault offering, but it was an entertaining diversion for an old Monty Python fan.

Security Chat: Demystifying the Security Event Log

Randy Franklin Smith is one of the foremost authorities on the Windows Security Event Log and a respected trainer who teaches Monterey Technology Group's "Security Log Secrets" course. In his article in the March issue of Windows IT Pro, Randy shines a light on this dark and mysterious corner of cryptic event IDs and codes and inaccurate Microsoft documentation. Here's your chance to ask Randy your questions about the Event Log and get answers Microsoft doesn't provide.
Join the chat on March 16 at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST. For details, visit http://www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx#050316_TN_SecEv

==== Sponsor: EMC Dantz ====

Learn how small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and distributed enterprises can optimize disk-based backup! Storage industry experts have identified backup and recovery as a major area of concern for SMBs and distributed enterprises. EMC Dantz, the maker of award-winning Retrospect backup and recovery software, is offering a free white paper describing how combining disk-based backups with automated backup technology can deliver easy-to-manage backups, fast restores, and simplified creation and tracking of tape for offsite media rotation. Download the white paper today!
http://www.emcdantz.com/docs/wp_odbb_winitpro.pdf

==== 2. From the Community ====

IT Pro Seeks Automated Client Backup Solution

Forum participant "asoit" is looking for low-cost backup solution that can automatically log in and perform a backup routine on several hundred clients after business hours. If you can help, join the discussion at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=46&threadid=130640

==== 3. New and Improved ====
by Anne Grubb, [email protected]

EMC Unveils Networked Storage and SMB-Oriented Strategy

EMC introduced new versions of its EMC CLARiiON networked storage systems that provide native Internet SCSI (iSCSI) support, including the new CLARiiON AX100i, CLARiiON CX300i, and CLARiiON CX500i models. The new CLARiiON iSCSI systems let customers deploy lower-cost Storage Area Networks (SANs) by using their existing IP network infrastructures. The CLARiiON AX100i uses inexpensive Serial ATA (SATA) disks, and the CLARiiON CX300i and CX500i systems let customers mix Fibre Channel with parallel and SATA disks to create tiered storage within a single system.

EMC also announced a new strategy called Making Storage Simple, which the vendor says will simplify how mid-sized enterprises and small-to-midsized business (SMBs) acquire, deploy, and manage information. As part of this strategy, EMC is offering a series of EMC Express Solutions, turnkey storage solutions in areas such as networked storage, backup and recovery, archiving, and business protection. For more information about these offerings, contact EMC on the Web.
http://www.emc.com

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