Computer Associates Debuts Windows Backup update from January 2004

Computer Associates on Monday shipped an updated version of its BrightStor ARCserve Backup that adds support for Microsoft's Windows Server 2003.

Targeting all three prime storage environments -- direct attached storage (DAS), network attached storage (NAS), and storage area network (SAN) -- BrightStor ARCserve Backup r11 for Windows features a new 'pre-flight check' tool that alerts administrators of any possible problems with the night's backup chores before they leave the data center.

It also supports Windows Server 2003's new Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to create 'snap-shot' copies of open volumes and applications to guarantee up-to-the-minute backups without interrupting the flow of data.

Other features new to the backup package include support for WORM (write once read many) devices; a Microsoft Exchange agent that allows for message-level, mailbox-level, and database-level backup and restore; and integration with CA's BrightStor ARCserve Backup for Laptops & Desktops r11, the company's portable and workstation backup software.

Pricing starts at $775. CA is also offering a $995 version designed for Microsoft's Small Business Server that includes backup and restore agents for Exchange, SQL Server, and Windows workstations.