Software Management Melange

If you're expecting a storage management revolution, don't hold your breath. A slew of storage and data management software releases at Storage Networking World focused on more mundane aspects of storage, such as supporting broader platforms, operating systems, and storage media.

Tiered storage, including support for cheaper media such as SATA, was also a theme. Another requirement addressed by new product releases is adherence to new federal regulations that require data to be kept longer.

Announcements included new products and upgrades from Advanced Digital Information Corp. (Nasdaq: ADIC), Computer Network Technology Corp. (CNT) (Nasdaq: CMNT), Legato Software Systems Inc., and Atempo Inc.

ADICs new version of its StorNext Management Suite (SNMS) makes it easier to migrate data between high-performance RAID arrays and less expensive SATA drives. ADIC also added 64-bit Red Hat Inc. (Nasdaq: RHAT) Linux on Intel Itanium to the OS platforms it supports, and automatically replicates data to WORM (write-once, ready many) tape [ed. note: great acronym, folks!]. The upgrade reflects ADIC’s attempt to break out of the vertical markets its software has been limited to so far (see ADIC Banks on Disk).

Reflecting a new partnership with IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM), CNT released a suite of services software to provide better support for Tivoli Storage Manager (see CNT Enhances Tivoli Management). The new offerings include tools to help measure and analyze the data that needs to be backed up by TSM. CNT last month revealed IBM has contracted to buy $15 million worth of its products and services over five years (see CNT Earnings Surprise).While CNT moves closer to its partner IBM, Legato is increasing integration with its parent EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) (see Legato Expands EMC Support and EMC Gobbles Legato). Legato’s NetWorker backup-and-recovery software now manages snapshots from EMC Symmetrix DMX and Clariion CX SAN systems. This fixes an embarrassing hole in Legato support, which already included snapshot support for EMC competitors IBM, Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), and Storage Technology Corp. (StorageTek) (NYSE: STK). Legato also integrated support for EMC SRDF/asynchronous, long-distance replication software [ed. note: EMCSRDFLDRS?] into its Automated Availability Manager.

Legato broadened support for other platforms, too. Its ArchiveXtender email archive software now runs on Windows Server 2003 and allows customers to write and read data on new high-density optical drives from Plasmon plc and Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE).

French import Atempo Inc. added a storage assessment service to its product line, which previously consisted only of Time Navigator replication software (see Atempo Offers Storage Assessor and Atempo Asks America to Say Oui). Its Storage Assessor takes inventory of a storage network’s capacity utilization, as well as the hardware, fabric, and types of files running on the storage network. The assessment is supposed to help companies archive policies and form strategies for backing up to disk or disk-to-disk-to-tape.

ADIC and Legato put “ILM” tags on their new releases because they focus on migrating data to different types of media over time. But even ADIC software VP Bill Yaman admits ILM is merely a new term for an old process.

“There’s been a lot of talk in the last year about ILM, but data retention and management has been a problem in vertical markets for the last five to 10 years,” Yaman says. “We live in the age of the digital pack rat. Because of paranoia, people don’t throw anything away any more.”— Dave Raffo, Senior Editor, Byte and Switch