EMC Corporation has announced new features for its EMC Data Manager (EDM) centralised enterprise backup solution that enables high-speed, non-disruptive tape backups of very large databases and enterprise applications to be performed directly from Symmetrix Enterprise Storage systems. This off-loads those tasks from network and database servers while also enabling simultaneous automated backup of Windows NT, UNIX, NetWare and OS/2 servers. Through these new features, Oracle customers using EMC Enterprise Storage can virtually eliminate backup windows by automatically backing up data warehouses, very large databases and enterprise applications, such as SAP, to tape at hundreds of gigabytes an hour. EDM is a centralised, high-speed, high-capacity, open systems backup and media management solution consisting of EMC client/server software, a CPU platform, and an automated tape library in addition to proactive 7x24 service. New Features and Functions Among the new features and functions available in this latest version: * Fibre Channel Support: Fibre Channel connectivity between Symmetrix Enterprise Storage systems and EDM allows for greater performance and distances between systems, optimising the connectivity and enabling it to directly attach to systems located further away. * Expanded platform support for Symmetrix connectivity: Online backup of Oracle databases through EDM Symmetrix connectivity is now supported on IBM AIX in addition to HP-UX and Sun Solaris. Online backup directly from Symmetrix off-loads the task from database servers and frees networks from heavy backup-related data movement. * Oracle8 support: EDM provides network-based backup of Oracle`s newest database, Oracle8, with support for Oracle`s Recovery Manager. * EMC TimeFinder and SRDF Integration: EDM, used in conjunction with EMC TimeFinder and/or Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF), virtually eliminates backup windows and provides the highest levels of business continuance and disaster recovery capabilities by enabling automatic, non-disruptive, point-in-time backups of production data. * Expanded "phone home" capabilities: EMC has expanded the number of processes self-monitored by EDM as part of this feature. Suspect activity is proactively detected and automatically reported to EMC`s Worldwide Customer Support Centre for corrective action and customer notification. Since most backup operations are "lights out" and scheduled at night, this valuable feature ensures that backups are completed in the allocated time frame. "Our customers have some of the world`s largest enterprise application databases and can not risk compromising or losing access to that information when the bottom line depends on it," said Bill Prange, Vice President of Technical Infrastructure Services at Origin Technology, the world`s seventh largest system integrator. "EDM is an integral part of our enterprise storage strategy and ensures that our customer`s databases stay operational even as information protection processes, such as backups, occur." Survey Reveals Backup Issues A recent survey of 300 U.S. IS managers conducted by Find/SVP on behalf of EMC revealed that point-in-time backups are the number one cause of scheduled downtime. Planned downtime of more than three hours per month was reported by 43% of the respondents. Close to half cited the need to have information available and online during backups. John Young, Vice President of Enterprise Systems Planning at The Clipper Group, said, "Enterprise requirements for uninterrupted access to client/server applications and an increasing volume of distributed data are reducing, if not eliminating, the windows for performing data backup. Increased automation is essential for achieving timely backup of data scattered across network servers. EMC Data Manager addresses this problem by integrating new software functions with Symmetrix, bringing enterprise-wide backup policies to networked open servers as well as to centralised servers." Robert Dutkowsky, Executive Vice President of Markets and Channels at EMC, said, "EDM allows us to help our customers protect and manage their Symmetrix-based information. It offers a great deal of flexibility in selecting the information protection procedure that is right for the enterprise. From online backup of high-end open systems applications to high-speed `lights out` network-based backup of distributed servers, EDM, as part of EMC Enterprise Storage, ensures that their information is properly protected."
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