"With today`s shrinking backup windows and the explosion of mission-critical data, IT professionals demand solutions that improve performance without sacrificing reliability," says Nick van Noordwyk, regional manager for MEA at Seagate Software, Network and Storage Management Group. "Seagate RAIDirector not only increases the reliability and fault tolerance of existing hardware, but also shrinks backup windows by increasing throughput."
Seagate RAIDirector creates a tape-drive based RAID storage subsystem by logically linking multiple independent SCSI tape drives into an array. This array appears as a single logical device to Seagate Backup Exec for Windows NT with several times the capacity, performance and fault tolerance of a single tape drive. The result is superior data throughput with data concurrently streaming across multiple tape drives.
Seagate RAIDirector provides striping, mirroring and striping with parity. Striping (RAID level 0) maximises backup performance by simultaneously striping data across multiple standalone drives. Mirroring (RAID level 1) provides maximum fault tolerance by creating multiple media sets for each backup job.
Striping with a dedicated parity drive (RAID level 3) combines high performance with fault tolerance. If any tape drive fails during the backup, Seagate RAIDirector can successfully complete the job and fully reconstruct the failed piece of media using the parity information.
In addition, RAID stacking capabilities allow users to layer RAID levels to achieve advanced configurations. For example, RAID level 1 combined with RAID level 3 produces a mirror of the striped parity media set.
In addition, Seagate RAIDirector also features several other key benefits. These include:
- Graphical management console - provides real-time monitoring and wizard-like RAID configuration for complete administrator control;
- Media utilities - perform off-line copy, compare, erase and eject operations (for either tape RAID arrays or standalone tape drives) as well as reconstruct operations for failed RAID media;
- Media spanning - allows a large backup job to span multiple sets of media on the tape RAID array;
- Uses existing tape drives - supports popular DLT, DAT and 8mm devices;
- Scalability - handles up to eight data drives per array with 64 drives per server; and
- Highly efficient driver-level implementation - requires only minimal system resources while providing maximum performance and fault tolerance.
Seagate RAIDirector is part of a broad family of Seagate Software Enterprise Information Management (EIM) solutions designed to improve Information Availability (IA). The solution supports Seagate Software`s IA strategy to provide a combination of solutions for superior data protection, data availability, centralised resource management and proactive policy management.
For more information about Seagate Software, network and storage management solutions, contact the local office on (011) 448 2080.
About Seagate Software
Seagate Software, a subsidiary of Seagate Technology, Inc., develops tools and applications for Enterprise Information Management (EIM); the solution for the growing need of corporations for superior information delivery, analysis and availability. Seagate Software`s diverse technology and breadth of leading products -- including the award-winning Seagate Backup Exec, Seagate Crystal Info, Seagate Crystal Reports, Seagate Desktop Management Suite, Seagate Holos and Seagate WinINSTALL -- make it uniquely qualified to deliver EIM with an integrated infrastructure. Seagate Software has established strategic relationships with Compaq, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Informix, Microsoft, Netscape, Novell, Oracle, PeopleSoft and other industry leaders, and markets its products worldwide, through distributors, value-added resellers, systems integrators, retailers, and OEMs. Seagate Software`s home page address on the World Wide Web is http://www.seagatesoftware.com.
Seagate Technology, Inc. (NYSE:SEG) is a leading provider of technology and products enabling people to store, access, and manage information. The Company is committed to providing best-in-class products to help people get information when, where and how they want it. Seagate is the world`s largest manufacturer of disc drives, magnetic discs and read-write heads, an innovator in tape drives, and a leading developer of Enterprise Information Management software. Seagate can be found around the globe and on the World Wide Web at http://www.seagate.com. For automated news, stock and financial information by phone, dial toll-free 877-SEG-NYSE. Outside the U.S. and Canada, dial 760-704-4368.
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