Veritas Software and Microsoft ensure ASPs deliver on service requirements

An Application Service Provider`s (ASP`s) success hinges on a continuously available environment that delivers solutions to customers in a reliable and timely manner. For these service requirements to be met, Veritas Software offers a variety of storage and back-up solutions integrated with Microsoft technology, to ensure that ASPs are able to deliver business-critical information and software on a 24 X 7 X forever basis.

"One of the main technology challenges for ASPs is data availability and the effective management thereof," says Mike Rees, business development manager for Veritas Software. "In the ASP space, the technology utilised is not merely a supporting function - it is the core business. Together with Microsoft, our solutions address ASP uptime, recoverability and reliability requirements, ensuring business without interruption for their customers."

Rees explains that traditional disk storage management is not a suitable solution for ASPs as it is a labour-intensive process, often requiring that servers be taken offline for a number of hours. "Approximately 30 percent of network downtime is planned and this is largely because the system is unable to permit online administration and maintenance," he says. "With the correct Microsoft-based solution, this need not be the case. For example, Veritas Volume Manager and Storage Replicator for Microsoft Windows NT allow for the upgrading of networks in real-time, enabling replication services such as data backups, without affecting network performance. By creating virtual storage devices from the physical disks, Volume Manager removes the physical limitations of disk storage so that ASPs can configure, share and manage the storage of data for optimal results. Our Microsoft-based software allows for easy scalability, such as adding additional disk space `on the fly`, without having to shut the system down."

Microsoft and Veritas have been working together on storage solutions for their customers since 1991. Internationally, Microsoft selected Veritas Software to develop the disk management module for its operating platform. The tape format that Microsoft Windows NT/2000 supports, is the same used by Veritas Backup Exec, making it the only fully certified Windows 2000 backup solution endorsed by Microsoft. "This experience has given us an understanding and insight into the Microsoft technology, allowing us to develop better solutions for our customers," Rees adds.

The Veritas Backup Exec solution offers reliable Windows NT data protection and supports standard files, as well as Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Microsoft SQL Server 7, Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Microsoft Exchange 5.5 data. It is specifically designed for complex messaging and transaction-intensive databases that are typical in an ASP environment, including options for storage management and intelligent disaster recovery that can be installed from any centralised backup server.

Recent research by BMI-T has shown that the storage market is set to grow between 100 and 400 percent worldwide every year and will continue to increase, due to the growth of the hosting environment where data availability is a necessity. "40 percent of network downtime can be attributed to human and software errors, some as simple as a database running out of disk space, stopping operations as a result. Many ASPs currently utilise clustering to satisfy their availability requirements, but this only addresses the hardware aspect of data availability," comments Rees. "By utilising Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS), together with our front-end solution, ClusterX, ASPs can add management functionality that increases availability, lowers total cost of ownership of Microsoft Windows NT server clusters and delivers extended functionality, such as load balancing and disaster recovery."

"The ASP market has demonstrated sizeable growth both locally and internationally and the number of organisations competing in this space has increased. There is a continuous threat to ASPs that should they not deliver on their service requirements, their competitors are merely a mouse click away," says Cyril Belikoff, network solutions group manager at Microsoft South Africa. "Microsoft is working together with partners such as Veritas Software, to ensure that ASPs act quickly, deliver business-critical information and maintain their competitive edge."