aohell you say? actually, i was thinking it'd be a good time to add should it fall sub-c-note.
on topic ...
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Workstation Solutions and Network Appliance Announce Quick Restore 2.5, an NDMP-Based Backup and Recovery Solution for NetApp Filers, UNIX and Windows NT June 10, 1999 09:04 AM
Amherst, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 1999 -- Windows NT Media Server Feature Allows Backup and Recovery to a Remote Windows NT Server with Local Backup Device
Workstation Solutions, supplier of Quick Restore, the flexible and easy to use backup and recovery solution, and Network Appliance (NTAP), a leader in enterprise data management, today announced Quick Restore support for Network Appliance file servers or "filers."
Quick Restore 2.5 can now backup and recover NetApp(R) filer data to locally attached tape drives or robotic tape libraries, or to devices attached to a remote NetApp filer.
Quick Restore 2.5 uses the Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP), a standard endorsed by backup vendors, tape library companies and file server manufacturers, to move backup data from a NetApp filer to a locally attached peripheral without sending the data over the network.
Because filers can store from hundreds of gigabytes to multiple terabytes of data, local backup drastically reduces network traffic. Also new with Quick Restore 2.5 is Windows NT(R) media server, which enables UNIX(R) and Windows NT clients to be backed up to a remote Windows NT server with a locally attached tape device.
"The combination of Quick Restore's extensive platform support and our market-proven, high performance WAFL(TM) file system provides an extremely flexible environment for storing and managing data," said Mike Marchi, director of enterprise marketing for Network Appliance.
"Data on NetApp filers can be shared by UNIX and Windows NT applications while Quick Restore provides all backup and recovery services, easily administered from a central UNIX-based host."
Quick Restore's unprecedented level of flexibility in heterogeneous environments preserves customers' investments in tape devices and provides freedom in designing flexible backup strategies.
In addition to local backup, Quick Restore can backup data remotely -- from one NetApp filer to a device attached to a remote NetApp filer. Quick Restore can also backup UNIX and Windows NT clients to a tape device attached to a remote NetApp filer. These configurations allow sharing of large, expensive tape libraries in mixed UNIX and Windows NT environments.
The new Windows NT media server support allows centralized administration of distributed Windows NT servers with local backup devices. Backing up a Windows NT server to a local device preserves network resources because data does not travel over the network.
Media servers enhance Quick Restore's robust Windows NT implementation, which handles all Windows NT data and meta-data such as NTFS, FAT and CDFS file systems (including registry and event files); NTFS security data; alternate data streams and Unicode file names.
"Workstation Solutions has a tradition of delivering new, practical, real-world features in Quick Restore while preserving its ease of installation, configuration and use," said Jim Ward, President of Workstation Solutions.
"With Quick Restore 2.5, we added two popular servers -- Network Appliance filers and Windows NT media server -- and extended traditional features such as centralized administration, easy-to-use scheduling and ultra-fast restore performance to these servers."
Quick Restore employs a unique-to-the-industry device interface that leverages maximum performance and functionality from leading tape drives and tape libraries. By porting this unified device interface to NDMP, Workstation Solutions offers the following benefits to Network Appliance customers:
-- Industry-leading restore performance using a hardware feature called direct-to-block positioning. When recovering a file, Quick Restore positions the backup tape to the file's location instead of searching the tape sequentially. -- Error detection, reporting and recovery, allowing for accurate diagnosis of device problems. -- Broad support of popular tape drives and tape libraries from Exabyte, HP, ATL, StorageTek, Quantum, Breece Hill and Qualstar.
Also new with Quick Restore 2.5 is free Linux support providing users with backup services for this rapidly growing freeware, open-source operating system. Quick Restore's extensive platform support now includes over 13 UNIX systems and Windows NT. Quick Restore 2.5 also adds support for new Exabyte and HP tape drives and robots to its extensive list of supported devices.
Availability
Quick Restore 2.5 will be available in July 1999. For additional information on all Workstation Solutions products, please contact Workstation Solutions sales at 800/487-0080 or 603/672-8600, via email at sales@worksta.com, or visit worksta.com.
About Workstation Solutions, Inc.
Workstation Solutions offers complete solutions for data backup and restoration -- delivering enterprise backup and recovery software, distributing and maintaining industry-leading storage devices and providing unparalleled customer support.
Quick Restore enables system and network administrators to automatically perform backup and restore functions for heterogeneous networks of Windows NT, UNIX and Network Appliance systems that include Intel, SUN, HP, IBM, Digital, Silicon Graphics and NCR, as well as popular media formats including 4mm, 8mm, DLT and robotic media handlers.
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Amherst, N.H., Workstation Solutions sells its technology to Fortune 1000 companies, federal agencies, local and state governments and Department of Defense contractors. The company's extensive customer base includes Intel, Motorola, Boeing and NASA. Workstation Solutions products are used daily to backup and restore billions of dollars worth of mission-critical data worldwide. |