How low can your data go with virtual tape libraries?

Product Test and Buyer's Guide This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia Make the most of your mobile gear Download our Free Executive Guide and learn how Network IT professionals are getting the most out of their mobile devices and improving mobile security. You'll also get the scoop on upcoming mobile tools and technologies and how they may impact your enterprise. Product Test and Buyer's Guide, 06/05/07 How low can your data go with virtual tape libraries? By Logan Harbaugh Today's storage mechanisms are all about squeezing as much data into as little space as possible. Virtual tape library (VTL) software contributes to the space-saving cause by using hard-disk storage systems to emulate robotic tape libraries for the purpose of cutting down on using up precious storage real estate. Compare Products with Network World's VoIP and Convergence Buyer's Guide From deployable IP-PBX systems to unified messaging, Network World has detailed information on hundreds of products. Side-by-side comparisons along with objective test and review results make it quick and easy to find the solutions that are right for your enterprise. Click here to find out more. In this Clear Choice Test we set out to evaluate VTL systems that incorporate data deduplication (see primer) to further reduce the overall storage footprint while maintaining a high level of data maneuverability and overall system manageability. We invited all vendors who ship VTL software to participate, including Quantum, Avamar (now EMC), Copan, Data Domain, Diligent, FalconStor, Network Appliance and Sepaton. Quantum, with its DXi5500, and Data Domain, with its DD560, were willing and able to participate within our testing window. FalconStor's new product is in our lab now. We'll post those results online as soon as they are available. We used Symantec's BackupExec 11d running on a Windows 2003 server to back up 2TB of data from a 2Gbps Fibre Channel storage system to each device. We backed up the same data a second time, and ran a script that changed 1,361 files totaling just over 60GB worth of changes and ran a third backup process (see How we tested VTLs). Both appliances got equally high points for providing efficient compression and high data-throughput rates. While their performance indicates they should be able to support multiple simultaneous backup streams, we must caution that your mileage likely will vary depending on the type of data, its inherent compressibility and its susceptibility to deduplication. For more on this test, please click here.

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Contact the author: Harbaugh is a freelance writer and IT consultant in Redding, Calif. He can be reached at logan@lharba.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia Make the most of your mobile gear Download our Free Executive Guide and learn how Network IT professionals are getting the most out of their mobile devices and improving mobile security. You'll also get the scoop on upcoming mobile tools and technologies and how they may impact your enterprise. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007