Interviews

posted on 20 June 2008 15:14

The rise of disk-to-disk (D2D) backup and virtual tape libraries (VTL) is causing an increase in the need for high availability arrangements.

Quantum's Northern Europe sales director, Steve Mackey, suggests that this is because the D2D and VTL systems are being inceasingly used, as intended, for fast restores and IT directors don't want the restore's interrupted by a system failing. So they'll institute high-availability measures for these systems.

Responding to this Quantum is going to add high-availability features to its newly-announced DXI7500 deduplicating D2D system. (This uses the software licensed by EMC for its deduplicating DL3D products.)

It's also going to add iSCSI access to the DXI7500, complementing the existing NAS (network-attached storage), Fibre Channel and VTL interface methods.

Open Storage API

Commenting on Symantec's Open Storage API he said that the NetBackup v6.5 direct-to-tape feature was not part of the Open Storage API.

The API covers things like telling a disk-based backup device fed data by NetBackup to replicate the data to another device for DR purposes. But you might expect Symantec to have a single API that covers both telling the disk backup taget to write to physical tape and to replicate its data to another disk backup system. Perhaps the two functions will come together in the Open Storage API in the future.

StorNext

Asking about the possibility of Quantum producing a general nearline storage product, similar to Overland Storage's ULTAMUS RAID product, Mackey indicated not. My feeling is that Quantum thinks the world doesn't need another nearline storage product. Anyway, Quantum does have a product in this space; its StorNext software which handles the storage of data in a multi-tiered environment and moves it from tier to tier as its access value changes.

StorNext has Quantum's deduplication technology included with it - I hadn't realized that. Symantec has certified StorNext with Enterprise Vault. Mackey said it is a great underlying engine for data management across different tiers. StorNext could be a sleeper of a product.

Spin-down and business up

Asked about spin-down of disks Mackey said, as a general observation: "No doubt, it will become a feature which you will see in a lot of products."

Nothing specific then. But we might conclude that Quantum is favourably disposed towards spin down. It also seems to be doing well with a new Fenchurch Street office and demonstration facility being opened up in London (England) where people will be able to see the DXI7500 and its policy-driven dedupe engine in action.

^{[Chris Mellor.]}