Legato Systems Announces Strategic Partnerships with Mainframe Storage Management Providers; Introduces Industry's Most Comprehensive Set of Solutions for Backing Up Network-Based Data to Existing Mainframe Storage Systems

Business Wire, March 28, 1995

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 28, 1995--Legato Systems, Inc. today announced three partnerships that leverage high capacity storage systems running on a variety of mainframes in conjunction with Legato NetWorker. Through relationships with these partners, Legato Systems now provides the most comprehensive data protection solution for high end, enterprise-wide environments. Gilbert Wai, senior vice president of product development at Legato Systems, said, "We are pleased to be working with partners who already provide excellent storage management functionality for mainframes. These partnerships will enable Legato to support any data management need."

Under the agreement with BlueLine Software, the two companies will leverage their respective technologies to provide an enterprise-wide backup solution. Legato's NetWorker is a leading backup product that protects network data on PC and Unix networks. In mainframe environments, BlueLine Software's Vital Signs Backup will automatically move data from the Legato NetWorker storage management server to one or more mainframes or other large-scale data repositories, including DEC VAX systems or DEC clusters. In addition, the two companies will jointly market NetWorker and Vital Signs Backup, with each company drawing on the technical expertise of the other. Sales personnel from both organizations will share leads where the products provide the appropriate solution and will conduct joint sales presentations when such opportunities arise. "This agreement offers new opportunities to both organizations," said Bill Cecchi, BlueLine CEO. "BlueLine will benefit by offering a large-scale storage solution to environments with expanding data backup requirements and the need to move data to the larger repositories. Legato will be able to offer an enterprise-wide solution to its current customers and to other firms which require that solution."

Emprise Technologies and Legato Systems have been partners since 1993, when the two companies agreed to jointly provide a solution for protecting critical network data to what Emprise believes is the most established and reliable data repository available--the IBM MVS mainframe. Stage3 directly interfaces with Legato's NetWorker to provide data backup from Novell NetWare and SunOS servers to IBM MVS mainframes. Now network-based data can be stored on mainframe DASD, mainframe tape, or Automated Tape Libraries. Stage3 is developed by Emprise Technologies, marketed by Boole & Babbage Storage Division (software only), and OEM'd with the 9400 series of processors by Memorex Telex. Stage3 allows LAN administrators to leverage the policies, procedures, and 24-hour operation of centralized data centers, while maintaining the security and reliability of mainframe storage. "The tight integration of Stage3 with Legato NetWorker means that LAN administrators can now have the comfort of knowing their data is securely maintained by the storage management service of the IBM MVS data center while continuing to take advantage of the ease of use, concurrent device support, and automated scheduling that NetWorker provides," said Don Wardle, general manager of Boole & Babbage Storage Division.

Memorex Telex is a leading provider of automated tape libraries (ATLs) and enterprise network storage solutions. Their ATLs provide fault tolerant, high performance data management that is easily expanded to meet any capacity requirements. Memorex Telex has integrated Legato NetWorker with its intelligent Library Management Software which enables a single Memorex Telex ATL to be shared between all the systems in the enterprise, including mainframes, UNIX servers, AS/400s and LAN servers. This allows NetWorker users to take advantage of all the features and benefits of Memorex Telex libraries, such as shared library access, tape caching and high throughput backup performance. "This partnership supports our strategy to provide comprehensive storage solutions to our customers,"said Brad Sowers, vice president of worldwide marketing at Memorex Telex. "By combining Legato NetWorker with our ATLs, we bring glass house storage management to open systems environments."

Background on BlueLine Software

Since 1985, BlueLine Software products have provided businesses with solutions for networks and system performance management, operations management, and storage management. The company offers an integrated portfolio of more than 20 network and systems products and serves more than 3000 organizations in 35 countries worldwide. BlueLine's Network Vital Signs is a suite of network management products which complement a variety of network operating systems and network management frameworks. The suite consists of Vital Signs Backup, formerly marketed as HYPERtape, which provides enterprise-wide data backup and restore operations for medium- and large-scale computing environments. The network Vital Signs suite also includes Vital Signs VisionNet for integrated, multi-platform performance monitoring, Vital Signs LOCKout for network access identification and authentication, and Vital Signs Connect for LAN-to-host and LAN-to-LAN connectivity. BlueLine Software is an authorized IBM Business Partner, an IBM Authorized Application Specialist, and an authorized Novell Developer.