Tek-Tools Unites Competing Storage & Networking Technologies At Networld+Interop Las Vegas 2001

Business Wire, May 1, 2001

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

Networld Interop:

Tek-Tools Booth No.7824

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2001

XML-Based Application Consolidates SNMP,

CIM, Fibre Channel and iSCSI Data

Tek-Tools, Inc., an innovative provider of extensible XML-based software solutions, will demonstrate new multi-technology management capabilities for networked storage systems at Networld Interop Las Vegas 2001, the leading networking, Internet and telecommunications event taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center May 6-11, 2001. The Tek-Tools application will use XML and Java-based facilities to consolidate disparate management data from a mix of protocols and topologies typically found in storage networking environments.

"Wading through the morass of competing storage networking technologies can be a brutal experience for many companies," said Jon William Toigo, independent consultant and author of The Holy Grail of Data Storage Management (Prentice Hall PTR: 2000.) "While it isn't clear which of the current protocols and topologies will dominate in the future, it is critically important for companies to establish the strategic management capabilities today that will support both the networked and server-attached storage platforms that they will deploy in the future. The key issue businesses confront is cost of ownership in storage. To control costs as storage platforms evolve requires best-of-breed management processes and products like those demonstrated by Tek-Tools which are capable of supporting tomorrow's multi-protocol, multi-topology and multi-vendor storage environments."

Tek-Tools' goal is to deliver vendor-neutral management solutions that will enable customers to more easily migrate to new storage networking technologies, regardless of protocols and topologies deployed. The Tek-Tools demonstration at Networld Interop will capture management data from direct attached storage (UNIX servers), network attached storage (NAS) hardware, fibre channel switches and other storage area network (SAN) subsystems, iSCSI routers, and automated tape libraries.

The raw data exists in various formats including proprietary Web pages, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents, and Common Information Model (CIM) providers resident in the storage and network equipment from participating vendors. The Tek-Tools application will consolidate this data and present it an easily understood format on a single, concise, Web-accessible display. The data includes device status, capacity data, and asset information describing device characteristics.

"Effective storage management is a top priority for any organization that is serious about solving business problems," said Derek Gamradt, Chief Technology Officer for StorNet, Inc., a leading nationwide provider of networked storage services. "Tek-Tools is taking a pragmatic, business-oriented approach by insulating end-users from differences in underlying technologies to provide a cohesive, management view of critical storage resources."

SNMP is a standard defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). CIM is a data model specification defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF.) The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is supporting both xml/CIM and SNMP- based technologies to promote interoperable management solutions in storage networking. Tek-Tools is a member of the SNIA and has been working with other member companies of the SNIA Interoperability Committee to promote manageability of storage networking solutions. Additional information is available at the SNIA booth No.7619 at Networld Interop.

About Tek-Tools

Tek-Tools, Inc. is an innovative provider of XML-based software solutions for multivendor environments. Tek-Tools possesses expertise in critical areas including Java, XML, CIM, SNMP, and reporting. Tek-Tools' mission is to address "where storage and networking meet(TM)" by delivering easy-to-use, quality products that provide organizations with tangible economic return. Headquarters are located at 4319 Alpha Road, in Dallas, Texas 75244; (972) 980-2890. The Web site is at www.tek-tools.com.

"Where Storage and Networking Meet(TM)" is a trademark of Tek-Tools, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks in this document are the properties of their respective owners