Snap Appliance Launches Cost-Effective Data Replication Solution for Advanced Data Protection and Disaster Recovery

Business Wire, August 2, 2004

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Server-to-Server Synchronization v2 Provides Full-Service Data Protection for Distributed Enterprises with Bi-directional Data Replication, Encryption, and WAN Bandwidth Optimization

Snap Appliance(TM), the network storage division of Adaptec, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADPT), today announced a powerful new software application for its GuardianOS-powered departmental and enterprise Snap Servers called Server-to-Server (S2S) Synchronization v2. A full-featured data replication and distribution solution, S2S v2 is an affordable and easy-to-use solution for synchronizing data between Snap Servers across a distributed network.

S2S v2 is an asynchronous, byte-level replication application that can transmit data or files in a one-to-many, many-to-many, or many-to-one fashion over a Wide Area Network (WAN). The byte level replication functionality improves performance and reduces the amount of data being sent over the network by copying only the changed bytes of large files, not the entire file, keeping network resources available for increased productivity. S2S efficiently and cost-effectively synchronizes data between Snap Servers and, before the end of the year, any Windows, Unix, or Linux application server in the enterprise.

"Snap Appliance's new S2S v2 fills an important gap in midrange data replication," said Bill North, director of storage software research at IDC. "Storage replication is a key element of a comprehensive data protection strategy, and to date there haven't been a lot of solutions for systems tailored to the midrange enterprise. I am pleased to see that Snap is planning support for non-Snap application servers too. Many enterprises have unprotected application servers and now with S2S, the data on these systems can also be protected."

"S2S v2 is a product that our distributed enterprise customers have been asking for to help them easily and cost-effectively protect their business data," said Mark Pollard, vice president of marketing of the Snap Appliance division of Adaptec. "Tape-based products are difficult to implement and existing disk alternatives are too expensive for the majority of SMBs or midrange enterprises. S2S delivers a simple, affordable, advanced server synchronization and replication solution that is ideal for nearline backup of server data, remote office backup and recovery, as well as data distribution and centralization between local and remote offices."

Features and Benefits of S2S v2

--Designed for Dynamic Business Environments -- S2S is completely bi-directional, allowing a system to be both a target server and a source server simultaneously, providing the ultimate flexibility needed to meet today's dynamic business requirements. Flexible, up-to-the-minute scheduling allows any level and frequency of data protection to be achieved. Replication jobs can be customized to include or exclude shares, directories, or files, depending on business requirements and available bandwidth. If a file happens to be open during a replication job, S2S provides uninterrupted user access to the data.

--Bandwidth Optimization -- S2S v2 is intelligent and when a file is changed, only the changed bytes are replicated to the target system, not the entire file. Additionally, S2S users can leverage bandwidth throttling to specify the maximum amount of network bandwidth assigned to the replication function. Business-critical applications continue to operate at the capacity needed. Optional compression further aids efficient data transmission over the WAN.

--Data Protection Made Easy -- S2S has a browser-based management console that is integrated with Snap Servers and included with the GuardianOS unified software platform. Users can remotely monitor and manage replication jobs from anywhere on the network. S2S runs directly on Snap Servers, so no additional software or hardware is needed. Email alerts can be set up to proactively monitor jobs in progress, successful completions, and failures.

--Data Integrity and Availability -- The replication data stream can be encrypted by the source server before being sent over the LAN or WAN. Snapshots can be replicated to further enhance data availability.

Pricing and Availability

S2S Synchronization v2 will be available this week via the Snap Appliance web store at www.snapappliance.com. A free, 45-day trial version comes with the new GuardianOS v3.1 release (also announced today). Manufacturer's Suggested List Price (MSRP) for a S2S license is $699 for a Snap Server 4200, 4400 or 4500, while MSRP for a Snap Server 14000, 15000, or 18000 (also announced today) is $1,299. Software maintenance is available for an additional fee. S2S v2 will support SnapOS-based Snap Servers and Windows, Linux, and Unix application servers later in 2004. Please note that all capacities described in this announcement are native capacities.

About Snap Appliance

Snap Appliance is a leader in distributed data management solutions and the worldwide volume leader in network attached storage (NAS) solutions(1). With the industry's largest NAS installed customer base, Snap provides simple, scalable storage solutions for leading enterprises and organizations of all sizes across a wide range of industries. The GuardianOS(R) is Snap's unified software platform for distributed data management with the goal of supporting any enterprise platform, any application, anywhere in the network. The Snap Server(TM) product family represents true business value, providing innovative technology and rich feature sets that enable organizations to leverage their information assets. Snap's established channel partnerships along with its service and support team provide a rewarding customer experience. More information is available at www.snapappliance.com.