SNIA Enables Standards-Based Data Management and Protection Services; New SMI-S v1.1 Copy Services Profile Being Demonstrated at SNW Europe

Business Wire, Sept 8, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO & SYDNEY, Australia & FRANKFURT, Germany -- The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) today is demonstrating the advanced features for standards-based data protection and management services based on the new version of the Storage Management Initiative-Specification (SMI-S), version 1.1, at Storage Networking World (SNW) Europe.

The new SMI-S v1.1 functionality being featured within the Solutions@Work Demonstration includes support for the SNIA Copy Services profile and support for storage tape libraries. Together they deliver real business value to IT users by providing data management and protection services based on SMI-S standard functions. Vendors participating in the SMI-S demonstration include ADIC, EMC, Engenio Information Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, StorageTek, Sun Microsystems and Symantec.

The SNIA Copy Services profile defines how SMI-S v1.1 enables data protection and management services through a standard set of configuration and monitoring capabilities for local and remote mirroring, snapshot and clone management. By standardizing these functions, storage administrators will have more agility in choosing devices and greater management control over their data protection infrastructure investments. Furthermore, the longevity of a solution constructed to safeguard a data repository can be increased if the underlying technology is independent of the specific make and model of the underlying storage system.

"With a single set of SMI-S commands to operate the copy services functions of conformant storage devices, networked storage solutions can be managed interoperably to support the life of stored information on succeeding generations of storage devices," said Mark Carlson, Chairman of the SMI Technical Steering Group. "SMI-S copy services is the first open standard for managing data availability and movement across heterogeneous devices at the physical device and storage block level."

EMC, Engenio Information Technologies, Hitachi Data Systems, Sun Microsystems and Symantec will be providing the SMI-S v1.1 Copy Services technologies being demonstrated at SNW Europe. Functions that will be demonstrated at the conference include: controlling the configuration of the data source; mapping an appropriate copy target; setting an appropriate synchronization state; as well as monitoring the copy process for job completion and reporting errors. These functions apply to creating remote mirrors and snapshots, as well as modifying them and deleting the replicated objects when appropriate. In addition, Copy Services will be included in the next SNIA Conformance Testing Program (SNIA-CTP) test suites for SMI-S v1.1, available later this month.

SMI-S v1.1 also improves data protection and management by introducing standards-based management of storage media library functions in tape libraries. These new features will be demonstrated at SNW Europe by vendors including ADIC, EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, StorageTek, Sun Microsystems and Symantec.

Solutions implementing SMI-S v1.1 offer end users increased data protection, expanded multi-vendor storage support and reduced training costs through standards-based management. Vendors will also witness reduced development efforts resulting from a single, standards-based management interface for multi-vendor replication, as well as faster time to market in support of new devices. SMI-S v1.1 builds on SMI-S v1.0.3 features that support HBA, switch, and array configuration and management.

About the Storage Management Initiative-Specification (SMI-S)

The SNIA Storage Management Initiative (SMI) is driving broad adoption of a highly functional and interoperable management interface for multi-vendor storage networking products. By enabling and streamlining the integration of large and diverse multi-vendor storage networks, the initiative will be able to expand the overall market for storage networking technology. For further information visit the website at http://www.snia.org/tech_activities/SMI.> About the Storage Management Forum (SMF)

The function of the SMF is to drive board adoption of the Storage Management Initiative-Specification (SMI-S) standard for storage networks. The Storage Management Forum represents the central marketing arm of the Storage Management Initiative (SMI) to educate promote and drive the SMI -- building broad organizational consensus from SNIA members for the execution of the SMI effort.

About the SNIA

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a not-for-profit organization, made up of more than 300 companies and nearly 7,000 IT storage professionals worldwide, spanning virtually the entire storage industry. SNIA members share the common goal of advancing the adoption of storage networks as complete and trusted solutions. To this end, the SNIA is uniquely committed to delivering standards, education and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. For additional information, visit the SNIA website at http://www.snia.org.