EqualLogic Supports Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007

Business Wire,  Nov 14, 2007  

Tags: Microsoft Corp.

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

EqualLogic PS Series SANs and DPM 2007 Deliver Comprehensive Data Protection for Microsoft Environments

NASHUA, N.H. -- EqualLogic([R]), Inc., the leading provider of high-performance iSCSI storage area network (SAN) solutions, today announced support for Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007. EqualLogic's PS Series SANs and DPM 2007 combine to offer comprehensive yet simple data protection, backup and rapid recovery for Microsoft applications, such as Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Portal Server, Virtual Server and Windows file services.

EqualLogic iSCSI SANs and DPM 2007 complement each other. The joint solution addresses the need for short-term data retention and rapid recovery with EqualLogic's SAN-based protection features, and DPM 2007 provides continuous data protection and long-term backup options such as disk-to-disk-to-tape. EqualLogic SANs provide high-performance storage for business-critical Microsoft applications with seamless scalability, easy set-up and rapid recovery for DPM 2007 deployments. Both products can be effectively used in branch office deployments.

Intelligent SANs provide unique benefits for DPM 2007 deployments, because of the product's new capabilities. For instance, DPM 2007 servers benefit from the PS Series' SAN-based snapshots to quickly backup and recover lost application data without impacting production network services.

Schenck Business Solutions, a 600-person full-service accounting and consulting firm in Wisconsin, replaced a Fibre Channel SAN with two EqualLogic SANs comprised of six PS Series arrays at two sites with Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2006. Schenck is now testing DPM 2007 to create a comprehensive data protection strategy for their 10 branch offices and central data center. Schenck CIO Jim Tarala was attracted to DPM 2007's SAN-specific setup and recovery capabilities which reduce administration time and speed recovery. For instance, Schenck can quickly recover from any volume corruption or data loss by using DPM's SAN recovery features with EqualLogic, saving hours of time that would have been spent copying data and preserving valuable network bandwidth resources for production applications.

"The EqualLogic SAN is part of the foundation - I look at the SAN as the core piece of infrastructure and I build around it with things like DPM 2007," said Tarala. "EqualLogic and Microsoft together provide a rock solid infrastructure - I expect Microsoft applications just to run, and anytime you put something on EqualLogic you get another level of comfort because it just works. The more integrated they are, the happier I am."

Marc Kamstrup-Braad, partner program manager at Microsoft Corp., said, "Implementing comprehensive data protection across an entire business can be a challenge, and frequently such deployments are limited to large enterprises. EqualLogic and Microsoft are simplifying this process by delivering compatible data protection features to a broader market. EqualLogic's support of the Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 will allow joint customers to execute an end-to-end data protection and backup strategy for their Microsoft environments."

"At its very core, EqualLogic is committed to simplifying data storage and protection for Microsoft applications," said Fadi Albatal, product marketing manager at EqualLogic. "Our native support for Windows and compatibility with Volume Shadow Copy Service and DPM 2007's continuous data protection and recovery features allow IT managers to easily implement an application-aware data protection and backup strategy."

Grontmij, a pan-European engineering consulting firm with 130 branch offices, adopted Microsoft's DPM 2007 because the application allows it to copy data and replicate it to a central DR site automatically. Grontmij deployed Microsoft DPM 2007 with eight EqualLogic PS400E arrays at two sites in the Netherlands and Great Britain.

"We wanted to eliminate the risks associated with tape backups, so we started evaluating solutions that could automate the entire backup process in a practical way," said Erik ten Winkel, CTO of Grontmij. "In case of a data centre failure at one of our local offices, the combined PS Series/DPM 2007 solution will allow us to recover the IT infrastructure and make it available to our employees again in a matter of hours."

About EqualLogic

EqualLogic[R] makes data storage systems that simplify the way enterprises of all sizes store and protect information. EqualLogic's award-winning PS Series storage area network (SAN) solutions provide sophisticated management capabilities that reduce the time and money IT staff spend on data storage. Since shipping its first product in June 2003, EqualLogic has added more than 3,200 customers in 30 countries. Based in Nashua, N.H., EqualLogic has sales offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please visit www.equallogic.com.