Hitachi Data Systems Announces Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy and Other Industry-leading Data-Movement Solutions - data storage device - Product Development

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, July 19, 1999

Taking an important step forward in implementing its vision of enabling customers to access any data on any computer, anywhere, at any time, Hitachi Data Systems Monday announced Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy and other enhanced data-movement solutions based on the new Hitachi Asynchronous Remote Copy function for the Hitachi Freedom Storage 7700E.

Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy is the storage industry's first hardware-based solution enabling customers to make point-in-time copies without quiescing the application or causing any disruption to end-user operations. NanoCopy copies data between any number of primary subsystems and any number of secondary subsystems. The copies may be of any type or amount of data and may be recorded on subsystems anywhere in the world. NanoCopy enables customers to quickly generate copies of production data for such uses as application testing, business intelligence, and disaster recovery for business continuance.

For disaster recovery operations, NanoCopy will maintain a duplicate of critical data, allowing customers to initiate production at a backup location immediately following an outage. This is the first time a hardware-based remote copy solution, with full data integrity, has been offered by any storage vendor.

Hitachi Asynchronous Remote Copy Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy is based on Hitachi Asynchronous Remote Copy, which is capable of moving large amounts of data over any distance with complete data integrity and minimal impact on performance. It duplicates data files directly from a primary subsystem to a secondary subsystem without using valuable server processor cycles. The secondary subsystem may be located down the block from the primary subsystem, across the country, or around the world.

Hitachi interoperability testing has demonstrated that in addition to transporting data over ESCON channels at distances up to 43 kilometers, the new function can be integrated with third-party channel extender products to address the "access anywhere" goal of data availability. This makes it possible to duplicate production data via communication lines from a primary site to a secondary site that may be thousands of miles away. The companion goals of "accessing any data at any time" are addressed by incorporating Hitachi's remote copy functions in a new point-in-time backup solution developed collaboratively by Hitachi, Ltd. and BMC Software, Inc., the first product offering resulting from an alliance announced in May of this year. This product complements Hitachi Freedom Storage NanoCopy by providing an application-specific database solution.

"Today's announcement gives customers additional freedom in accessing their data at any time, no matter where it's located," said David Coombs, vice president and general manager, Hitachi Data Systems Enterprise Storage. "With the help of our development partners, we're offering better ways to move data over virtually unlimited distances. In today's fast-paced world, agility in moving data translates directly to agility in solving business problems, and our customers know that Hitachi is the best source of data-movement options to meet a variety of business needs."

Remote Copy Provides Business Continuance Support at TIAA-CREF Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equity Fund (TIAA-CREF), the world's largest pension fund for college and university employees, operates Hitachi Freedom Storage 7700E subsystems at its large data centers in New York and Denver.

"We feel a tremendous responsibility to the individuals who depend on us for financial security in their retirement," said Jim Wolf, TIAA-CREF executive vice president and CIO. "Part of that responsibility is ensuring that information about their accounts is accessible one hundred percent of the time. Hitachi Extended Remote Copy plays a key role in this responsibility and in our business continuance strategy by constantly updating critical data in our New York and Denver centers. We're counting on Hitachi to continue providing innovative ways for us to move data wherever we need it in order to add value to the services we provide our clients."

Non-Disruptive Data Movement with BMC Software Hitachi, Ltd. and BMC Software, Inc. have collaborated to develop the BMC Software Enterprise Recovery Management solution, which integrates the Freedom Storage 7700E's remote copy functions with BMC Software's XBM Enterprise Snapshot software. This solution provides point-in-time backup of database files without the traditional requirement to manually quiesce the application or cause disruptions in service to the end user. It actually encourages users to back up their data more frequently, thus reducing the amount of data that must be recovered following a catastrophic failure.

"The alliance between Hitachi and BMC Software is already paying off with the launch of the jointly developed Enterprise Recovery Management solution," said Vic Mahadevan, vice president and general manager of recovery and storage management, BMC Software. "BMC is committed to integrating current network management, storage management, and backup and recovery solutions along with technology provided by partners and acquisitions to offer the only end-to-end storage management tool for the enterprise that can associate storage events with application management."