2010-01-26: CeBIT: PoINT presents efficient solutions for economic data storage, archival and media production
Siegen. PoINT Software & Systems GmbH presents its PoINT Storage Manager with the slogan „Store – but do it right!” at CeBIT (hall 2, booth D 40). The software solution enables companies to implement an intelligent and economic storage management – securing permanent data availability. The integration of various technologies (hard disk, tape, optical) in a tiered storage architecture is the basis for this and offers a variety of saving potentials. Only infrequently accessed files can be moved from the performance optimized level 1 storage to the cost optimized level 2 storage and replaced by a link – transparent for both users and applications. Within the next release of PoINT Storage Manager this is extended to a three tiers architecture, each tier offering specific qualities - Tier 1 consists of storage with the highest performance, Tier 2 offers high capacity, ensuring that the stored files remain always accessible. Tier 3 is optimized to long-term data archival and offers additional qualities as demanded for e.g. compliant archiving. PoINT Storage Manager moreover shortens backup and recovery times and reduces the corresponding costs thanks to integrated replication and archival functions. The storage specialist based in Siegen also presents PoINT Archiver 4.0 - a solution for network-wide and file based archiving - as well as PoINT Jukebox Manager 7.0 - the Windows server solution for data storage on optical media. PoINT Publisher NG 2.3 is a software solution for professional CD/DVD and BD production and completes the exhibition program.
PoINT Storage Manager 2.0, a “software only” solution for Windows Server 2003/2008, is the response to growing demands on storage capacity and availability. By this solution, users can decrease their investments in storage systems and save both time and money for the backup process. The basis for this is the tiered storage concept, which is available for both Windows NTFS based hard disk systems as well as for NetApp FAS systems. Only infrequently accessed files can be moved from the performance optimized level 1 storage to the cost optimized level 2 storage and replaced by a link – transparent for both users and applications. Within the next release of PoINT Storage Manager this is extended to a three tiers architecture, each tier offering specific qualities - Tier 1 consists of storage with the highest performance, Tier 2 offers high capacity, ensuring that the stored files remain always accessible. Tier 3 is optimized to long-term data archival and offers additional qualities as e.g. demanded for compliant archiving. The files are accessed via the original path without changes in the applications. This innovative “Pass Through” mechanism ensures that migrated data is delivered directly to applications from three different tiers. Thus, files do not need to be stored in tier 1 storage again as usual for other products. The entire storage system may consist of a combination of different storage technologies (e.g. SATA RAID and LTO tape or BD optical) to make use of the technology-specific advantages and to ensure safety by redundancies. By this approach, PoINT Storage Manager does not only reduce acquisition costs for storage hardware but also optimizes the backup process. As migrated data has not to be protected once again – it is already stored redundantly on configured second level storage – both storage capacity (e.g. as less tapes are necessary) and time expenditure for backup are saved.
PoINT Archiver: File based archiving with removable media
PoINT Archiver 4.0 enables network-wide, automated file archiving. Users define policies via a user friendly wizard according to which the software archives, migrates or deletes files. The policies can be based on e.g. creation date, file name or file size. Additionally, the user determines which archive and replication storage device shall be used for the data. PoINT Archiver supports tape and optical media both in single drives and changer devices like autoloader, production systems and libraries. A possible manipulation of storage media or files is detected by a “digital fingerprint”. It gives information in the data integrity and is stored encrypted on each medium and in the database. This way, even deleted or altered documents can be identified. Thanks to the integrated offline media management, PoINT Archiver offers you the possibility of almost unlimited archive storage.
PoINT Jukebox Manager supports Windows 7 and Windows R 2008 R2
PoINT Jukebox Manager 7.0 will also be presented at the PoINT booth during CeBIT. It is an economically and ecologically reasonable solution for secure archival of business critical data on optical media including automated media quality check. The latest version supports the new operating systems Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 and additional storage hardware. Among those is for example the professional Panasonic ADA (Advanced Disc for Archive) Blu-ray drive. The new UDF versions 2.5/2.6 are also supported by version 7.0.PoINT Jukebox Manager checks readability of optical media and files in definable periods or on manual trigger. In case of a read error, administrators receive a notification so that they are able to create copies in time if required. The long term availability of data on optical media can furthermore be increased in connection with classical protection methods like mirroring of media or clustering of servers.
PoINT Publisher NG 2.3 offering further detail improvements
PoINT Publisher NG 2.3 has been released recently. The solution for the professional production of labelled CD/DVD/BDs includes numerous enhancements. Among others are for example performance improvements of the client/server operation and detailed logging of the production process. Users are now also able to choose specific media types within the “Event Controlled Recording” module. Details of the Batch Interface have also been improved which will especially be useful for developers.
About PoINT
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH, situated in Siegen, is specialized in the development of software products and systems solutions for storage and management of data using all available mass storage technologies like hard disks, magnetic tapes and optical media. Close collaboration with leading hardware manufacturers enables an early support of innovative storage technologies. Besides these complete solutions PoINT also offers its know-how as Software-Development-Kits, which can be easily integrated in other applications, as well as project solutions and consultancy. PoINT products are distributed by 50 partners in more than 25 countries world-wide and have been installed successfully in more than 2 million installations. The PoINT product portfolio ranges from recording and duplication of CD/DVD/BDs, professional audio- and video recording to business critical network solutions, which are based on automated systems with optical media, magnetic tapes and hard disks.