| The Internet changes the dynamics of competition. | | | | there. "A good number of them want highly-available |
| Today, a traditional supermarket chain, which | | | | on-line archives to support regulatory compliance |
| probably lorded it over the market for years, can be | | | | initiatives. Clearly, transitioning to disk based solution is |
| edged out by a start-up web-based service provider | | | | influenced by their desire to reduce ongoing |
| that promises to deliver groceries to your doorstep | | | | operational costs associated with large tape |
| 7x24. Logistics companies are growing in size and | | | | installations disk-based solutions," McKnight explains. |
| capability to the point that they may someday soon | | | | "In larger enterprises, tape libraries are being |
| be able to render trading services and compete with | | | | relegated to deep archive processes and many of |
| banks. | | | | them are now using virtual tape library (VTL) |
| Like all other elements of business, IT is under | | | | systems as interim data backup solutions to meet |
| pressure to match the demands of modern-day | | | | the shrinking backup window and to improve the DR |
| business by continually raising productivity of both | | | | BC process," notes Cornfield. |
| people and processes. Unfortunately, as the | | | | Technological benefits |
| organization gets bigger, it becomes increasingly | | | | VTL masks itself to the server as a tape library. But |
| difficult respond faster to changing market | | | | because it uses disks instead of tape, the lag usually |
| environment. One area of IT that faces a tough | | | | associated with storing data on tape is nonexistent. |
| challenge of matching the speed of business change | | | | If the VTL is connected to a legacy tape library |
| is data storage. | | | | system (used primary for deep archive), it will take |
| "Over the last five years, enterprises have moved | | | | care of writing to the physical tape based on policies |
| storage into the network, via storage area networks | | | | set by IT. |
| or SANs, in response to the need for increased | | | | "The real benefit of VTL to businesses in this region |
| utilization of expensive disks, and the need to | | | | is convenience," says Anthony Chan, vice president |
| centralize storage for easier management and | | | | of StorageWorks Division at HP Asia Pacific. "It |
| greater security," says Greg Cornfield, Asia Pacific | | | | makes for a much easier transition into the disk |
| vice president for Copan Systems. | | | | backup world. You don't have to learn anything new |
| Jimmie Chang, principal research analyst for Gartner | | | | -- just tell your backup software product that it has |
| China said demand for storage is becoming more | | | | another tape library." |
| complex. "Enterprises had relied on IT for the secure | | | | Existing backup software seamlessly "recognizes" the |
| storage and timely retrieval of business data. | | | | VTL as corresponding tape equipment so current |
| Nowadays, however, things like regulatory | | | | backup software can remain in place -- with only |
| compliance, natural disasters, and terrorism are | | | | minor configuration changes. |
| keeping the pressure on IT to ensure that backup | | | | Chan said the last three years have been a period of |
| restore processes are routinely performed and | | | | development for VTL in the region. "I see |
| systems are tested," Chang said. | | | | accelerated demand for VTL in the Asia Pacific this |
| Reliance on tape library is not enough | | | | year. Users in the region are becoming more familiar |
| A year ago, the data center of a food & beverage | | | | with it and it's just really starting to take off now. |
| giant caught fire and when the IT department tried | | | | "Most of today's enterprises have BCP/DR processes |
| to recover affected transactions from the archive, | | | | in place. What they will be looking at in 2006 onwards |
| they found that some of the tape cartridges were | | | | is the deployment of continuous data protection |
| corrupted, much to the horror of the CIO. | | | | solutions," Chang concludes. |
| It is no wonder IT managers are looking to replace | | | | Force of change |
| their tape libraries with more secure and cost | | | | All significant shifts in technology evolve out of a |
| effective alternatives. A report from analyst firm | | | | combination of forces. In this case, the increasing |
| Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) said there are three | | | | volume, value, and volatility of information combined |
| reasons why enterprises opt to replace their tape | | | | with business, financial, and regulatory pressures and |
| libraries: (1) improvement of backup and recovery | | | | finally, the emergence of suitable technological |
| processes; (2) business continuity and disaster | | | | alternatives, all point towards a future increasingly |
| recovery enhancement and (3) reduction of tape | | | | dominated by disk-based secondary storage solutions. |
| library costs. | | | | This happens because regardless of business type, |
| John McKnight, research director at ESG, says users | | | | enterprises are essentially information processing |
| are turning to disk-based storage systems out of a | | | | organizations. The more accurate and fast they are |
| need for faster, more reliable backup and recovery | | | | able to process information, the better the chance of |
| operations and improved business continuity and | | | | staying ahead in the competitive landscape. |
| disaster recovery protection, but it doesn't really stop | | | | |