Automated CD DVD Blu-ray Disc Archiving
4-Drive Range Disc Archiving systems
7-Drive Range Disc Archiving systems
The extreme growth of unstructured data is one of the most important challenges which companies have to face within the coming years. Simply expanding primary storage will no longer solve this problem because of economic and technical reasons. Based on the fact that most of the unstructured data is inactive (“cold data”) companies are looking increasingly for solutions to solve this dilemma.
Companies have large amounts of data, and a large percent of it needs to be retained. Only 25% of the data within an organization is freshly created; the rest is redundant data, or data that was created in the past and must be preserved for future reuse. This situation has created a high demand for information storage, a demand that carries both monetary and logistic concerns. Data archiving allows organizations to efficiently retain this mass of redundant data, often for very long periods of time, so that it can be accessed when necessary.
The solution is to archive data to suitable secondary storage systems designed for long-term data preservation and archiving, i.e. Blu-Ray Disc archiving and storage systems. Olympus Series – Archive Edition provides an easy to install and intuitive software for automatic policy-based migration of cold data to data to be archived from primary storage to Archival Blu-Ray Discs and stored offline in the DiscStor 900 smart disc storage cabinet.
Preserving digital data for the long-term is extremely important as the amount of content generated increases each year. Optical disc-based systems play a vital role in offline data archiving when cost effective solutions are required. Optical discs are also a great fit for long term storage or safety copies of data.
Regardless of what kind of data archiving is needed, All Pro Solutions has the right solution. We have systems that allow you to archive emails and office documents, store software source code, archive log files, and store captured video or medical images. Whether this information is archived to fulfill legal requirements or to protect business assets, the data will be safe and secure if it comes from All Pro Solutions Blu-ray Disc archiving systems. All Pro Solutions Archiving and Storage solutions reduce archiving costs and simplify recall, while securely storing and preserving critical data for decades, all offline.
Storage Manager – Archive Edition Features
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- Policy Based File Archive
PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition offers policy-based file archiving. This is fully automated archiving directly to an optical storage device such as an Olympus Series Blu-ray Disc Archiving System – no user action is needed. - WORM File System with CIFS Access
Most applications do not natively support archive storage systems (like tape and optical) and require a standard storage access interface like CIFS. The VFS (Virtual File System) is an integral module of Storage Manager – Archive Edition and implements a native Windows file system. It provides standard CIFS file system access to archive storage systems. This means applications can make use of the benefits of the Olympus Archive Systems without adaptations. - User-Defined Archiving by Web Client
Besides the automatic process of file archiving, Storage Manager – Archive Edition offers user-defined archiving supported by a Web Client. The Web Client is aimed at environments in which particular users need to be able to perform archiving operations by themselves. Usage of the Web Client is protected by a user authentication mechanism. - Archiving Methods
Storage Manager – Archive Edition provides multiple archiving methods. This comprises copying of files (Copy Mode), moving of files (Data Mover Mode), and stubbing of files (HSM Mode – not on optical media). - Use of Standards
Storage Manager – Archive Edition strictly adheres to standards for storing data on secondary storage systems. This ensures independence from a specific hardware vendor and protects customer investments. Furthermore access to all archived data is provided by standard operating system methods. UDF (Universal Disk Format) is supported as the standard format for optical disc. - Software Development Kit
The Software Development Kit (SDK) can be used by system integrators to incorporate the functionality of Storage Manager – Archive Edition into applications by a suitable API. This API provides the control of policy-based archiving as well as comprehensive query and administrative functions.
Source Systems:
- PoINT EMC FileMover Agent
The PoINT EMC FileMover Agent allows EMC VNX systems to be integrated into the PoINT Storage Manager’s tiered storage architecture. The agent runs on the PoINT Storage Manager server and makes use of the EMC FileMover service, which is a fixed component of the EMC system’s software. This agent supports the migration and archival of (e.g., inactive) data from EMC systems to any downstream storage system.
- PoINT NetApp FAS Agent
The PoINT NetApp FAS Agent allows NetApp FAS systems to be integrated into the PoINT Storage Manager’s tiered storage architecture. The agent runs on the PoINT Storage Manager server and makes use of the FPolicy functions service, which is a fixed component of the NetApp system’s software. This agent supports the archival of (e.g. inactive) data from NetApp systems on any downstream storage system. - PoINT TAFS Agent
The PoINT TAFS Agent allows Windows file servers to be integrated into the PoINT Storage Manager’s tiered storage architecture. The agent runs on the file servers to be monitored and supports the migration and archival of (e.g. inactive) data from the file servers to any downstream storage system.
Target Systems:
- Optical (Single Drives, Jukeboxes, Libraries), e.g., All Pro Solutions, Olympus – Archive Edition.
- NAS with File System and special WORM functionality, e.g., NetApp FAS with SnapLockTM, FAST LTA, PoINT Jukebox Manager based NAS Jukeboxes
- Tape (Single Drives, Libraries), e.g., HP MSL Series, Quantum Scalar Series, Sun StorageTek ACSLS based Libraries.
HSM (Hierarchical Storage Management) with Optical, Hard Disk, and Tape Storage
The PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition realizes transparent transferal of files for EMC VNX-, NetApp FAS- and Windows NTFS-based primary storage systems. The use of so-called “stubs” means that directory entries remain on the primary storage system, while the file content itself is moved to the archive. This process reduces the load on expensive primary storage while still fully preserving the original file system structure. When a moved file is accessed, the PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition automatically reads it from the archive and hands it over to the requesting application. This is not possible with offline archives on optical media.Rules-Based File Archival
As part of the HSM architecture created, and the associated transfer of data from primary storage, the PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition provides rules-based long-term archiving (file archiving) within secondary storage, where it can be protected against modification. In the case of Windows NTFS, this protection also involves the primary storage system’s file system, in that (depending on the rules provided) files in the primary storage system are protected against deletion or editing by users or applications.Long-term archiving with the PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition also involves managing various versions of a file, where changes to a file can be tracked through archived versions of files.
Compliance with Retention Management
Retention management enables targeted, time-specific protection of archived files against manipulation, editing, or deletion. After the retention period expires, files can be selectively chosen and both the so-called “stub” (the link within the primary storage) and the archived file itself in secondary storage can be deleted.Retention management also enables maintenance and management of archived files. Archived files without stubs can be marked and selectively deleted after a specified time or number of job cycles. For versioning of archived files, users can specify how many versions to preserve.
Every business needs to meet a different set of requirements and laws as part of a compliant data archiving process. With the PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition, these compliance requirements can be very efficiently fulfilled using integrated WORM functionality and dedicated archive storage hardware. Retention management is not required on optical disc media, as the media itself it WORMS functionality.
Replication
The PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition supports the replication of archive data, where replication storage used for this purpose can be in the same configuration or external. This also includes replication on a device using a different type of storage technology from the original device.Offline Media Management
The PoINT Storage Manager – Archive Edition includes an offline data management system for managing removable media such as tape and optical drives. An extensive set of functions is available to locate objects within offline media. This functionality is of particular interest for the energy savings that come with organizing data using offline storage devices such as the DiscStor 900 smart disc storage cabinet.
- Policy Based File Archive
Benefits
- Efficient use of primary storage.
- Reduced risks fo data loss.
- Fullfillment of archving requirements.
- Low cost, low power consumption and minimal carbon footprint.
- Reduced Costs – Lower costs per decade than storing on HDD.
- Long-term data retention, compatibility and durability.
- Increased productivity
- Faster than tape – Random access and rapid recall.
- Easy installation
- True WORM (Write Once Read Many)
- Intuitive usage
- Save for decades – DVD and Blu-Ray Disc last much longer than tape or other media.
Why Archive?
So You Can Solve These Major Data Issues!
LOW DISK SPACE
Primary storage systems are overloaded with old and inactive data. The problem with utilizing expensive Primary storage for data that hasn’t been accessed in months or years is that space that should be used for newer, active data is rapidly consumed. IT staff members then find themselves manually deleting old files or moving them to another server to free up disk space.
PoINT Storage Manager solves this problem by automatically identifying and archiving inactive data to less-expensive storage such as optical Blu-Ray disc. Data is archived based on user-defined policies including creation date, last access date, and file type, among many other criteria, and transparent access to archived data is retained through the use of file system links and .html web links.
INCOMPLETE BACKUPS
Primary storage systems need to be backed up on a regular basis. The problem is that the time required to complete large backup jobs often exceeds the time window available. As data on Primary storage becomes inactive, the problem begins to compound, and organizations are put at risk due to an incomplete backup.
PoINT Storage Manager solves this problem by automatically identifying and archiving inactive data that no longer needs to be included in a regularly scheduled backup. By archiving data that hasn’t been accessed in over three years, the time to back up a large Primary storage system can be reduced by 50% or more.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Organizations across many industries are required to store and retain data in accordance with rules and regulations directly stating or implying that electronic business records (data) must be stored on a non-erasable non-rewriteable storage system, and must be preserved in their original format for retention periods that vary by industry and record type.
PoINT Storage Manager solves this problem by archiving data into UDF data containers that natively provide Write Once Read Many (WORM) attributes. UDF containers appear to an operating system as a DVD disc, which cannot be altered or deleted, nor can any file within the container be altered or deleted. Additionally, retention policies can be set to protect content for a period determined by business, legal or government requirements.
COST REDUCTION
The cost to purchase, implement, maintain, and support a growing IT infrastructure can be significant. The problem is that when servers and disk storage systems reach their capacity, a normal response is to purchase new systems or add capacity to existing systems. In addition to capital outlay for the storage, this practice requires additional costs for power, cooling, backup devices, and IT staff.
PoINT Storage Manager solves this problem by automatically identifying and archiving old data to less-expensive storage, thereby delaying, reducing, or altogether eliminating the purchase of additional storage and the associated immediate and ongoing costs.
DATA SECURITY
Data security is a serious problem faced by organizations of all sizes across all industries, and includes protecting against accidental or malicious data deletion and modification, as well as preventing external access to sensitive archived data. Protecting the privacy of sensitive data is especially important today, with the increased use of electronic mail and associated file attachments.
PoINT Storage Manager solves these problems by calculating and storing authentication information (digital fingerprint) of every file during the archive process. Data authentication jobs check the consistency of files against their original digital fingerprints, and will detect if there was manipulation (edits, deletes) of any files in the archive. In addition, data can be archive to Blu-Ray disc, thereby preventing access to data unless users are authorized to physically access the disc.
DISASTER RECOVERY
Disasters can happen at any time. Events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, blackouts, and acts of terrorism can destroy an entire data center within minutes. The problem is that disasters usually occur without notice, and not all organizations are prepared to take the steps necessary for performing a rapid recovery.
PoINT Storage Manager solves the problem by providing automated and transparent data replication to different storage technologies (i.e. Blu-Ray Disc and Cloud). This practice ensures that data is redundantly stored on technologies that provide their own distinct advantages, and adds a layer of disaster recovery far greater than that of only using a single technology. PoINT Storage Manager also includes a special Data Retrieval module as an integral part of the application.
Olympus Archiving System Demo Video
Storage Manager Video Presentations & Tutorials
PoINT Storage Manager – File Tiering and Archiving
PoINT Storage Manager Product Presentation
Tutorial 1: Installation
Tutorial 2: Configuration
Tutorial 3: Archive Device Configuration
Tutorial 4: Storage Vault Configuration
Tutorial 5.1: Policy Configuration
Tutorial 5.2: Recovery Policies
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