IBM Adds Teeth to 'Shark'

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IBM has boosted its TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server (codenamed “Shark”) to give the new flagship IBM eServer z990 improved data protection and access for business continuity and efficiency.

“As the backbone of IBM’s storage product family, we have continued to enhance Shark to deliver increased value to our customers,” states Roland Hagan, Storage Systems Vice President, IBM Systems Group. “When coupled with our new flagship zSeries mainframe, the new Shark offers more data protection, performance, and accessibility than any other IBM-branded storage option to support customers’ on-demand requirements, which include high availability and protection.”

The TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server with e-Business On Demand capabilities now features an enhanced standby capacity on-demand offering, enabling customers to acquire up to 6.9 terabytes of “standby” capacity. Once acquired, the additional capacity can be activated quickly without disrupting operations.

IBM also announced Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy V2 and FlashCopy V2 for the Enterprise Storage Server. The optional advanced copy features enhance data mirroring and business continuity for the z990, as well as other server environments.

The Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC) V2 enhancements provide long distance, including coast-to-coast, data mirroring. The new cascading PPRC capabilities extend remote copy functions for the zSeries and open systems data with two- or three-site configuration options that improve protection against data loss.

The FlashCopy V2 enhancements include data set, multiple relationship, and incremental refresh capabilities to improve granularity, flexibility, capacity management/utilization, and completion times.

The Enterprise Storage Server Model 800 is powered by fast copper microchips and two Gigabit per second (Gbps) FICON data transfer rates, and includes self-management features that Big Blue reports enable comprehensive real-time “on the fly” system configuration and management.

When used in conjunction with IBM Tivoli Storage software, IBM says customers get even more data protection for the z990, thanks to Tivoli’s open-systems data recovery software. Tivoli Storage Manager uses policy-based automation for automating server management operations and for providing logical error recovery and LAN-free backup to a Tivoli Storage Manager server on the z990. For the Enterprise Storage Server, Tivoli Storage Resource Manager provides subsystem reporting and automated capacity provisioning to maximize file system availability.

“Growing regulatory obligations, such as HIPAA, and the information requirements needed for cost-effective healthcare are pushing us to an on-demand environment,” said Greg Pinz, director of I.S. at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis, which has a 20 terabyte SAN powered by Enterprise Storage Server, IBM Total Storage Enterprise Tape Library 3494, and Tivoli Storage Manager. “The advanced FlashCopy V2 and PPRC V2 functions offer the added flexibility we need for round-the-clock data access and data protection, making our previous storage decisions that much better.”

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