IBM to Deliver Exchange Backup Solution on DS4000 Disk Arrays

Published: March 1, 2006

by Alex Woodie

IBM unveiled new options this week for Windows Server 2003 users looking to implement a high availability system for their Exchange Server 2003 environments. In two weeks IBM will begin shipments on its Integrated Backup for Databases (IBD) for Exchange offering on three DS4300 midrange storage arrays, which works in tandem with Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) framework to move data quickly and with a minimum of downtime.

The IBD for Exchange option provides a GUI and wizards, to help generate policy-based backup jobs for Exchange databases on DS4000 disk systems, formerly called the TotalStorage FAStT Storage Servers. IBM will support three IBM arrays, the DS4800, the DS4500, and the DS4300, with its IBD for Exchange offering, which ships March 17.

IBM says its IBD for Exchange offering automates the execution of disk array-based shadow copies (full and incremental), physical disk-to-disk copies, and data consistency verification of Exchange Databases residing on DS4000 storage systems. The cost of the IBD for Exchange ranges from $4,800 for the DS4300, to $9,600 for the DS4500, and $19,500 for the DS4800.