STORServer Updates GUI Management Console for Backup Offering

November 27, 2012 Alex Woodie

STORServer, a developer of backup arrays based on Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM), recently unveiled a new release of its GUI console used for managing its backup offerings and controlling the TSM environment. The new console features support for client-node replication, among other features.

STORServer sells a line of integrated backup appliances that include all the X64 hardware and TSM software needed to back up data residing on a variety of servers, including the IBM i server. The STORServer offerings also include a GUI called the STORServer Console (SSC) that simplifies TSM tasks that otherwise would require the use of a command line interface.

With the recently released SSC version 3.0, STORServer has added support for client-node replication, a new feature in TSM version 6.3. Client-node replication enables users to incrementally replicate data residing on a source TSM server to a target TSM server for the purpose of disaster recovery.

Client-node replication is an intelligent replication mechanism, as it only replicates files that aren’t already on the target TSM server (that is, it’s “de-duplication aware”), and will delete data on the target TSM server when it’s been deleted on the source. Also, if a disaster occurs, the target TSM server can be turned into the new source TSM server, which is a big improvement on the old virtual volume replication method that required a source TSM server to be completely restored from a copy of the data.

STORServer has also built into SSC 3.0 a new replication activities report that provides information on the state of client node replication. Enhancements were also made to the missed files report; the storage pool reports; SSC menus; and the SSC server configuration files.

Taken together, the enhancements in SSC 3.0 help to simplify the setup and management of TSM environments, says Bill Smoldt, president of STORServer. “The beauty of the software is that anyone from an intern to an experienced IT veteran can use it. TSM expertise is not necessary,” he says in a press release.