InfoStor : Symantec updates Storage Foundation for Windows, March 2008 Page 1

By Kevin Komiega

March 28, 2008—In keeping with its plans to be first out of the gate with software support for Windows Server 2008, Symantec has announced the newest versions of its high-availability storage and server management software—Veritas Storage Foundation 5.1 High Availability for Windows, and Veritas Cluster Server 5.1 for Windows. The products now support Windows Server in all its forms with added features for data migration, disaster recovery, and visibility into storage environments.

Symantec's aim is to give customers a common set of tools that provide online volume management, storage and application availability, application integrated quick recovery, and SAN path management across virtually every server and storage platform.

To that end, Storage Foundation for Windows and Veritas Cluster Server now include support for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Server Core environments, with support for Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter versions across x86, x64, and IA64 platforms. Additionally, the release provides expanded support for Windows Vista, Microsoft Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1, Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server 2007, Symantec Enterprise Vault 2007, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Symantec has also extended its support for hardware platforms. Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows Dynamic Multi-pathing offers customers a single multi-pathing solution across heterogeneous tiered storage infrastructures. The software now supports arrays from Pillar Data Systems, 3PAR, and newer IBM and Hitachi Data Systems' arrays in addition to an existing list of more than 40 array families.

"Storage Foundation for Windows is directly integrated within Windows Server 2000 and 2003 and, with version 5.1, we are adding support for 2008," says Sean Derrington, director of storage management solutions at Symantec. "Version 5.1 includes support for new operating systems, applications, and storage arrays. We also spent a lot of time on improving operational efficiencies and performance."

Derrington adds that Storage Foundation for Windows 5.1 includes a solution configuration center. The center offers step-by-step processes that walk customers through setting up Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, and Oracle databases to ensure applications can be quickly recovered from a point-in-time volume copy.

With version 5.1, end users can now recover consistent Exchange data to an alternate location with automated snapshot recovery to Exchange Recovery Storage Groups. For organizations requiring a multi-site disaster-recovery infrastructure for Exchange or other applications, Veritas Cluster Server has added support for EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF)/STAR.

Also new to Storage Foundation is a feature called SmartMove, a tool that analyzes data during data movement operations and ensures only the necessary blocks of data are moved.

Additionally, Veritas Storage Foundation Manager now supports Veritas Storage Foundation for Windows and up to 3,000 hosts enabling customers to glean information from storage objects, including volumes, storage subsystems, and SAN paths. Veritas Cluster Server Management Console has been enhanced to dynamically discover physical and virtual clusters across Unix, Linux, and Windows in a single global operation.

Veritas Storage Foundation 5.1 High Availability for Windows is scheduled for availability this June.

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