Windows IT Pro Storage UPDATE--Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support--February 5, 2007

Contents:
-Storage Viewpoint: Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support
-News from the Industry: The Year of Green Storage
-New and Improved
- Disk Cartridges Designed for SMBs
- Recover an Entire Server: OS, Applications, and Data

==============

Sponsors:Introduction to Data Protection Manager
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/microsoft/dpm/?code=STGTop0205Migrating from Tape to Disk Backups
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepaper/revinetix/tapetodisk/?code=STGMid0205SQL Server Clustering for High Availability
http://www.sqlmag.com/go/seminars/xosoft/sqlclustering/?partnerref=STGHot0205

==========

==== Sponsor: Microsoft ====Introduction to Data Protection Manager Get a solid introduction to Data Protection Manager (DPM), now shipping with Microsoft System Center. Download the full eBook today to learn how to use DPM to augment tape-based backups.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/microsoft/dpm/?code=STGTop0205

==========

==== 1. Target Software Boosts Microsoft's iSCSI Support ====
by David Chernicoff, [email protected] Microsoft formally began supporting iSCSI more than two years ago when it included iSCSI initiator support in Windows Server 2003. However, Microsoft didn't release its own version for the other half of the equation, iSCSI target software, until July 2006, when Microsoft released the iSCSI target technology it acquired from String Bean Software in early 2006. The target software, called Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, is available as the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target Application Pack and only through OEMs selling Windows Storage Server and Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003. By adding the iSCSI Software Target Software Application Pack to either of the Microsoft storage server offerings, a user could provide an end-to-end Microsoft solution for deploying an iSCSI-based storage network.To view the rest of this article, click here:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=95100==== Sponsor: Revinetix ====Migrating from Tape to Disk Backups Do you want to create a fast, user-friendly, reliable, secure and scalable backup strategy for your small-to-midsized business (SMB)? Download this free white paper today and learn how you can break away from tape and move to disk-based data protection.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepaper/revinetix/tapetodisk/?code=STGMid0205==== News from the Industry ====
by Blake Eno, [email protected] Year of Green Storage If you work in a data center, you're probably familiar with green storage: environmentally friendly storage, which uses less power and physical space than traditional storage. Gartner predicts green storage as the most highly hyped data storage trend for 2007. I talked to Pillar Data Systems' Russ Kennedy, senior director of marketing and strategy, and Chris Drago, director of worldwide PR, to learn more about why it's important for companies to start thinking about green storage. Drago and Kennedy provided some astonishing statistics. In 2005, Gartner reported that $6 billion was spent powering data centers in the United States alone. Gartner also predicts that by the end of 2008, nearly 50 percent of data centers worldwide won't have sufficient power and cooling to support high-density equipment. Kennedy and Drago stressed that companies need to more efficiently use their storage if they plan to continue operating successfully in the future. This means that companies will need to have flexible storage platforms and consolidate multiple storage platforms. "The proliferation of different boxes can't continue," says Kennedy. Related to consolidation are physical space limitations, which Pillar Data Systems asserts is one of the largest challenges facing IT professionals today, especially in densely populated regions. Insofar as companies' growing space needs and use of Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) storage tiers increase power consumption, these factors also drive the green storage movement. Kennnedy and Drago's goal is to make green storage as simple as possible and to help users understand what efficiency is all about. For Pillar Data Systems, attaining this goal means maximizing application performance and data capacity with the most efficient use of floor space and power consumption. To determine the efficiency of Pillar Data Systems' storage products, the company uses the efficient quotient (EQ): capacity (GB) x performance (I/O operations per second--IOPS) / power (watts) x space (square meters). When Pillar Data Systems ran its EQ against some of its competitors' products, Pillar found that the EQ for its products was nearly twice as large as that of its competitors, meaning that Pillar Data Systems products had a high performance and capacity while consuming the lowest levels of energy and space. Pillar products' relatively high EQ stems largely from its ability to consolidate multiple applications and tiers of storage onto one platform. Additionally, the company is able to deliver multiple storage technologies such as Fibre Channel and Serial ATA (SATA) on one platform. Going forward, be sure to think about green storage, and talk with your vendors to help you determine how efficient your storage really is. Is storage efficiency a concern in your organization? Does your company plan to address this issue in the next couple of years? Tell us your thoughts at http://forums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=46&threadid=83847&enterthread=y . ==== New and Improved ====
by Blake Eno, [email protected] Cartridges Designed for SMBs ProStor Systems announced the addition of a 160GB capacity to its product line of RDX removable disk cartridges, which operate like traditional tape drives but provide the functionality and performance of disk-to-disk systems. This new capacity means that RDX is now offered in native 40GB, 80GB, 120GB, and now 160GB capacities, providing small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs) a choice of cartridges and backup options for their servers and workstations. The RDX 160GB capacity, like the other capacities, is fully forward and backward compatible with all RDX drives. For more information, contact ProStor Systems at 303-545-2535 or visit the company on the Web at:
http://www.prostorsystems.comRecover an Entire Server: OS, Applications, and Data Double-Take Software announced two new products to address disaster recovery challenges. The first product, Double-Take Server Recovery Option, lets customers restore entire servers, including the OS, applications, and data as well as restore to servers with different hardware configurations. The second product, Double-Take ShadowCaster for Small Business Server, provides whole-server replication and failover between a Windows Small Business Server (SBS) box and a standby system. For more information, contact Double-Take Software at 317-598-0185 or 888-674-9495, or visit the company on the Web at:
http://www.doubletake.com

==========

WANTED: Your reviews of products you've tested and used in production. Share your experiences and ratings of products to [email protected] and get a Best Buy gift certificate.

==========

==== Sponsor: XOsoft ====SQL Server Clustering for High Availability Achieve your database high availability goals. Learn how Microsoft Clustering Services can be used to improve SQL Server availability, and get guidelines for how clusters can assist with your disaster recovery strategy. Also learn to upgrade and manage your existing clusters. Register today for this free Web seminar! On-Demand Web Seminar.
http://www.sqlmag.com/go/seminars/xosoft/sqlclustering/?partnerref=STGHot0205==== Windowsitpro.com Resources ====For more Storage-related resources, visit
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/storageresourcesEvents and Resources Does your SQL Server deployment suffer from low utilization rates, suboptimal availability, and management challenges? Learn to overcome these difficulties by deploying a data-clustering utility that can help lower your cost of ownership by 70 percent and can react to database capacity changes within 30 seconds. On-Demand Web Seminar.
http://www.sqlmag.com/go/seminars/polyserve/consolidatesql/?partnerref=0201sqlupdate How will compliance regulations affect your IT infrastructure? Help design your retention and retrieval, privacy, and security policies to ensure that your organization is compliant. Download this free eBook today!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/sherpa/compliance/?code=0202str Learn how to combine consolidation with selected technology updates to build an infrastructure that can handle change effectively.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/essential/hp/infrastructure/?code=0201clientFeatured White Paper Prevent installation and execution of unauthorized software on the computers on your network. Download this free white paper today for a comparison of techniques for detecting and preventing unauthorized code. Protect against emerging risks today!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepapers/bit9/lockdown/?code=0129strfeatwp Announcements Make Your Mark on the IT Community! Nominate yourself or a peer to become "IT Pro of the Month." This is your chance to get the recognition you deserve! Winners will receive over $600 in IT resources and be featured in Windows IT Pro. It's easy to enter--we're accepting February nominations now, but only for a limited time! Submit your nomination today:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/itpromonthRing in the New Year with Windows IT Pro Don't miss Windows IT Pro in 2007! As a subscriber, you'll get full access to must-have coverage relating to Windows Vista deployment, virtualization, disaster recovery, Active Directory, the Office 2007 launch, SharePoint fundamentals, and much more. Order now and save 58 percent off the cover price.
https://store.pentontech.com/index.cfm?s=1&promocode=eu2071uw

=========

==== Contact Us ====About the commentary -- [email protected]
About the newsletter -- [email protected]
About technical questions -- http://www.windowsitpro.com/forums
About product news -- [email protected]
About your subscription -- [email protected]
About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]

===============

View the Windows IT Pro privacy policy at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/AboutUs/Index.cfm?action=privacy

Windows IT Pro, a division of Penton Media, Inc.
221 East 29th Street, Loveland, CO 80538
Attention: Customer Service Department

Copyright 2007, Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.