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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY / MAY 19, 2003: VOL. 2 NO. 20

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Breaking News - Storage:

IBM'S Shark On Prowl At Area Data Centers

IBM recently announced that its Enterprise Storage Server (codenamed "Shark") has been enhanced to provide the new flagship IBM eServer z990 with superior data protection and access for business continuity and efficiency.

The continuing evolution of IBM's TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server (ESS) with e-Business On Demand capabilities is complimented with an enhanced standby capacity on demand offering, enabling customers to acquire up to 6.9 terabytes of "standby" capacity to help address rapidly changing business needs. Once acquired, this additional capacity can be activated quickly without disrupting operations. IBM also is announcing Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC) V2 and FlashCopy V2 for the ESS. The optional advanced copy features can help significantly enhance data mirroring and business continuity for the z990, as well as other server environments.

"As the backbone of IBM's storage product family, we have continued to enhance Shark to deliver increased value to our customers," said 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 require extreme high availability and protection."

Highlights of the announcement include:

  • Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (PPRC) V2 Enhancements: Providing long distance, including coast-to-coast, data mirroring. The new cascading PPRC capabilities further extend remote copy functions for zSeries and open systems data with two-or three-site configuration options that can help dramatically improve protection against data loss.
  • FlashCopy V2 Enhancements: Data set, multiple relationship and incremental refresh capabilities help improve granularity, flexibility, capacity management/utilization and completion times.
  • Standby Capacity on Demand: Improved flexibility in pricing and the quantity of on demand storage available -- up to 6.9TB more -- helps provide more convenience, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Powered by numerous innovative technologies, including fast copper microchips and two Gigabit per second (Gbps) FICON data transfer rates, IBM's Enterprise Storage Server Model 800 can help improve the efficiency of customers' storage infrastructures with unique self-management features that enable comprehensive real-time "on the fly" system configuration and management.

"Growing regulatory obligations, such as HIPAA, and the information requirements needed for cost-effective health care are pushing us to an on demand environment," said Greg Pinz, Director of I.S., St. Anthony's Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, which has a 20 terabyte SAN powered by IBM's Shark along with 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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