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Isilon Introduces SyncIQ Replication Software

Isilon Systems announced a new software application for its award-winning Isilon IQ clustered storage system. The new SyncIQ replication software is the first to provide file-level replication over the WAN or LAN and leverage the power of a distributed file system and clustered storage architecture. Through a combination of sophisticated policy-based management, unmatched performance and breakthrough simplicity, SyncIQ represents a significant advancement in the storage industry.

Isilon's SyncIQ replication software is the most sophisticated policy-based file replication tool available and provides customers with a rich set of policies for scheduling storage replication jobs based on specific file type and size, available bandwidth and cluster utilization parameters. These policies can be set at the cluster, directory or file levels and replication jobs can be scheduled or run on-demand -- all while the Isilon IQ clustered storage system remains in full production.

High Performance, Clustered Architecture

SyncIQ delivers extremely fast replication of millions of files and terabytes of data over the WAN and LAN. SyncIQ is the only replication tool that leverages the Isilon OneFS fully distributed file system and clustered architecture, enabling replication jobs to be parallelized and evenly distributed across all nodes. SyncIQ eliminates the inherent performance bottlenecks found in traditional storage replication products on the market today, which utilize single servers or NAS "heads" to replicate data. Policy-based performance settings can be easily configured for both WAN and LAN bandwidth availability, desired utilization and to optimize the amount of cluster resources used for replication versus production demands. Settings can be scheduled based on time of day or a specific day of the week with a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Unprecedented Simplicity And Ease Of Use

SyncIQ sets a new standard in simplicity for large-scale storage replication. SyncIQ provides an intuitive web-based management console that is fully integrated with the Isilon IQ web management system, providing graphical monitoring and reporting across all Isilon IQ nodes. As a simple add-on software application, SyncIQ can be installed, configured, and begin replicating data in less than 10 minutes, eliminating the need for costly storage system downtime. Unlike traditional replication products from major storage vendors, SyncIQ does not require specialized storage system expertise or expensive professional services to install, configure and manage.

"Isilon's new SyncIQ replication software has a huge advantage over conventional approaches to storage replication," said Jamie Gruener, senior analyst with the Yankee Group. "Based on Isilon IQ's clustered, grid-based architecture, SyncIQ is able to provide fundamental speed and scalability advantages over single head or standalone server approaches. With SyncIQ, Isilon has innovated again to bring a level of simplicity and ease of use to the storage industry that customers have been clambering for, and packaged it in a very competitively priced product that requires no consultants to install or manage."

Wide Range Of Customer Usage Scenarios

SyncIQ replication software is a versatile and powerful tool that customers are using for many mission critical data migration and storage replication tasks, including:

• Disaster Recovery -- Replicate a copy of primary mission critical data to secondary locations (LAN/WAN) to ensure business continuance.
• Distributed Digital Workflow -- Collaborate on multiple copies of shared digital content files to improve workflow efficiency across geographically distributed teams and computing resources.
• Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) -- Automatically move stored files from more expensive primary online storage to less-expensive disk-based near-line storage.
• Distributed Online Delivery of Content -- Improve bandwidth utilization, minimize costs, and increase speed of end-user access by distributing content across multiple networks, data centers and geographic locations.
• Local Backup and Restore -- Shrink the window of time required to perform large-scale backup and restore operations by using a fast, scalable, disk-based targets.

"When it came time to move critical data to our new Isilon IQ 1440 storage system, we were a bit overwhelmed when thinking of how to migrate terabytes of data without cumbersome error-checking scripts and user intervention," said Saker Klippsten, chief technology officer and head of engineering at ZOIC Studios. "Once the system was in place, we were up and running with more than six terabytes of newly migrated storage the next morning. Without SyncIQ, this operation would have shutdown our production operation until we could finish the migration."

"Our SyncIQ replication software was designed and built to meet specific requirements that were defined by our leading customers in data-intensive industries such as digital imaging, media and entertainment, life sciences and oil and gas," said Sujal Patel, Isilon founder and chief technology officer. "The response we are hearing from customers and the industry is extremely positive, and we are committed to continuing to bring innovative new clustered storage software and systems to market."