Features - Storage Innovations:

SNIA'S SSF REGISTERS INTEROPERABLE MIDRANGE STORAGE SOLUTION

Midrange storage users can now more easily combine and support multi-vendor storage systems in their data networks, and protect their vital corporate data with offsite backup thanks to the latest interoperability solution registered by the Storage Networking Industry Association's (SNIA) Supported Solutions Forum (SSF).

The solution is the result of cooperative testing by IBM Corporation, MTI Technology Corp, FalconStor Software Inc, VERITAS Software Corporation and Brocade, and allows midrange storage end users to combine IBM's FAStT700 Storage System with MTI's Vivant 400 storage solution. FalconStor's IPStor Software supports the ability for the user to protect data with remote mirroring, local mirroring or migration to a different storage system. VERITAS's Volume Manager Dynamic MultiPathing (DMP) Software, HP's Physical Volume (PV) -- Links Software, and IBM's Redundant Dual Active Controller (RDAC) Software provide the multipathing capability supporting high availability.

"This is a significant breakthrough for many users who want the ability to invoke copy functions between disparate arrays without relying on an array vendor's solution in order to do so," said Data Mobility Group Senior Analyst John Webster. "This type of migration or replication scenario supports disaster recovery, business continuance, acquisition and merger, content distribution, content management and other applications where users require this level of functionality."

Those who implement this solution have access to a single point for support through the SSF's TSANet-administered Cooperative Support Group Relationship. This relationship provides critical multi-vendor contact information and an escalation process via the Internet, allowing vendors to access the information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

"SSF registered solutions are an indication of the SNIA's focus on helping users create secure, scalable and cost-effective storage solutions," said SSF Chairman Phil Mills, "Like all of the latest SSF registered solutions, the vendors in this solution will be using the TSANet vendor-neutral community infrastructure for support, enabling the end user in most cases to make a single call for technical support."

Design Highlights:

• Choice of two competing midrange storage systems: Storage with LUNs with virtualization, or Storage with LUNs without virtualization
• 2Gb speed for all components
• Windows, Sun and HP servers
• High availability fabric with dual, redundant paths
• Data zones
• Multi-vendor disk storage in the same data zone sharing server HBAs
• Complete path failover and load balancing for all disk access
• Local mirroring: Heterogeneous mirroring (MTI-to-IBM, IBM-to-MTI)
• Data migration between heterogeneous systems (MTI-to-IBM, IBM-to-MTI)
• Long distance remote replication via IP network: Homogeneous mirroring (MTI-to-MTI), Heterogeneous replication (IBM-to-MTI)

Equipment used in this registered solution includes:

• Brocade SilkWorm 3800 switches
• IBM FAStT700 storage systems
• MTI Vivant 400 storage solution
• VERITAS Volume Manager with Dynamic MultiPathing (DMP)
• IBM FAStT Storage Manager
• Redundant dual active controller (RDAC)
• FalconStor IPStor Software with replication features
• IPStor features, including synchronous mirroring, storage service enabler and replication option
• FalconStor running on Linux servers
• SAN Client servers
• Sun server running Solaris
• HP server running HP-UX
• IBM server running Windows 2000

A white paper that addresses this solution and additional information about the SNIA SSF program are available on the SNIA Web site at www.snia.org/ssf.

About Brocade

Brocade offers an industry leading intelligent platform for networking storage. The world's leading systems, applications, and storage vendors have selected Brocade to provide a networking foundation for their SAN solutions. The Brocade SilkWorm family of fabric switches and software is designed to optimize data availability and storage and server resources in the enterprise. Using Brocade solutions, companies can simplify the implementation of storage area networks, reduce the total cost of ownership of data storage environments, and improve network and application efficiency. For more information, visit the Brocade Web site at www.brocade.com or contact the company at info@brocade.com.

About FalconStor

FalconStor Software Inc delivers network storage infrastructure solutions for end-to-end business continuity, centralized storage management, and optimized performance. FalconStor empowers enterprises to lower the TCO of their IT infrastructure through a comprehensive set of storage services, with total hardware and protocol freedom.

Founded in 2000, FalconStor is headquartered in Melville, NY. International offices include Paris, Tokyo and Taichung, Taiwan. FalconStor is a voting member of the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) and Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA). For more information, visit www.falconstor.com or call 631-777-5188.

About IBM

IBM is a leader in storage systems, software, services and technology. IBM's open storage solutions are designed for the rigors of e-business collaboration utilizing next generation concepts for open storage by integrating modular technologies including disk, tape and optical storage media, powerful processors, and rich software. For more information, visit www.ibm.com/totalstorage.

About MTI

MTI's mission is to be at the forefront of developing and delivering storage solutions to customers -- through innovation, customer feedback and best practice. A premier provider of enterprise storage products for more than 20 years, MTI Technology Corp. develops, integrates and manufactures high-performance, high-availability storage products for midrange to Global 2000 companies worldwide. MTI also services select third-party hardware and software, and its Professional Services organization provides planning, consulting and implementation support for storage products from other leading vendors. Headquartered in Anaheim, Calif., MTI may be reached by telephone at 800-999-9MTI (toll free) or 714-970-0300, or by fax at 714-693-2256. The Web address is www.mti.com.

About VERITAS Software

With revenues of $1.5 billion in 2001, VERITAS Software ranks among the top 10 software companies in the world. VERITAS Software is the world's leading storage software company, providing data protection, storage management, high availability and disaster recovery software to 86 percent of the Fortune 500. VERITAS Software's corporate headquarters is located at 350 Ellis Street, Mountain View, CA, 94043, tel: 650-527-8000, fax: 650-527-8050, e-mail: vx-sales@veritas.com, Web site: www.veritas.com.

About the Supported Solutions Forum

The Supported Solutions Forum (SSF) is a group of companies within the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) that promotes customer adoption of open storage networking solutions by encouraging vendors to work together and deliver to customers mutually supported, interoperable solutions. In support of the SNIA goals, the highly innovative SSF was established in June of 2001, so that SNIA members could improve storage networking interoperability through solutions jointly developed and tested by forum members. Each supported solution is cooperatively supported by sponsoring forum members to provide a streamlined customer support process for the end- user company. Visit the SSF Web site at www.snia.org/ssf.

SSF Members

Adaptec, ADIC, AT&T Managed Services and Hosting, BMC Software, Brocade Communications Systems Inc, Chaparral Network Storage Inc, CNT, CommVault Systems, CreekPath Systems, Crossroads, DataCore Software, Decru Inc, EMC, Emulex Corporation, FalconStor Software Inc, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM and IBM Tivoli Software, INRANGE Technologies, JNI Corporation, LEGATO Systems Inc, LSI Logic Storage Systems, McDATA Corporation, MTI Technology Corp, Network Appliance, QLogic Corporation, Quantum Corporation, SpectraLogic, Storability Software, StorageTek, Sun Microsystems, Troika Networks Inc, VERITAS Software, XIOTech Corporation, a Seagate Company.

About the SNIA

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) is a not-for-profit organization, made up of over 300 companies and individuals worldwide spanning the entire storage industry. SNIA members share a common goal: to set the pace of the industry by ensuring that storage networks become efficient, complete and trusted solutions across the IT community. To this end the SNIA is uniquely committed to delivering standards, education and services that will propel open storage networking solutions into the broader market. For information, contact the SNIA at 650-949-6720 or via e-mail at executivedirector@snia.org, or visit the SNIA on the Web at www.snia.org.