Features - Storage Innovations:

STORAGE PRACTICE AUTOMATION MOVES BEYOND PROVISIONING

Invio Software, the company that is bringing platform independent automation to enterprise storage operations, has announced Active Practices for Database Cloning and Backup. Invio's new solution enables storage and database administrators to clone or create copies of databases, perform split-mirror backup and manage BCV's rapidly and easily. With Active Practices, the cloning process, which is time-consuming, labor intensive, and involves multiple organizations, is transformed into a seamless automated process that is auditable, repeatable, and secure.

Using Active Practices, administrators can now centrally manage automated operations to perform timely backup and recovery within compressed windows, execute iterative database performance testing, test application and operating system upgrade, and provide point-in-time copies for data analysis.

"Through extensive dialogue with our customers it is clear that managing database copies continues to represent one of the foremost challenges facing storage operations today. It's a complex, repetitive practice that can be dramatically simplified via practice automation," said Ranga Rangachari, Invio president and CEO. "In a broader context, today's announcement demonstrates Invio's ongoing commitment to move beyond provisioning by providing the full range of integrated automation solutions for enterprise storage operations."

Today, performing a cold backup using a clone may require up to 10 distinct steps using multiple management tools. If a backup is performed with the database online, or is completed on another server (off-host backup), the number of steps expands greatly. Traditionally, these steps must be coordinated between database, system and storage administrators, increasing complexity, delay and risk of error.

Invio Active Practices perform end-to-end cloning and backup operations quickly and automatically, enforcing policy compliance and error-free practice execution. Process handoffs between people, platforms and locations are seamlessly managed. With Active Practices, administrators can create copies and backups as often as needed; eliminating extensive labor, late nights and rework, while increasing the responsiveness and discipline needed to ensure service level agreements are met.

"There is only one independent Storage Process Automation solution available today: Invio Software," said Nancy Marone, senior analyst for the Enterprise Storage Group, "and many vendors and end users are applying this solution to tie their disparate management solutions together in order to realize the benefits of automation."