Hitachi / FalconStor VTL | Product Review

By nature, people love powerhouse pairings. When you’re talking about the latest teaming up of tech manufacturing behemoths, the “double-up factor” is something that has powerful appeal. Why? Maybe it’s because we all share a hidden desire for balance and harmony and things that make plain good sense. One thing’s for certain. When you take a perfect pairing and throw in the potential for dollar savings, it usually results in an outright irresistible combination.

One such dream combo that’s bound to stir the interest of those hungering for high quality data storage “twofers” comes from Hitachi Data Systems, and its bundling of FalconStor’s VTL and deduplication software into the HDS midrange storage product line to offer a Disk-based Backup Appliance Bundle. In case you’re not aware of the implications of this union, this basically means that Hitachi customers can continue to take advantage of HDS’s hardware reliability and unparalleled remote replication capabilities, while adding to the mix FalconStor’s superior VTL and dedupe software. And all at prices that won’t send anyone into bankruptcy. The HDS product lines impacted include the AMS 2100 and AMS 2500 modular storage systems.

The Big, Big Deal
So what’s so great about a FalconStor/Hitachi Data Systems marriage that makes it a pairing worthy of such focus? Good question. First, here are the three primary benefits that FalconStor software brings to the mix that makes this pairing such a big deal.

• Global deduplication
• Block level deduplication
• A proven VTL (Virtual Tape Library) solution

Here’s a breakdown of what all three of these mean to the end user.

Global Deduplication: What Is It and Why Is It So Important?
True global deduplication isn’t something that everyone offers. Unlike local dedupe, which doesn’t extend beyond a single physical location, global deduplication can collect data that’s stored in numerous physical data centers and resolve its deduplication between disparate locations. When it comes to the all-important issue of saving storage space, owning this capability can have an enormous impact for companies looking to shore up their virtual footprint and snip away at excessive and expensive data center real estate.

Block Level Deduplication:
Another big-time capability is the ability to perform block level deduplication instead of file level deduplication. Deduping on the block level is far more efficient and can eliminate duplicate data by a ratio of up to 50:1 (in perfect circumstances), as compared with file level deduplication which only shrinks data by a ratio of about 5:1. Aside from mere numbers, the difference between the two methods can be summed up pretty simply. Instead of comparing file by file, block level deduplication compares data at the sub-file level (or block level). Whereas file level dedupe won’t consolidate two different versions of the same file if they’re not identical, block level deduplication does so by merging all block data that’s identical and only retaining the non-identical portion.

For example, say you’ve got a massive spreadsheet on file and you make a slight change. When you save the spreadsheet, file level deduplication identifies the old and new versions as two unique and separate files because they’re not identical. Block level deduplication, on the other hand, consolidates the similar components of both files and leaves the differing components untouched so that either version can be accessed and less space is used.

A Robust Virtual Tape Library (VTL)
As you’re probably already well aware, VTL is far superior to traditional tape library storage in that it incorporates the best of both worlds onto one platform. As a long utilized technology, the read and write speed of traditional tape has always been one of its biggest shortcomings. But given the fact that so many businesses have used tape storage for so long, the transition from tape to fully digital storage presents logistical challenges that are best addressed by opting for VTL. A Virtual Tape Library essentially looks and acts like tape and answers to all the same commands, with the critical exception that the data is stored digitally and can therefore be written and read much faster. Using a Virtual Tape Library is the most common choice for small businesses that aren’t yet ready or able to make the switch to a fully digital environment. It’s also the no-brainer alternative for companies that want to continue using tried and true backup software while taking advantage of the faster and more economical medium of disk space over tape.

Adding In the HDS Factor
Once you’ve got all of the aforementioned tricks up your proverbial sleeve—global dedupe, block level deduplication, and a high quality VTL—all that’s really missing is the ability to remotely replicate all of that deduplicated data for disaster recovery purposes. That’s where the HDS factor comes into play. Hitachi has a reputation as one of the best providers of highly functioning remote replication capabilities. But what exactly is remote replication and why is it so important?

How Remote Replication Works and Why You Need It
Remote replication is the key to rapid and effective disaster recovery. It ensures that critical data is copied from a production location to a remote location for storage, so that in the event of a full-blown disaster—whether that disaster comes by way of Mother Nature or a guy with fat fingers—that information can be recovered, limiting the amount of downtime that a business faces.

Synchronous remote replication happens when backup data is saved to both a primary site and a secondary storage site simultaneously. The required bandwidth for synchronous replication over geographic distance is most often cost prohibitive. Only companies with big budgets and private fiber connections between data centers can swing it.

Asynchronous remote replication is the option that’s most often used for disaster recovery and to transmit data across long distances, because it’s not nearly as bandwidth-intensive. Instead of being perfectly in sync, the two datacenters batch their changes and transmit them less frequently. The cost of asynchronous remote replication can be throttled by adjusting the volume of change data sent and the frequency at which it is synced.

Remote replication brings with it a laundry list of benefits, chief of which is the fact that unlike traditional tape it doesn’t have to be physically transported to a storage facility for permanent housing. This eliminates the slew of undesirable security risks that are inherent anytime critical data exits a facility via physical means.

Merging High Software Functionality with Reliable Hardware

Looking at the advantages offered by FalconStor software on their own merit should be enough to sell many, but it’s the combination of those features with the established reliability of HDS that delivers the greatest value. Hitachi Data Systems’ partnership with FalconStor brings all of the above-mentioned features and selling points within affordable reach of larger SMBs who aren’t in the market for anything beyond a midrange storage array. It also satisfies the desire for an all-inclusive, prepackaged solution that falls under a single support contract, making it a desirable solution for many SMB’s.

Related Hardware

AMS2300 3090 300