FalconStor Software, a provider of disk-based data protection, released the latest version of its virtual tape library (VTL) offering, which includes an expanded set of deduplication methods and improved performance. FalconStor VTL 7.5 is intended to provide customers the flexibility to optimize backup for speed and efficiency by tailoring deduplication processes to the needs of their environment while delivering twice the deduplication rate of any competing solution.
Deduplication options include inline, concurrent, post-processing or no deduplication, and the ability to deploy them in multiple configurations to match types of data and available storage. In addition, the vendor says, companies can deploy FalconStor Turbo deduplication with post and concurrent processing, reducing input/output (I/O) cycles and boosting performance up to 300%.
"The bottom line is there are lots of different options," said Darrell Riddle, senior director of product marketing for FalconStor Software, during a webcast announcing the FalconStor VTL 7.5. "Which one the customer chooses depends on their back-end storage, memory, back-up window, and CPU power. Flexibility is key. We know that no situation is exactly the same sand we want to make sure that you have that capability."
According to FalconStor, performance tests of a four-node cluster configuration, FalconStor VTL 7.5 demonstrated the fast sustained deduplication speeds - more than 28TB per hour with inline deduplication and more than 40TB per hour with post processing.
In addition, FalconStor says it is working closely with leading standards, including the Symantec Open Storage Technology (OST), Symantec's Open Storage API, noted Tim Sheets, senior director of product management at FalconStor, during the webcast. "We call it 'OST .Next' because what we are doing is not only maintaining those industry standards, but getting the cross-compatibility with vendors like Symantec for things like catalog consistency, better overall management, as well as improved scalability and performance. And what that allows us to do, by working with multiple OST environments, is optimize the whole backup scheme." The improved scalability and performance with the Symantec Open Storage Technology (OST) platform with the introduction of OST .Next, enables up to two million backups in an eight-node cluster, according to FalconStor.
"Businesses shouldn't have to worry about things like redundant data," said Sheets, emphasizing that options such as the ability to export directly to tape give customers flexibility. "Again, whether it is inline or ingest performance, FalconStor continues to be the fastest backup and deduplication device on the planet. This frees up our customers to give them time to focus on running their business, not backing up their business. Supporting industry standards and better utilization means that we give them what they need, how they need it, and the flexibility to adapt to their environments. At the end of the day, it is their data, optimized."
According to the company, FalconStor VTL scales by either adding nodes or adding storage, allowing customers to scale two different ways and dramatically reduce future storage spending while improving efficiency. The product set also offers expansion of data repository nodes, lowering the cost of initial storage investment while providing capacity to grow with business demands. It also enables reduced memory requirements achieved by replicating only unique data, increasing the efficiency of LAN and WAN environments.
FalconStor VTL supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), tape-shredding functionality, full replication encryption, and Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS).
FalconStor VTL 7.5 is available immediately as software-only, a fully configured appliance or a virtual machine. For more information, visit www.falconstor.com.