PoINT Storage Manager 4.0 Arrives

PoINT Software & Systems announced the release of its PoINT Storage Manager (PSM) 4.0 tiered storage and archiving software.

For more information visit: www.point.de


Unedited press release follows:

PoINT Storage Manager 4.0 now available – Storing inactive data intelligently and efficiently

2013-05-22: Siegen. PoINT Software & Systems GmbH has recently announced the availability of its PoINT Storage Manager (PSM) 4.0. By using this solution companies can face challenges due to data growth within the primary storage, which are mainly caused by inactive data. The improved functionality of this new version solves the problem by file-based Storage Tiering. Inactive data are migrated or archived by policies from expensive primary storage to cost-optimized secondary storage while the data access is still transparent.

“Data growth stresses increasingly the primary storage of companies while at the same time data are becoming faster inactive after storing”, explains Aindrias T. Wall, Manager Sales Storage Products of PoINT. “This means that data growth and data value behave in an opposite way – and this means on the other hand that expensive storage capacity is wasted for less profitable data.”

The solution for this problem is a “Tiered Storage Architecture”: By PSM 4.0 a Tiered Storage model with 3 storage layers consisting of Performance, Capacity and Archive Tier can be implemented in a way that within the Capacity Tier two and in the Archive Tier up to four storage systems can be configured. It may be noted that the new version offers an automated replication within both secondary storage layers. Especially taking advantage of different storage technologies (disk, tape, cloud and optical) supported by PSM users can implement a media mix in their storage infrastructure and minimize further on their risk of data loss.

Support of additional storage systems and enhanced functionality
The list of the supported storage systems has been extended in the new PSM version. In the area of primary storage EMC Celerra and VNX systems as well as NetApp vFiler configurations have been added. Systems of e.g. Crossroads, DELL, DISC, HIT, Qualstar, SUN StorageTek and Tandberg are supported in the secondary storage layer.

Also the file system functionality of PSM 4.0 has been extended. Companies can comply with their archiving obligations without introducing expensive and complex DMS/ECM systems. Besides the already supported “Compliant Mode” which prevents changes of archived files, the new release supports also a “Read/Write Mode”. The file system of the primary storage behaves also for the archived files like a usual Read/Write file system. Thus archived files stay unchanged with their original content in the archive storage. Changes are archived and represented as new file versions.

About PoINT
PoINT Software & Systems GmbH is specialized in the development of software products and systems solutions for storage and management of data using all available mass storage technologies like hard disks, magnetic tapes and optical media. Close collaboration with leading hardware manufacturers enables an early support of innovative storage technologies. Besides these complete solutions PoINT also offers its know-how as Toolkits, which can be easily integrated in other applications by the programming interface. Furthermore PoINT projects entire storage solutions and provides consultancy with his long-term and versatile experience.

PoINT products are distributed by 50 partners in more than 25 countries world-wide and have been installed successfully in more than 2 million installations. PoINT customers range from end users expecting a compact and secure solution to large corporations, which comply with our solutions their complex demands by providing the necessary reliability and perfection.