AlphaStor

Media, Device, and Library Management

AlphaStor is a mainframe-class media management application that automates the entire media life cycle, enables library and device sharing, and provides a single point of management control for tape, device, and library activity. Designed for open systems data centers that must address rapid storage growth while controlling costs, AlphaStor simplifies administration, while significantly reducing the costs of managing storage.

AlphaStor’s media life cycle management capabilities ensure that critical tapes are always accessible and protected from errors associated with manual tape handling. With AlphaStor, NetWorker administrators manage all activity and view all information, including media usage by backup server and other management reports, from one place. AlphaStor also reduces costs by allowing NetWorker users to share tape device and library resources across multiple NetWorker Backup Servers/Data Zones, enabling them to delay purchasing new equipment until existing resources have been maximized



Features & Benefits

Media Life Cycle Management

    Policy-based model for retention, movement, etc.

    Off-site tape location tracking

    Off-site tape tracking of electronically vaulted tapes

    Tape cycling and expiration handling


Consolidated Scratch Pool Management

    Multiple and distributed scratch pool support; pool definition by application, code, or other method

    Ability to generate list of tapes to be pulled

    Scratch tape insertions and removal


Catalog Management

    Centralized media catalog; tape verification with catalog

    Multiple volume support; inquiry and update of tape catalog

    Foreign tape importing and tracking


Volume Maintenance Functions

    New volume addition; rotation schedules; retention and expiration policies



AlphaStor 2.1

AlphaStor is a media, device, and library management solution that provides NetWorker customers with automated full media life cycle management and library and device sharing across multiple NetWorker data zones. New features available with Release 2.1 include support for the StorageTek StorageNet 6000 and NDMP support for Network Appliance.

StorageNet 6000 Support
With Release 2.1, NetWorker users can now take advantage of the unique device management capabilities of the StorageTek SN6000. In fact, AlphaStor was recently validated as interoperable with the SN6000 through extensive testing by StorageTek and LEGATO. AlphaStor enables SN6000 users with NetWorker to schedule, track, and automate movement of all media, regardless of location, based on defined rotation schedules and utilizing tape retention policies defined within NetWorker. AlphaStor also supports the Tape Mirroring capabilities of the SN6000 with VTM.

NDMP support for Network Appliance
AlphaStor’s dynamic device sharing and library management functionality has been expanded in Release 2.1 to support NDMP for NAS hardware specifically qualified for Network Appliance. This support allows AlphaStor to dynamically allocate devices needing access by NAS hardware for backup. Additionally, when tape devices are connected through a SAN, they can be shared with other NetWorker Servers or Storage Nodes in the environment – providing optimal use of tape device and library resources.