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EMC has announced the world's largest single system virtual tape library (VTL), as well as the latest versions of its industry-leading data de-duplication, replication and backup software, and new bare metal recovery capabilities.

David Donatelli, EMC's EVP for storage product operations, said, "We're expanding the industry's broadest portfolio of backup and recovery solutions even more with new cost-effective, high-end disk library systems and new versions of our leading software that will help customers protect and recover their information faster, easier and more reliably than ever before."

In summary:-

- The EMC Disk Library (DL) 6000 series can store up to 1.8 petabytes of information in a single appliance and can backup more than 11 terabytes of data per hour. It's a Symmetrix base, using the DMX-3 storage platform, and EMC claims it provides the highest levels of scalability, performance and software capabilities in the industry.

- The latest version of EMC Avamar data de-duplication software features integration with VMware technology. Avamar software version 3.7 now supports VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) software, reducing backup times of virtual machines by up to 90 percent. Additionally, Avamar software includes expanded file server support, enabling faster backups of EMC Celerra network-attached storage (NAS) systems.

- EMC HomeBase, new software that provides bare metal recovery of servers. HomeBase software simplifies server management through highly automated recovery of server capabilities in the event of a hardware failure or disaster. This new software, using acquired Indigo Stone technology provides greater protection using a unique feature that captures a server's status more frequently to provide faster recoveries. HomeBase is complementary to Avamar, VMware and EMC (Legato) NetWorker backup and recovery software.

- New features of EMC NetWorker software, including new ease-of-use features and support of additional languages, improving management capabilities for multi-national customers.

- A new version of EMC RecoverPoint software for Continuous Remote Replication (CRR) and local Continuous Data Protection (CDP). The latest version includes support for Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), which improves automation and management of backups and restores for applications like Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SQL Server. In addition, EMC has integrated RecoverPoint and EMC Replication Manager software to centralize management of RecoverPoint local CDP protection in a Microsoft Windows environment.

FalconStor

A FalconStor statement said: "Today EMC announced its Symmetrix Disk Library solution - bringing virtual tape library (VTL) to the high-end, mission critical storage systems for the first time. Up to this point VTL has been implemented on secondary storage systems. FalconStor is the VTL software that powers the EMC solution. FalconStor powers the VTL for most of the major storage vendors."

For example, FalconStor software is used by Sun.

It is significant that EMC is seeing VTL adoption in large-scale, mission-critical environments. VTL and disk-based protection is moving into a new adoption phase in the market - taking on more and more responsibility in the enterprise. Tape is fundamentally changing its role, virtualization becomes mainstream and disk is the point of recovery. In other words tape is stepping back from the front line of backup in large enterprises and becoming the tier two backup medium with disk as tier one.

Only disk-based systems can meet backup window constraints and tighter RPO (recovery point objective) and RTO (recovery time objective) needs. Slow tape is hamstrung by its sequential access. The name of the game is recovery and flexibility and tape is increasingly seen as inflexible and slow for reciovery purposes.

We are not yet seeing the Avamar de-duplication technology being used in the EMC VTL. As sure as eggs are eggs it will come.