Syncsort Unveiled Backup Express 3.1

Syncsort Incorporated unveiled Backup Express (BEX) 3.1, its scalable data protection solution for SMBs, SMEs and large enterprises. The new release provides customers deploying server virtualization with unprecedented capabilities to meet the data protection requirements of the new environments. Ease of use, unparalleled performance and significant data reduction enable customers to reduce the storage requirements and the backup window by more than 90%. In addition, with BEX Instant Virtualization, a server can be recovered nearly instantaneously without transferring data. The BEX architecture enables customers to realize the efficiencies of server consolidation while avoiding the typical roadblocks that are part of today’s conventional storage and backup solutions.

Instant Virtualization
The unique BEX 3.1 data protection architecture reduces the data being transferred to only those blocks that have changed, yet is low-impact on the server, putting little or no strain on the virtual infrastructure being protected. This allows backups of VMs to finish fast and be scheduled often. With BEX 3.1’s exclusive multi-purpose snapshot technology, each backup is a read-writable ‘full’ backup. Customers can recover virtual machines almost instantly no matter how much data is being protected. A single BEX console manages the backup policy scheduling and the rapid restores of both virtual and physical machines.

Overcoming Virtualization Roadblocks
"Our customers are rapidly adopting server virtualization to gain the benefits of server consolidation. Often they find that building a virtual infrastructure brings with it significant pain in the form of complex administration, expanding storage costs, deteriorating application performance and even loss of the ability to backup and recover their virtual machines," said Harvey Tessler, Syncsort’s Sr. Vice President of Marketing. "BEX 3.1 overcomes such issues with an easy-to-use management console and innovative technologies that address the storage, server and application challenges of a virtual environment like never before."

Unique Integrated Architecture
BEX 3.1’s unique multi-purpose snapshots help simplify and accelerate disaster recovery, remote office protection, and server-level or file-level restores. Instant access to backed up database applications – including MS Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, and Oracle – is also integrated. A new management console allows all these functions to be deployed from a single unified platform, whether in a virtual, physical or mixed environment.

"By using BEX 3.1 unique backup technology, VMware backups are a breeze," said Timothy J. Patterson, System Administrator for Saginaw Valley State University. "Additionally, disaster recovery is now much easier thanks to the instant availability features that directly integrate with the ESX server. And Syncsort’s new easy-to-use GUI interface is an amazing enhancement in this release; it is faster and more intuitive, and works cross-browser and cross-platform."

Enhancements in BEX 3.1 include:

• BEX Instant Virtualization: Allows near-instant server recovery to a virtual machine without transferring data.
• Full Server Virtualization: Enables easy virtualization, cloning and migration to virtual machines.
• MS Exchange Single Mailbox Recovery: Enables single mailbox and message recovery in minutes without ‘brick-level’ backups.
• Unified Management Console: Fast, user-friendly, tab-based management console controls all BEX functions.
• Virtual Machine Reporting: High-level view of entire virtualized environment shows performance, storage allocation, usage, and free space, allowing easy management of VM infrastructures.
• Replication: Replicates snapshots from one server to another for additional disk-based protection.
• Tape Migration: Enables tape duplication to unlike tapes and migration of VTL to physical tape.

BEX 3.1 provides protection for Windows, Linux, UNIX, Novell and mixed platforms.