Combined Solution From FalconStor and Bus-Tech

FalconStor Software, Inc. and Bus-Tech, Inc. jointly announced the certified interoperability of FalconStor File-interface Deduplication System (FDS) with Bus-Tech’s Mainframe Data Library (MDL).

The combined solution of deduplication technology and mainframe VTL technology provides mainframe data centers with the ability to minimize storage capacity, extend online data retention,decrease the need for physical tape and reduce bandwidth requirements.
 
FalconStor FDS offers an easy-to-deploy, easy-to-manage, scalable data repository with deduplication to minimize storage capacity while extending online data retention for backup and archiving applications. Integrated data replication transmits only unique deduplicated and encrypted sub-block data and significantly reduces WAN requirements, while ensuring the data security needed for disaster recovery.
 
Bus-Tech’s MDL products are VTL controllers that attach directly to IBM mainframe FICON or ESCON input/output channels and use standard Gigabit Ethernet and write to FDS via an NFS interface. To the mainframe the MDL emulates 3480/3490/3590 tape drives; allowing mainframe-based applications to store tape data to FalconStor FDS by writing sequential files to disk as if they were standard tape devices.
 
"The combined solution of MDL and FalconStor FDS allows customers the advantages of high-performance VTL sub-systems with the efficiencies of data deduplication," stated Ralph Armstrong, vice president of product management for Bus-Tech. "The reduced storage footprint along with minimized bandwidth requirements for data vaulting make this a very attractive alternative to traditional tape environments for disaster recovery and business continuity needs."
 
Previously FalconStor and Bus-Tech announced an MDL gateway that treated the mainframe as a server writing tape data to the FalconStor Virtual Tape Library (VTL). Combined with this announcement, mainframe customers will now have the option to use the MDL/FalconStor FDS solution as a stand-alone mainframe virtual tape library or the MDL as a component to FalconStor VTL in a converged mainframe and open system backup process.
 
"We are very excited to expand our collaboration with Bus-Tech, bringing this combined solution to our enterprise data center customers," said Fadi Albatal, vice president of marketing for FalconStor. "This new integration will allow us to seamlessly deliver disk-to-disk high performance deduplication solutions for mainframe customers to help them eliminate complex and aging tape systems and accelerate their recovery and replication processes."
 
The products are available and can be purchased directly from Bus-Tech reseller partners.