ExaGrid Expands Disk Backup De-Dupe Up to 130TB

ExaGrid Systems, Inc. announced the availability of the EX13000E disk backup system with upgraded 130TB GRID software.

It allows customers to store a 130TB full backup plus weeks or months of retention in a single GRID-based disk-backup system with data deduplication. It also adds an optional encryption capability. Like all ExaGrid systems, the EX13000E can be added to any existing ExaGrid solution in place with no risk of obsolescence. This allows customers to realize the low total cost of ownership with an ExaGrid solution by adding capacity as data grows without the need to replace existing hardware.

The highest performance 13TB appliance, ExaGrid’s EX13000E’s expanded backup capacity provides up to double the backup performance per TB of any other disk backup with a deduplication system. Unlike other disk backup solutions that scale by adding only disk shelves to a fixed controller and result in longer backup times as data grows, ExaGrid’s scalable GRID-based approach maintains fast backup performance even as data increases. This GRID-based approach allows ExaGrid customers to purchase a system knowing it will easily expand to accommodate future data growth while avoiding common technology end-of-life issues.

This release follows recent news of ExaGrid’s Fast and Reliable Backup price-matching program, where ExaGrid will match the quoted price of a new tape library in the vast majority of situations with an ExaGrid disk backup with deduplication system equipped to handle the same size backups. ExaGrid’s disk backup with deduplication system addresses the economics of backup for IT users, offering both a price matched to the cost of a new tape library and a model for adding capacity as data grows that avoids obsolescence. Customers can work with any authorized ExaGrid reseller to see if ExaGrid can match the price of a new tape library plus tapes and maintenance.

"ExaGrid’s backup solution lets customers make smart decisions and only purchase what they need up front, then grow their existing system over time-without expanding their backup windows and without fear that the system will be obsolete in the next year," said Bill Andrews, CEO of ExaGrid. "We all know what it’s like to buy a smartphone or consumer electronics product, only to learn that it’s obsoleted within months. With ExaGrid, that’s never an issue because newer systems like the EX13000E integrate seamlessly in our GRID architecture with previous generation ExaGrid appliances, regardless of size. Having 8 models of varying sizes from 1TB to 13TB that can be mixed and matched in a GRID really creates a flexible, cost-effective purchasing experience that customers and partners prefer."

The new EX13000E system includes the following features:

• New Benchmark for Performance: featuring 2.40 TB per hour in a single appliance, and 24 TB/hour for a 130TB GRID – up to two times the performance per TB of comparable competitive systems.
• Most Space-efficient Disk Backup Appliance: densest unit in terms of TB/rack-space on the market, taking-up 3U in size, as compared to 5U for competitive systems of comparable capacity
• Enhanced Energy Efficient Operation: the new EX13000E was designed with energy efficiency in mind and consumes 50 percent less power on average than prior generation configurations.
• New Price/Performance Standard: the cost of the new EX13000E is 25-30% less than comparable competitive systems
• New Support for Encryption: To meet increased security requirements for certain customers, the EX13000E can optionally be delivered with encrypting drives in the new EX13000-SEC. Data is encrypted before being committed to disk, and all data at rest on the disk is encrypted.
• Scalable Virtualized GRID Architecture: ten ExaGrid servers can be combined in a virtualized 130TB GRID system-30% greater capacity than previously available
• Singly-Managed GRID System: ExaGrid installations are managed via a single, centralized web UI with one login, unlike other solutions that require managing multiple separate devices.
• No ‘Forklift’ Upgrades: first company/system to solve the economics of backup problem.

ExaGrid’s disk backup system with data deduplication supports backup applications and utilities, including CA ARCserve, CommVault Simpana, HP Data Protector, Linux/Unix File System Data Dumps, Microsoft SQL dump, Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN), EMC NetWorker, Symantec Backup Exec, Symantec NetBackup, Veeam Backup & Replication, Quest vRanger and VMware Backup.

"Our groundbreaking EX13000E and 130TB GRID addresses the requirement we constantly hear from customers who need to efficiently back-up data today and also scale in a cost-effective manner to meet future needs," said Marc Crespi, vice president of Product Management, ExaGrid Systems, Inc. "With ExaGrid’s unique approach, customers can solve the traditional pain-points of backup-faster, more reliable backups, and better offsite disaster recovery-while also now solving the backup economics problem, by buying only what they require up-front and growing the system as their data grows. There is never the cost or disruption of having to do a forklift upgrade in the future."

Customer and Partner Support for ExaGrid EX13000E
"We started using ExaGrid a couple of years ago and have since added multiple systems – including most recently an EX13000E system – as our data has grown," said Jason O’Dell, IT manager for GreenBank. "Each time we’ve expanded, we’ve simply added another ExaGrid into our grid without any of the existing systems becoming obsolete or needing replacement. ExaGrid’s disk backup with data deduplication solution paired with its excellent support consistently delivers reliable data backup for GreenBank. For growing businesses like ours, it’s important to have a backup appliance that can seamlessly grow right along with our constantly expanding data demands. The new EX13000E embodies this principle and we’re excited about it."

"When it comes to backup, high performance for short backup windows and easy, affordable scalability as data grows are the key things on customers’ minds every day," said Chris Pace, principal Centre Technologies, a storage and data protection-focused solution provider. "ExaGrid’s new EX13000E and expanded GRID software allow us to deliver these valued benefits and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to offer them to our customers."

ExaGrid has more than 3,500 systems installed at more than 900 customers, and 250 published customer success stories and video testimonials.

Availability and Pricing:
The list price for the EX13000E is $69,900 and it is available. ExaGrid’s product line now includes 8 appliances sized from 1TB to 13TB-the EX1000, EX2000, EX3000, EX4000, EX5000, EX7000, EX10000E, and EX13000E-that can be mixed and matched in a GRID allowing customers to store up to a 130TB full backup, plus weeks to months of retention.