CommVault Introduces IntelliSnap Connect Program

CommVault Systems, Inc. introduced the IntelliSnap Connect Program, an open development program that enables disk array vendors to integrate their array-based snapshot solutions with the SnapProtect module in CommVault Simpana software.

With Simpana software and Qualified IntelliSnap Connect Arrays, customers can further consolidate and extend their SAN investments for efficiency and accelerated backup and recovery performance while reducing recovery costs and minimizing the risk of data loss.

IntelliSnap Connect Partners gain access to technology and resources that help them create solutions, differentiate their storage platforms and gain competitive advantage in the data and information management marketplace by harnessing the power of application-aware snapshot management to provide customers with scalable and reliable data protection technologies.

Working with CommVault’s IntelliSnap program, prospective partners are provided a Software Development Kit that allows them to integrate their storage systems with Simpana software and, upon completion of the program, achieve Qualified IntelliSnap Connect Array status.

Qualified IntelliSnap Connect Arrays are supported with Simpana software to allow users to harness the power of rapid-fire, persistent, hardware-based snapshots with data management capabilities to protect the largest, most demanding virtual and physical server environments.

The IntelliSnap Connect Program bolsters CommVault’s standing as having a compatibility matrix for hardware snapshot management without custom scripting or solution modifications helping customers unlock and optimize their existing and future SAN investments. Since the beginning of 2011, Simpana software’s SnapProtect technology has supported nine of the top 10 best-selling storage arrays and, when the IBM DS8000 is used with the IBM SVC (SAN Volume Controller), SnapProtect technology supports all 10.

Companies like Dell, HDS, and NetApp are foundational members of the program while emerging players like Nimble Storage and XIO are working toward integration within the program parameters.

CommVault’s  support for disk-based snapshot management includes integration with Dell’s Compellent, EqualLogic, and MD arrays, the EMC DMX, VMAX and VNX platforms, Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP), Hitachi Universal Storage Platform V (USP V) and Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage (AMS) from Hitachi Data Systems, HP’s EVA and 3PAR arrays, IBM XIV and SVC, and storage arrays and replication technology from NetApp including their LSI storage arrays.

The Power of Modern Data Protection
with Array-Based Snapshots
Simpana software captures the application consistent copies without impacting the performance of production applications, allowing customers to leverage investments made in performance storage arrays to tackle the 24×7 uptime and accessibility challenges surrounding mission and business critical data.

With a rapid-fire, persistent, hardware-based snapshot capability integrated, Simpana SnapProtect technology delivers the performance capability to protect the virtual and physical server environments and recover them in minutes.

By creating snapshot copies using the storage array, backup time can be slashed to approximately five minutes or less and production server impact can be minimized.

Integrated approach to snapshot management eliminates the need to create and maintain scripts and manage numerous storage array tools and consoles independently. The centralized management, protection and recovery of application data across tiers of disk and tape storage occurs without impacting production systems.

With SnapProtect technology, customers can recover individual objects, files, whole volumes or entire applications, including Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, Oracle, DB2 and SAP.

David Ngo, Director of Engineering Alliances, CommVault, said: "The IntelliSnap Connect Program ensures that more customers than ever will have access to advanced, comprehensive data protection solutions. This program is essential for our partners to rapidly develop complete, modern data protection solutions that set them apart in highly competitive and rapidly changing technology markets."

Dave Russell, Research Vice President, Storage Technologies and Strategies, Gartner, Inc., said: "Many of today’s backup applications were designed and optimized for environments that are now outdated, resulting in a greater willingness on the part of organizations to modernize and consider new technologies and vendors for data protection. We continue to see a growing number of organizations turn to snapshot and replication technologies as a method for augmenting or replacing traditional backup software and believe that vendors in consideration should be pushed for their current and committed road maps for new data protection capabilities, such as snapshot and replication file sharing, and potentially cloud capabilities."

Mike Davis, Director of Marketing for Dell NAS and Backup Solutions, Dell Enterprise Storage, said: "Dell and CommVault work closely together to help provide integrated, automated and scalable solutions designed to manage and protect our customers’ vital information assets. With SnapProtect integration, Dell’s customers can more seamlessly leverage our products’ high performance array-based snapshots, to better protect their data and quickly adapt to changing demands in physical and virtual environments."

Sean Moser, Vice President, Software Products, Hitachi Data Systems, said: "The combination of our industry leading data protection platform and CommVault’s SnapProtect technology offers an innovative, high performance and cost-effective solution to help enterprise customers solve their most pressing data management challenges. As part of the IntelliSnap Connect Program, Hitachi Data Systems continues to build upon the success of our long-standing partnership to deliver a unified solution to our customers."

Mark Welke, Sr. Director of Product and Solutions Marketing, NetApp, said: "Customers gain proven performance and efficiency to minimize risk of downtime or data loss by leveraging NetApp’s innovative portfolio of integrated data protection solutions with CommVault Simpana. NetApp is focused on continuing its longstanding collaboration with CommVault as a founding member of the IntelliSnap Connect Program to provide our mutual customers with efficient, high-speed backup and recovery and enable our mutual customers to manage both NetApp Snapshot copies and SnapVault and SnapMirror replication from Simpana."

Suresh Vasudevan, CEO, Nimble Storage, said: "The Nimble Storage CS-Series makes high performance affordable, simplifies and enhances disaster recovery and backup, and delivers pain-free operations. Nimble snapshots offer industry leading efficiency and can scale to many thousands of snapshots, enabling frequent recovery points. Integrating with CommVault’s Simpana SnapProtect technology will provide seamless data protection for enterprises, eliminating the need for copy-based backups, and simplifying data recovery."

Steve Sicola, CTO, XIO Storage, said: "XIO Storage provides performance-driven storage systems that deliver industry leading price, performance and capacity ratios. The integration of XIO’s SSD-based Hyper ISE and HDD-based ISE Storage Blade with SnapProtect as a part of the CommVault IntelliSnap Connect Program will simplify data management for our joint customers by automating their application data protection and recovery solutions without impacting the performance of production systems."