IBM DR550 manual Introduction, Innovative Technology

IBM System Storage DR550 Version 3.0 ------ 17 March 2006 Page 6

Introduction

IBM® System StorageTM DR550, one of IBM’s Data Retention offerings, is an integrated offering for clients that need to retain and preserve electronic business records. The DR550 packages storage, server and software retention components into a lockable cabinet.

Integrating IBM System P5 servers (using POWER5™ processors) with IBM System Storage and TotalStorage products and IBM System Storage Archive Manager software, this system is designed to provide a central point of control to help manage growing compliance and data retention needs. The powerful system, which fits into a lockable cabinet, supports the ability to retain data and helps prevent tampering alteration. The system’s compact design can help with fast and easy deployment, and incorporates an open and flexible architecture.

To help clients better respond to changing business environments as they transform their infrastructure, the DR550 can be shipped with as few as 5.6 terabytes of physical capacity and can expand up to 89.6 terabytes, of physical capacity (equal to 89.6 million full-length novels) to help address massive data requirements.

The DR550 is available to be sold by IBM Business Partners certified on all of the solution components as well as by IBM Direct.

Innovative Technology

At the heart of the offering is IBM System Storage Archive Manager. This new industry changing software is designed to help customers protect the integrity of data as well as automatically enforce data retention policies. Using policy-based management, data can be stored indefinitely, can be expired based on a retention event, or have a predetermined expiration date. In addition, the retention enforcement feature may be applied to data using deletion hold and release interfaces which hold data for an indefinite period of time, regardless of the expiration date or defined event.

The policy software is also designed to prevent modifications or deletions after the data is stored. With support for open standards, the new technology is designed to provide customers flexibility to use a variety of content management or archive applications.

The System Storage Archive Manager is embedded on an IBM System P5 520 using POWER5+ processors. This entry-level server has many of the attributes of IBM’s high-end servers, representing outstanding technology advancements.

Tape storage can be critical for long-term data archiving, and IBM provides customers with a comprehensive range of tape solutions. The IBM System Storage DR550 supports IBM's TotalStorage Enterprise Tape Drive 3592, IBM System Storage TS1120 drive, and the IBM Linear Tape Open family of tape products. Write Once Read Many (WORM) cartridges are recommended due to the permanent nature of data stored with the DR550, it is strongly recommended that the 3592 with WORM cartridges be used to take advantage of tape media encoded to enforce non- rewrite and non-erase capability. This complementary capability will be of particular interest to customers that need to store large quantities of electronic records to meet regulatory and internal audit requirements.

The DR550 is available in two basic configurations: single node (one POWER5+ server) and dual node (two clustered POWER5+ servers).

IBM Storage Systems Copyright © 2006 by International Business Machines Corporation