EAGLE Visions, UNIX Expo Issue

On-line optimizer for Solaris,

HP-UX DISK_PAK OnLine! debuts at UNIX Expo

EAGLE Software will announce the release of DISK_PAK OnLine! at UNIX Expo Plus, October 8-10, 1996. UNIX Expo Plus is at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

DISK_PAK OnLine! can improve system performance without interrupting work or requiring the disk to be unmounted. An enhanced version of EAGLE's flagship product, DISK_PAK, DISK_PAK OnLine! allows system administrators to optimize their systems on the fly. Information about the new product as well as free fragmentation analysis software will be available at EAGLE's exhibit (booth #2052) at UNIX Expo Plus.

DISK_PAK OnLine! is currently available on Solaris for SPARC and x86, and HP-UX. DISK_PAK is also available for AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, SunOS, SCO/UNIX, and DG/UX.

Both DISK_PAK OnLine! and DISK_PAK can dramatically improve file system performance in the UNIX environment. As files are created and deleted on a file system, and as the file system grows, the elements of a file can become scattered across the file system. As a file system becomes more fragmented, disk throughput decreases, and the system spends more time finding available space.

Eliminate fragmentation

Both DISK_PAK and DISK_PAK OnLine! safely eliminate file system fragmentation, as well as clustering frequently accessed files for peak file system responsiveness. All pieces of each file are grouped together, eliminating access fragmentation. Space fragmentation is also handled by grouping available space for quicker disk access time.

DISK_PAK OnLine! is transparent to the user, running in the background to keep the system performing at optimum levels without any downtime. In addition to these on-line capabilities, this enhanced version will also defragment the root file system.

Monitor fragmentation

An important part of both DISK_PAK products is the DISK_MONITOR utility, offering system managers a complete picture of the need for and the effects of the optimization process. DISK_MONITOR includes a histogram to graphically show what portions of the disk are receiving accesses. The chart, which shows system performance in real-time, can be configured to the system manager's preferences for time, and can be running at all times behind other applications for quick and frequent referral.

Automatic File Placement (AFP) is a very useful feature of DISK_PAK for UNIX and DISK_PAK OnLine! This feature allows files to be arranged so the most frequently accessed files are clustered together. The file clustering speeds up disk I/O by greatly reducing the distance the read/write heads have to travel to access information.

Safe and secure

Both DISK_PAK products are safe to use: by making copies of individual file elements during reorganization, both products keep the file system consistent and error free, even if the power fails during a reorganization.

An intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) makes DISK_PAK and DISK_PAK OnLine! simple to use and compatible with the standard X Window environment. A quick start menu bar adds to DISK_PAK's ease of use. DISK_PAK also includes an on-line help utility in HTML format.

ARCserve 6.0...Autochanger ready!

Estimates show that network data is growing 50% to 100% each year. Companies need their systems to operate around the clock to keep up with the data explosion. A necessary element to maintain data safety within this intense atmosphere is a reliable backup solution.

EAGLE Software has worked with a variety of backup elements, including software and hardware. A particular piece of hardware that has proven invaluable to the many backup solutions is an autochanger.

An autochanger is a device that can hold one or more tape drives plus a large number of media (tapes). Our direct experience is with autochangers that can hold from 12 to 120 pieces of media and one to four 8mm, 4mm, or DLT tape drives. We work with autochangers from manufacturers such as Spectra Logic, ADIC, Exabyte and others.

While our primary-in house product lines work with the UNIX operating systems, we also have developed a significant amount of backup expertise with PC networks using Windows NT and NetWare. As our client base grew and PC networks became more prevalent, there was a need for us to add a software product to our line that could perform automated backups with autochangers.

Our search lead us to Cheyenne Software, Inc., and their ARCserve product line. This line features NetWare, Windows NT, and UNIX products with the necessary autochanger support for the hardware manufacturers with which EAGLE works. We have worked with ARCserve long enough to see the evolution of the NetWare and NT products to ARCserve 6.0. The two products have matured to become nearly identical; the feature sets and the look and feel of the NetWare and NT products are very similar. ARCserve Open, Cheyenne's UNIX product, is very similar to ARCserve 6.0.

Standard Features

ARCserve 6.0 for NT provides all of the standard features expected in high performance backup utilities. It is neatly organized with a Quick Access menu providing single-click entry to the following utilities: Job Status, Backup, Restore, Copy, Media Pool Management, Device Management, Database, Reports, Recover Database, Merge Tape, Scan Tape, Compare, Count and Purge.

Each utility is cleanly organized with the latest tab-style user interface. Consistent in all of the utilities are options and filter buttons in the button bar area. The tree structure used in the source tab is simple and intuitive, and is consistent in all of the ARCserve products.

Changer Features

Because EAGLE's primary backup work involves supporting autochangers, those features in ARCserve 6.0 have been carefully scrutinized. Autochanger support is provided in a product add-on, the ARCserve Changer Option. This option is well worth the incremental investment in total backup automation. The Changer option installs easily after ARCserve is installed with its own setup program.

The installation is simple and straight forward. The program can automatically detected the number of SCSI busses in the server, as well as the autochangers and tape drives. The only help the Changer Option needs is to be told which tape drives are in which changer. A properties window allows these items to be set for each changer:

• whether or not a slot is reserved for a tape cleaning cartridge and if so, which slot;
• whether or not to automate tape cleaning and if so, how often; and
• whether or not the changer has a bar code reader and if so, how to set unknown bar code tapes during initialization.

The final step of changer setup is determining whether or not to use the Quick Initialization feature. This feature can be a great benefit when working with an autochanger with a lot of tapes, but it can also be a source of confusion if your changer has an entry/exit door and you use it from a front panel interface.

Automated Tape Cleaning

EAGLE's extensive beta testing with ARCserve 6.0 highlighted the necessity of automated tape cleaning in an autochanger environment.

The software has to be able to monitor the usage of each tape drive and, at the appropriate time, move a head cleaning cartridge from the designated tape slot, perform the cleaning and, when finished, return the cleaning cartridge to its designated slot.

Alexandria, Spectra libraries designed for UNIX backups

Since 1992, EAGLE has worked with Spectra Logic, a company in Boulder, Colorado, selling the Alexandria(TM) Backup Librarian software. Alexandria is a high performance backup solution for UNIX file systems. Alexandria can also be used with Oracle, Sybase or Informix databases. The software is designed for backups with networked systems, and operates with tape libraries or optical autoloader units.

Alexandria is supported by hardware from Spectra Logic: the Spectra 4000, 4mm automated library, and the Spectra 9000, 8mm automated tape library.

The standard Spectra 4000 includes a single drive with 20 cartridges. It can be upgraded to 40 or 60 cartridges, two drives, three drives, four drives, or a bar-code reader. The Spectra 9000 comes equipped as a single-drive, 20-cartridge library, and it can also be upgraded, to 40 cartridges, two drives, three drives, four drives, or a bar-code reader. They are available in a rack mount, or horizontal or tower configurations to fit your office space requirements.

EAGLE Software will have a Spectra 4000 and a Spectra 9000 on display at UNIX Expo. Stop by booth #2052 to see these robotic libraries in action.