Overland's Storage Play

A Web console and cross-platform support make SRM 3.1 suitable for remote storage management services by solution providers or for one-time sale and installation to end users.

After years as a tape library vendor supplying OEMs and direct customers, Overland entered the channel last year with its first SRM software. Overland SRM 3.1 allows companies to manage their direct-attached storage, NAS and SAN environments, regardless of platform or server. The software supports Microsoft Windows NT/2000, Novell NetWare, Sun Microsystems' Solaris, AIX, Unix and Red Hat Linux, and runs on SQL or Exchange servers and Oracle database servers.

The software's customizable reports scan e-mail and data servers, providing realtime information on storage utilization, which in turn can point the way to upgrade sales or sales of additional storage. Overland SRM 3.1 provides alerts when an area of the server approaches a preset threshold or when an individual is using too much server space for e-mail or other files. The software can automatically clean out files from the targeted area, compress them or move them to another server. Administrators can also set the AutoExtend feature to assign additional server space to databases reaching their threshold.

Solution providers can sell the software as a stand-alone product or use the Web management console to provide storage management services. Overland SRM 3.1's new wizards allow the solution provider or storage administrator to easily create storage policies and thresholds, conduct file scans or set up intelligent actions that automatically take corrective actions when problems arise.

Test Center engineers would like to see a virus checker that allows the software to automatically identify and delete viruses it detects as it inspects server files.