PlateSpin Protect 10 is a disaster recovery tool originally created by PlateSpin to protect VMware ESX servers before VMware had developed its own solution to perform a similar function. Protect takes a snapshot of a physical or virtual machine and replicates it to a virtual machine for emergency redeployment in the event of a failure. New features in PlateSpin Protect 10 allow customers to leverage existing virtual infrastructure to create one disaster recovery plan for all server workloads, whether physical or virtual, running both Windows and Linux. A redesigned Web user interface allows for simple remote access to set up, test, and execute disaster recovery plans, and offers a new level of visibility into the recovery process with reports and alerts to facilitate compliance reporting and enhanced lights-out management.
And finally, Novell is updating Forge 3, the company's out-of-the-box disaster recovery physical appliance. Forge 3 is a complete recovery solution in a single, totally self-contained appliance that protects both physical and virtual servers using embedded virtualization technology. The Forge 3 appliance has been upgraded with Intel Xeon 5600 quad-core x64 processors (with two sockets), 32GB of main memory, 3.5TB of hard disk capacity, and it ships with an integrated software iSCSI initiator. It also offers a new smart replication technology, Forge API, and Windows cluster protection for business critical workloads.
"Being able to migrate and protect at the server workload level is a critical step towards the promise of Intelligent Workload Management," said Jim Ebzery, senior vice president and general manager for security, management, and operating platforms at Novell. "With major upgrades to the PlateSpin Workload Management portfolio, Novell is breaking down the walls between platform silos and enabling customers to implement smart solutions for either their migration or disaster recovery needs, no matter what platform or operating system they choose to use."
Pricing for the new Forge 3 appliance is said to have remained unchanged. Meanwhile, both Protect and Migrate will have new prices. Protect 10 will start at $1,495 per protected workload (including one year of premium support) and Migrate 9 will start at $295 per protected workload (also including one year of premium support).
All three products are expected to be available by the end of the month.
This article, "Novell beefs up PlateSpin management with Linux support," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of David Marshall's Virtualization Report blog and follow the latest developments in virtualization at InfoWorld.com.