FalconStor's Network Storage Server deployed by Austin Powder in the Hyper-V environment

The provider of TOTALLY Open data protection solutions, FalconStor Software, Inc., made an announcement about Austin Powder using FalconStor Network Storage Server (NSS) for the virtualization of primary storage in its Microsoft Hyper-V virtual server environment. The storage efficiency of Austin is improved with the help of FalconStor NSS and that too at reduced costs because of storage virtualization and data protection abilities, which include synchronous mirroring, real-time and volume snapshots.

Austin Powder is the manufacturer of industrial explosives and accessories and also provides blasting services globally. The goal of the company was to make an efficient virtualized storage pool for its virtual servers, improve the disaster recovery and data backup processes and lay foundations for a remote disaster recovery place in the upcoming future. Additionally, FalconStor NSS’ open architecture enables Austin Powder to buy the best arrays for storage that are available at the very cost-effective rates. Along with Chi Corporation, a channel partner of FalconStor, and with Symantec Backup Exec, FalconStor NSS, also offers data backup solution for the company along with data recovery for critical business applications, which include email and Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases.

Austin Powder’s Network Administrator, Chris Benco said that,  “FalconStor NSS significantly improved our data backup process and now allows us to recover an entire machine with applications up and running often within just minutes of beginning the process.” He also added that, “In addition, FalconStor NSS has reduced our server deployment time to less than an hour, and also increased virtual server performance – we have created a true testing environment that allows us to clone virtual servers in minutes.”

Austin Powder had taken into consideration solutions from 11 other vendors, which included Dell EqualLogic, and eventually opted for FalconStor NSS due to its customization, flexibility and control. Austin Powder has deployed two FalconStor NSS appliances to facilitate its primary storage area network (SAN) where Austin Powder stores 3TB data from 60 of its remote sites and 3 data centers. The company also plans on deploying the WAN-optimized remote replication capability of FalconStor NSS when the new disaster recovery site is ready.

VP of North American Sales at FalconStor, Wendy Petty, said that, “FalconStor is dedicated to helping customers realize the full benefit of server virtualization with virtual storage that enables flexible server deployment and the latest in disk-based data protection and recovery processes.” She added that, “With FalconStor NSS, new disk resources for virtual machines can be created on the fly and entire DR sites can be built on virtual server technology, significantly reducing the cost of disaster recovery.”