EMC Joins Forces With HP OpenView to Turbocharge and Simplify Backup and Recovery.

Business/Technology Editors

HOPKINTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 2000

EMC Corporation, the world leader in information storage, today announced immediate availability of the EMC Fastrax(TM) data movement platform. An integrated member of EMC's storage infrastructure, EMC E-Infostructure(TM), EMC Fastrax performs the resource-intensive movement of backup and recovery data between EMC Symmetrix(R) Enterprise Storage systems and industry standard tape libraries.

The new Fastrax platform combines EMC and third-party software, open application programming interfaces (APIs) and data movement hardware. Fastrax enables customers using the HP OpenView OmniBack II backup/recovery application to leverage their existing investments in backup software, human resources and operating procedures.

Customers are facing technology choices to address the elimination of the backup window and the need for rapid data recovery. Disk-based solutions such as EMC TimeFinder(TM) and Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF(TM)) enable non-disruptive backups along with virtually instant data recovery. Traditional tape backup implementations facilitate non-disruptive backups, however, lack the robust capabilities for rapid data recovery. Fastrax fills the void by delivering the non-disruptive backup features of disk and tape solutions while providing faster data recovery times when compared with traditional tape backup offerings.

EMC customers are able to choose between disk-based solutions, tape-based solutions or a combination of the two depending on their data recovery objectives. Customers can implement TimeFinder, SRDF, EMC Data Manager (EDM(TM)), Fastrax or integrated combinations of the above to meet their needs for instant recovery of data and to backup and restore less-critical information at high speeds.

The Fastrax data movement platform builds on the openness of the EMC offering and enhances customers' ability to move information between EMC Symmetrix and non-EMC devices. Through cooperative development between EMC and HP OpenView Storage Management, Fastrax supports backup and recovery of database information via one of the industry's premier backup and recovery applications and the first to support Fastrax, HP OpenView OmniBack II. Through its open E-Infostructure Developers Program, EMC over time will extend Fastrax support to additional data movement applications such as content distribution and data migration, and provide support for non-tape devices.

Fastrax enables customers to perform tape-based back up of even the largest Oracle databases with no impact to host servers, applications or data access, a major source of conflict and complexity in backup operations. Fastrax backups take place while the same data is being used by production applications. The backup and recovery application determines what data needs to be backed up, then Fastrax and Symmetrix software transparently determine which data needs to move to tape and which needs to go to the active database. Additionally, multiple backups can be started and run concurrently.

Jack Garrahan, EMC's Vice President of Global Marketing, said, "We're in the midst of a content Big Bang. The resulting demand for optimal performance and non-stop information availability continues to surge, and with it comes new levels of information management complexity. Fastrax changes the rules for enterprise backup and recovery, and helps customers address these issues head-on with an infrastructure for the requirements of today and tomorrow."

"As an enabling technology, Fastrax helps EMC customers more efficiently exploit existing investments in backup and recovery infrastructure," said John Webster, Analyst and IT Advisor, Illuminata. "Fastrax adds high performance backup to the process without introducing complexity or disruption to business operations."

Fastrax serves as an "outboard engine" that offloads network- and server-consuming movement of backup data from the production environment. The combined strength of Fastrax and integrated backup application software enables backups of data which can include complete databases as well as individual user-level objects, such as database indices and files.

Fastrax eliminates the need for customers to purchase large, expensive backup servers to manage tape drives. Fastrax reduces the backup server's role to command and control purposes only, resulting in the need for smaller and fewer backup servers and eliminating the need for constant software installation, server maintenance and management costs.

Application integration with Fastrax is achieved through the EMC E-Infostructure Developers Program, which provides wide-scale access to EMC application programming interfaces (APIs). The program enables customers to select from, and rapidly integrate, a large variety of information management, sharing and protection tools. These solutions, developed and sold by third-party companies, allow customers to more easily manage and implement their electronic information infrastructure.

About HP OpenView

HP is one of the world's largest providers of integrated management solutions for service providers, the electronic enterprise and the medium-sized enterprise. HP OpenView solutions are at work in more than 120,000 multivendor distributed computing environments worldwide. Together with offerings from more than 200 partners, HP OpenView offers a complete portfolio of services and management solutions on all major platforms. Information about HP OpenView and its solutions can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.openview.hp.com and http://openview.hp.com/products/omniback//.

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) is the world leader in information storage systems, software, networks and services, providing the information infrastructure for a connected world. Information about EMC's products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

EMC2, EMC and Symmetrix are registered trademarks and EMC Enterprise Storage, EMC Enterprise Storage Network, EMC E-Infostructure Developers Program, EMC Proven, E-Infostructure, Fastrax, SRDF, TimeFinder and EDM are trademarks of EMC Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) component quality and availability; (ii) delays in the development of new technology and the transition to new products; (iii) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures, in the computer storage and server markets; (iv) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines; (v) economic trends in various geographic markets and fluctuating currency exchange rates; (vi) deterioration or termination of the agreements with certain of the Company's resellers or OEMs; (vii) the uneven pattern of quarterly sales; (viii) risks associated with strategic investments and acquisitions; (ix) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; and (x) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.