IBM deduplicates Tivoli

IBM last week launched Tivoli Storage Manager 6, the latest version of the company's storage management software with claimed improvements to scalability, and also offered new deduplication technology.

The new version's enhanced scalability means it can now handle "twice the amount of data objects, potentially allowing for management of one billion objects in a single system", the company said in a statement.

Deduplication technology is included in Tivoli Storage Manager Extended Edition, also launched last. The technology will "slow the rate of backup data growth by identifying and eliminating redundant data", IBM said, adding that the deduplication features expand on the company's existing data deduplication software. Deduplication, also known as single-instance storage, works by replacing duplicate data with a references to a single occurence.

According to IDC, 180 exabytes (one exabyte is 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes) of digital content was created, captured, or replicated in 2006 and the number is expected to multiply by 10 times to 1,800 exabytes by 2011. The figure is quoted in from The Diverse and Exploding Digital Universe, a report published by IDC and EMC last year.

Al Zollar, general manager, IBM Tivoli said in a statement: "The new features will help customers manage the explosion of data while maintaining reliable access to important business information. With increased visibility into data growth and enhanced scalability, customers can accommodate increased volumes of data."

Tivoli Storage Manager 6 also includes changes to its reporting and monitoring features "that can simplify management and improve storage administrator productivity", IBM said. Organizations can produce a range of predefined reports and create custom reports.

Tivoli Storage Manager 6 will be available on March 27, IBM said.