SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2000--Overland Data Inc. (Nasdaq:OVRL), a technology leader in tape backup products, today extended its support for Storage Area Network (SAN) technology with the introduction of its SANPiper(TM) (a SCSI-to-Fibre Channel bridge), bringing the benefits of SAN technology to users of Overland's comprehensive line of tape libraries and autoloaders.
Overland's new SANPiper gives the company's customers easy access to Fibre-based SANs and new SAN-based applications, including LAN-free and server-free backup. SANPiper is a flexible SAN connectivity solution that offers all critical SAN functionality in a configurable product series, with the connection flexibility to be the centerpiece of a larger SAN configuration with full support for Fibre Channel hubs and switches.
"With this introduction Overland initiates the second phase of our three-phase open SAN strategy," said Steve Richardson, vice president of Marketing at Overland. "The first phase of our SAN strategy was to ensure compatibility with existing Fibre/SCSI bridge suppliers. The second phase is to introduce a robust enterprise-class product providing all the critical features for today's SAN requirements, which we have done with SANPiper. Our third phase will be full integration of Fibre capacities within our libraries. A key value to the market of our three-phase approach was and is to provide a single point of contact and support to our customers as they begin to reap the benefits of SAN-based storage."
SANPiper is designed to operate seamlessly with all Overland automated libraries and loaders, including the company's DLT(a)-based LibraryXpress(TM), MiniLibraryXpress(TM), LoaderXpress(TM), EnterpriseXpress(TM) and the new AIT(a) LibraryPro(TM). SANPiper provides up to four SCSI connections and up to six independent Fibre Channel ports with support for single-ended and differential SCSI and copper, short- and long-wave Fibre Channel interfaces.
Overland designed SANPiper to support all major backup software, including Legato, Veritas and Computer Associates, and is fully compliant with the Storage Networking Industry Association's extended copy specifications allowing Overland libraries to be used in LAN free and server-free backup environments. SAN-based LAN-free backup improves backup performance and LAN operations by relocating backup data traffic off the conventional LAN and onto a dedicated, high-speed storage network. Server-free backup moves backup operations to the next level by enabling direct data movement over the SAN between the source disks and target backup devices without requiring the CPU cycles of any server intervention.
"As a long-standing member of the Celestra Consortium, Overland is committed to seeing serverless backup through to fruition. That is why we made the Extended Copy command a standard feature on all SANPiper product we ship," said Richardson.
The SANPiper solution also includes advanced management capabilities that allow customers to take full advantage of the potential of Storage Area Networks, including support for Logical Unit Number (LUN) zoning and LUN masking, providing the access control tools required for shared storage environments among multiple heterogeneous hosts.
Overland is offering SANPiper in two models: the Model 400 provides one or two Fibre Channel ports and two SCSI connections, while the Model 1000 features a maximum configuration of six Fibre Channel connections and four SCSI ports. Both models are available in rack-mount and tabletop configurations.
SANPiper is the result of long-standing relationship between Overland and Pathlight Technology and is based on Pathlight's innovative SAN Gateway(a) technology. Pathlight and Overland teamed with Legato Systems last year to create the first successful serverless backup demonstration over a Fibre Channel SAN.
SANPiper pricing starts at $7,295 (MSRP) and will be available in March.
About Overland
Overland Data Inc. (Nasdaq:OVRL) is a global supplier of innovative data storage and storage automation solutions for computer networks. The company's award-winning DLT LibraryXpress(TM) SmartScale Storage(R) architecture has set new standards for intelligent automated storage and scalability and established Overland as a leader in the mid-range tape storage market.
Today, Overland is broadening its product line and technology offerings to address additional segments of the storage market, including the entry-level small-business market, as well as the higher-end enterprise environment. Overland's patented Variable Rate Randomizer (VR2) data encoding technology, capable of substantially increasing the capacity and throughput of linear tape formats, is being applied by the company to Travan tape drives and has been licensed to Seagate Technology, Tandberg Data and Imation Corp. for inclusion in next-generation tape drives.
Overland products, acclaimed for their quality and reliability, are sold worldwide through leading OEMs, including Compaq, IBM, Fujitsu Siemens Computers and Groupe Bull, commercial distributors such as Ingram Micro, Tech Data Corp. and Bell Microproducts, as well as storage integrators and value-added resellers.
Except for the factual statements made herein, the information contained in this news release consists of forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words and expressions reflecting optimism and satisfaction with current prospects, as well as words such as "believe," "intends," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," and variations thereof, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and the company's actual results could differ materially from those contained in such statements.
Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include unexpected shortages of critical components, rescheduling or cancellation of customer orders, loss of a major customer, the timing and market acceptance of new product introductions by the company and its competitors, general competition and price pressures in the marketplace and the company's ability to control costs and expenses. Reference is also made to other factors set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis" and other sections of the company's Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release.
Note (a): DLT and DLTtape are registered trademarks of Quantum Corp. worldwide. All others are trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Overland Data
http://www.overlanddata.com
Product Information
Steve Richardson, 858/571-5555
srichardson@overlanddata.com
Investor Relations
Scott McClendon, 858/571-5555
smcclendon@overlanddata.com
Vernon LoForti, 858/571-5555
vloforti@overlanddata.com
JPR Communications
Judy Smith, 818/386-0403
jprcommun@aol.com
http://www.jprcom.com
