Network Appliance Debuts Storage Software for Microsoft SQL Server 2000

Network Appliance, a provider of network-attached storage, has announced a new software product, SnapDrive for Microsoft SQL Server 2000, which is an integrated data management solution that is desinged to increase SQL Server 2000 database availability, scalability, and reliability.

Network Appliance said it developed the new client software for its customers seeking a scalable solution for running their SQL Server 2000-based enterprise applications. According to the company, SnapDrive provides seamless support for high availability configurations such as Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) and, when combined with NetApp(R) Clustered Failover, offers unparalleled data protection for SQL Server 2000 environments.

The company said SnapDrive complements Microsoft Windows volume management through storage virtualization, which allows a NetApp filer to present itself to SQL Server 2000 as a locally attached device. Network Appliance said this offers substantial benefits to data warehousing and OLAP environments, since massive data cubes can be stored on the filer, taking advantage of the inherent data management features. Additionally, the local disk functionality enables NetApp filers to be used as a MSCS quorum disk, allowing for centralized management of all storage resources.