ACADEMIA

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- VERITAS Software Corporation, the leading storage software provider, today introduced VERITAS OpForce(TM) 3.0, the latest version of its automated server provisioning software that helps reduce the time, costs and resources traditionally needed to deploy servers in IT environments. Based on technology from the acquisition of Jareva Technologies earlier this year, VERITAS OpForce 3.0 is designed to improve the utilization of existing IT environments by intelligently provisioning resources such as servers, switches and load balancers across computer networks. Expanding VERITAS technologies beyond its storage software stronghold, VERITAS OpForce software will help IT departments evolve to a utility computing model that delivers IT as a measurable, always-on service aligned with business goals and directions. Historically, IT administrators have been forced to manually set up, configure and provision servers in heterogeneous data centers -- allocating the most powerful servers to handle peak loads at specific times. During off-peak times these same servers are often under-utilized, sometimes sitting idle. In fact, industry analyst firm Forrester Research estimates average server utilization rarely exceeds 20 percent(1), leaving valuable computing resources largely untapped. VERITAS OpForce software allows administrators to quickly and automatically reallocate under-utilized servers to "hotspots" in the network where their computing power can be best put to use. Now integrated with the industry's leading virtualization technology -- VERITAS(TM) Volume Manager -- and VERITAS(TM) File System, VERITAS OpForce software provides: -- Automatic discovery of IT resources: Automatically detects and discovers the make up of heterogeneous devices in an IT environment -- Centralized management: All OpForce software operations can be managed locally or remotely via a flexible and scalable Web-based graphical user interface (GUI) -- Role-based administration and authentication: Enables administrators to divide the tasks of system and network management among various system administrators -- Automated job creation and scheduling for provisioning: Enables policy-based, event-driven job scheduling and execution to automate server and network provisioning and re-purposing to meet variable demand "With the release of VERITAS OpForce, we are expanding our management capabilities beyond the storage environment and into servers and other network devices," said Mark Bregman, executive vice president of product operations, VERITAS Software. "The VERITAS value proposition remains the same -- our software helps organizations meet service levels regardless of which hardware platforms or operating systems they choose."