Legato Combines Content Management, Replication

In a case of integration that's better than the sum of its parts, Legato Systems Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its RepliStor data-replication product.

The most important feature of RepliStor 5.2 and RepliStor for XtenderSolutions (RSX) is the integration with the vendor's ApplicationXtender content-management software.

Replication isn't always effective in urgent situations because IT administrators may be unsure of which documents need to be electronically stored in a safer place. And, while a content-management product could have a company's documents organized by importance, if a flood rushes through the location where those documents are stored, they could easily be lost.

Now that RepliStor and ApplicationXtender interoperate, companies can organize documents automatically and replicate them at chosen intervals to a place outside of a danger zone. The combo could be useful as a way of preventing business disruption caused by foul weather, electrical outages, or human error. "Information that only resided locally is now ready for disaster recovery processes," said George Symons, chief technology officer at Legato.

Steve Duplessie, an analyst with Enterprise Storage Group, describes Legato's approach as "two good things coming together." While replication alone is important, "knowing what to move is even more valuable," he said. RepliStor pricing starts at $2,499 per Windows server.