QuorumLabs Introduces Business Continuity Appliance

OnQ 2.0 combines backup with virtual machines to give SMBs a way to get up and running immediately after any kind of server failure.The OnQ is similar to an onsite backup appliance, but with the inclusion of hypervisor-based virtual machines. As it backs up your file servers, whether real or virtualized, it creates "ready-to-run, up-to-date virtual machine clones of all critical systems" that can be brought online immediately in case the original system fails. It also creates snapshots of those systems, so that you can restore your systems to any specific previous state. Systems supported include Windows 2003 and 2008 Server in both 32- and 64-bit versions, as well as many virtualization platforms.

The OnQ 2.0, announced yesterday, performs deduplication of redundant data, and the company claims it requires as little as a tenth as much storage and bandwidth as total backup. The new version also enables plug-and-play protection, says QuorumLabs -- all you have to do is plug it in, log into the portal, and click one button to start it up. The system snapshots can be taken as frequently as every 15 minutes.

OnQ pricing is based on both the storage capacity of the appliance and the number of "nodes" (physical or virtual servers) to be protected. Prices start at $5,500 per year for a unit with two mirrored 1TB drives (enough, the company says, to handle about 400 GB worth of file server) and a license to protect one node. Two appliances -- one for onsite, one offsite to provide true disaster recovery -- start at less than $8,000/year. Perpetual (lifetime) licenses start at $7,600 for one unit, $10,200 for two. Licenses for protecting additional nodes run about $300 per server per month. "That's not just data backup," QuorumLabs vice president Cliff Hannel is quick to point out. "OnQ creates a full, ready-to-run virtual server." The system can also be obtained as a managed service from one of QuorumLabs' partners; that approach starts at $300/month plus setup fees.

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