Focal Point Solutions Group LLC, an IBM Business Partner, today announced the availability of Focal Point's DR FlashCopy Solution that provides a reference architecture to enhance the business benefits of high availability (HA) for IBM i users in a bundled solution incorporating hardware, software, and managed services. The announcement was made at the Fall Conference of the world's largest IBM user group.

Focal Point Solutions Group LLC is an IBM Business Partner owned and managed by professionals with extensive IT industry experience and deep understanding of the IBM midrange platform. Based in Florida, the company is an IBM MSP infrastructure partner with certifications from IBM in Power Systems, Tivoli Storage Manager, and IBM storage.

The DR FlashCopy bundled solution from FPSG leverages IBM's FlashCopy functionality to rapidly duplicate large amounts of data and objects on the IBM Storwize external disk storage systems (V3700, V5000 or V7000). Users of DR FlashCopy will normally have an industry-recognized third-party High Availability mirroring software solution such as those offered by IBM, Visions Solutions, BugBusters, iSam Blue, Maxava, Rocket Software, Shield Advanced Solutions, or Quick-EDD.

"Through a talented group of IBM midrange specialists in our organization, we have created a family of managed services that close vulnerabilities in the high availability picture for enterprises that require near-zero downtime. These services help assure greater availability of their critical applications by leveraging breakthroughs in IBM's Storwize family of external storage systems and their FlashCopy software functionality," said Ron Venzin, Partner, Focal Point Solutions Group.

"Our new managed service offering brings significant value to users of IBM AS/400, iSeries, System i and IBM i platforms needing additional performance and functionality associated with high availability," said Garrett Schut, VP Sales West, Focal Point Solutions Group.

Benefits of Focal Point's DR FlashCopy Solution include:

• NO DOWNTIME—DR FlashCopy eliminates user downtime needed to make a FlashCopy and start DR testing to identify any missing objects resulting from the original logical replication process.
• TESTING—DR FlashCopy benefits the testing process by permitting as many test copies of the data/volumes as desired.
• BACKUP—DR FlashCopy also benefits the backup process by performing live backups while logical replication continues—no need to suspend mirroring.
• TEST ASSURANCE—DR FlashCopy simplifies the quality test assurance process by allowing all data during the testing process to remain in sync.
• UPDATES—DR FlashCopy facilitates live code and PTF level updates on the DR FlashCopy while maintaining fully in-sync systems between source and target.
• REPORT TESTING—DR FlashCopy facilitates report testing process following critical upgrades.
• BRMS/TIVOLI—DR FlashCopy supports BRMS environment and Tivoli Storage Manager.
• SIMPLICITY—DR FlashCopy is available in a single bundled service.

Focal Point's DR FlashCopy Solution is currently implemented and is available throughout North America.

Pricing is based on bundled options that are customized based on configuration and data protection/availability requirements.

Technical support for Focal Point's DR FlashCopy Solution is available on a 24/7 basis from the FPSG Support Organization.

For more information on Focal Point's DR FlashCopy Solution and related managed services, contact Ron Venzin, Partner, FPSG, Tel: 813-513-7402, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..