Hitachi Data Systems is co-branding and reselling InMage Scout software, used for application replication and recovery across wide area networks.

InMage Scout is a continuous data protection, replication and application failover product. All disk writes in protected servers are captured by agent software, called a data tap, and sent to a local vanilla dual CPU x86 server, running InMage CX software. These writes are then asynchronously replicated to a remote physical or virtual server with sufficient storage capacity, but not necessarily the same drive arrays, SAN or DAS, whatever.

Specific applications can be started from valid recovery points, called App Shots or application-consistent recovery points. Inmage says its technology renders backup to tape or to disk redundant. In fact, InMage's technology is effectively a continuous backup to disk process.

Brian Householder, an HDS SVP, said: "InMage brings a high degree of application integration, network optimisation and automated management, providing compelling recovery and availability benefits to mid-market customers struggling with business continuity problems in heterogeneous environments.”

That heterogeneity could help HDS enter new accounts, where its arrays could function as a disaster recovery target for InMage Scout deployments. InMage's SVP for marketing, Eric Burgener, spent previous employment time at Topio, which was bought by NetApp for its any-to-any replication technology. That technology was subsequently dropped by NetApp, as its customers didn't need it.

InMage was founded in 2001 and is a privately-owned, venture capital-funded business. It gained $15m in a C-round of funding in September last year. There was a $10m B-round in July 2007. Previous funding had raised $7.3m, which makes a funding total of $32.3m. ®

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