The Digital Property Group Chooses FalconStor HyperFS

The Digital Property Group Limited (TDPG) saw FalconStor Software, Inc.’s file system solution, the HyperFS go live. The implementation is in response to commercial demands and TDPG’s old servers rapidly approaching point of failure, due to the large quantity of image files used by the company’s online property marketing brands.

TDPG was struggling with requests for property images from estate agents, as certain files were up to 3 years old, and difficult to retrieve and organise within short time frames. The HyperFS provides the solution by simplifying the management of large files and providing low-latency access, while also offering TDPG a scalable storage environment with a 144 petabyte capacity. The new system is designed for data-intensive applications that generate enormous numbers of large files.

Shaun Boland, IT Manager at TDPG comments: “We are a forward-thinking group with future development in mind, which is why we needed an industry-leading scalable solution. This is the first live implementation in Europe of a technology that has already seen massive success elsewhere. We have every confidence in our decision and expect to see it propel us even further ahead in the sector – none of our main competitors can boast the same advanced IT infrastructure and file management system.”

TDPG has combined the HyperFS system with the FalconStor Network Storage Server (NSS). The NSS virtually manages storage with minimal supervision. Data is replicated and protected for disaster recovery purposes, and TDPG can now set different application prioritisation depending on operational importance.

The project is a multi-vendor effort including a storage area network (SAN) from Hitachi Data Systems and Force10 connection ports from the remote servers to the iSCSI SAN and all cabling and optical transceivers supplied by ProLabs. FalconStor installed the HyperFS in conjunction with specialist IT optimisation practice EssentialNET, which was also responsible for the FalconStor NSS installation and the onsite project management. Zycko and EssentialNET will jointly undertake future support and benchmarking.

Kevin Penn, Managing Director at EssentialNET notes: “FalconStor software is renowned as a leading virtualisation solution, and the FalconStor NSS is the best in the business at automatically managing data and prioritising applications. ProLabs was a natural fit for the cabling and optical transceivers as it is price effective, 100% compatible and offers a lifetime guarantee. This roll out sees TDPG set the precedent with the most advanced and responsive file management and storage system in its sector. We’ll continue to maintain and benchmark the technology with the support of Zycko.”

David Galton-Fenzi, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Zycko comments: “This project really emphasises the advantages of the distributor reseller business model. Our partnership with EssentialNET allows the company to combine industry-leading technologies into the best solution for their client. Our value added role permits more than just the sale, and because of this we’ll be charting project progress and providing support along with Kevin Penn and his team. The FalconStor HyperFS takes centre stage in this project, built on the reliability, scalability and best-in-class performance offered by the industry leading Hitachi Data System storage area network. The SAN provides the backbone for the whole solution.”