AVG Selects AutoVirt and Dell/EMC CLARiiON CX4-240 SAN

AutoVirt, Inc. announced that AVG Technologies, developer of free anti-virus software, has selected AutoVirt to virtualize and then non-disruptively migrate AVG’s data. The project will take more than three terabytes of business critical corporate file data from an EMC-based storage area network (SAN) to a new Dell/EMC CX4-240 SAN, in order to support future data growth, as well as serve as the underpinning of its data protection, disaster recovery (DR) and long-term archiving strategy.

In the last few years, AVG has experienced significant growth, becoming the world’s fourth largest anti-virus software vendor with an installed user base of more than 110 million active users. To support its continued growth and address the needs of the global market, AVG is improving its technology, as well as delivering broader language and platform support. A critical element of this strategy is an enhanced backend data management infrastructure.

"We recently purchased Dell/EMC CX4-240 disk arrays as the foundation for a new SAN, as our existing SAN was near capacity. We needed to enable future organic data growth, as well as replication for data protection. Disrupting user access was simply not an option. Based on this requirement and the amount of data that needed to be moved, we knew it could potentially consume two to three weekends, at a minimum – which was an unacceptable amount of time to have user data in flux," said Bob Gagnon, Vice President, AVG Technologies. "We explored various data migration tools, including those from existing technology providers, and concluded that AutoVirt offered the easiest and most efficient solution for conducting zero-impact, error-free data migrations, even during peak load processing periods."

"AutoVirt’s unique software-only approach will enable AVG to seamlessly introduce it into their EMC SAN infrastructure. Once installed, AVG will use AutoVirt to quickly and easily virtualize their storage environment, in order to efficiently distribute corporate data across both SANs. This will provide AVG with maximum flexibility in regards to where the data resides, enabling AVG to leverage both the existing and new hardware assets together in a single easy-to-manage system, as well as enjoy an enhanced level of data availability and protection," said Brian Gladstein, Vice President of Marketing for AutoVirt.

"Next, AutoVirt’s automated data replication capabilities will help AVG to complete an upcoming DR initiative which will involve using AutoVirt to copy and move data to a new remote location, and then provide ongoing support for AVG’s new DR procedures," Gladstein continued. "Finally, AVG also plans a significant archiving project for the long-term preservation of back-end corporate data for which AutoVirt will also be leveraged."

AVG is deeply committed to ongoing R&D investment – teaming with leading universities and technology providers, such as AutoVirt, to maintain its competitive edge.