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Onaro Enables Integration of Storage into IT Service Delivery Chain with New Service Connect API


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Hitachi Data Systems and Cisco to Use Service Connect API

BOSTON, MA – September 18, 2006 – Continuing to accelerate the management and delivery of storage as a service, Onaro, Inc., today announced the availability of Service Connect, a web services application program interface (API), that enables ISVs, application providers, and internal development teams to gain access to the rich set of service-related data in Onaro SANscreen.

Users of the API can quickly and cost-effectively provide SANscreen’s storage service insight to all of their key storage and infrastructure management applications. Cisco Systems, Inc. and Hitachi Data Systems are joining the Onaro Service Connections program and will be able to use the SANscreen Service Connect API to provide service centric information to their respective infrastructure management applications.

APIs are defined as a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications and are the building blocks for a service-oriented architecture.

“Infrastructure teams have traditionally viewed storage as a black hole environment that is costly and difficult with which to work,” said Steve Duplessie, founder, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. “Device and element information contained in most storage management applications is rarely useful beyond storage specific management applications. Onaro’s service view of the storage environment combined with the Service Connect API will enable other applications to get an actionable view of the storage environment. This is a significant step forward in the integration of storage into the IT service delivery chain.”

“Onaro’s global customers in finance, retail, manufacturing and telecommunications are working to improve the delivery of IT services,” explained Bryan Semple, vice president of marketing at Onaro, Inc. “At our recent customer advisory panel, there was strong demand to inncorporate SANscreen’s service centric view of storage into the rest of the IT ecosystem. By bringing to market an API that leverages SANscreen’s global storage view, customers and ecosystem partners can develop applications that more fully integrate storage into the IT service delivery chain.”
Hitachi Data Systems and Cisco to Use SANscreen API

“Hitachi Data Systems provides our customers a unified framework for storage management and business continuity through our HiCommand software suite,” said John Mansfield, vice president, Global Product Management, Hitachi Data Systems. “Onaro’s Service Connect API will enable us to seamlessly incorporate change process information into the HiCommand suite—giving our customers an enhanced view of overall storage service quality.”

“Onaro’s service-centric view of storage is unique in the industry,” said Ed Chapman, vice president, product management, Data Center Business Unit at Cisco. “With the service connect API, Cisco and Onaro can provide our joint customers a holistic and actionable view of their storage networking resources.”
Onaro Service Connect API

Based on Onaro SANscreen, the Service Connect API provides a flexible, open and scalable environment that enables ISVs and internal development teams to deliver the following types of storage service management functionality:

Inventory and Configuration Information - SANscreen’s agentless approach to collecting inventory data makes a rich set of device-level information available for use in external systems. Asset inventory systems can now be 100% accurate for the storage environment.

* Storage Service View - Each application in a datacenter receives levels of storage services from the SAN. These services are expressed across the dimensions of access to storage, redundancy of the paths, replication and backup, and performance. Using the Service Connect API, infrastructure management applications, such as server provisioning and management, can have visibility into all the services delivered to the applications under their management.
* Chargeback- Charging back for storage services is a challenging effort. Most reporting is device focused. Without context for which application a device is using, chargeback is a manual process. SANscreen provides a view showing which applications are receiving what storage services and which devices these services are using. Using the Service Connect API, this information is easily sent into chargeback systems for automated financial accounting.
* IT Change and Ticket Management - SANscreen’s planning capability enables storage administrators to plan and simulate changes to the SAN. Once the change plan is approved, SANscreen tracks the changes as they occur. By using the Service Connect API, these change plans can be integrated into an IT ticketing system.

SANscreen establishes the foundation of the Service Connect API and will allow Onaro to create an ecosystem of partners via the Service Connections program who will develop solutions to help businesses implement new storage service management offerings.
Availability and Pricing

Service Connect API 1.0 is available now. Additional ISV partners interested in joining the Service Connections program should visit http://www.onaro.com/products_sc_api.html for program information. Onaro customers have access to the API with their standard software license agreement.



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