Sun Microsystems Launches Unique Data Management Appliance for Communication Service Providers

Sun Microsystems (NASDQ: SUNW) today launched the Sun Secure Data Retrieval Server (SDRS)to help communications service providers address the EU Data Retention Directive requirements with a powerful, secure and flexible end-to-end solution.


Sun SDRS is designed as the industry's first end-to-end "plug-and-comply" appliance solution. Powered by CopperEye's revolutionary "Live Archive" technology, SDRS addresses not only the secure retention and life cycle of communications data but also the business processes by which this data is rapidly retrieved and securely disclosed, as defined in the EU directive.

With the new EU requirements for capturing and storing large volumes of compliance data such as call detail records and IP traffic, the requirement for fast secure retrieval of selected records makes traditional approaches of utilising a relational database or data warehouse too complex and too costly. Unlike traditional technology alternatives, Sun's unique approach gives communication providers a complete, open standards-based solution secured through Sun's Solaris Operating System and the Sun Secure Global Desktop Software. Furthermore, the system can be deployed in a matter of weeks, rather than months required for other solutions, helping companies meet tight deployment deadlines without diverting IT staff from revenue-generating business projects.

"Due to the appliance approach adopted by Sun and CopperEye and its price / performance we have been able to implement a fully resilient solution, co-located at two geographically separated data centres, along with a significantly expanded storage capacity. This would not have been economical with alternative approaches," said Gareth Niblett, Head of Information Security, Kingston Communications. "We are achieving this with minimal modification to our vital business systems, reducing distraction from our core business objectives and minimising additional project risks in meeting our obligations."

High Performance and Energy Efficient

Any company that needs to effectively manage billions of transactions and terabytes of storage, with an almost surgical approach to data retrieval, will benefit from Sun SDRS. The Sun Fire X4500 server on which the solution is based delivers the remarkable performance of a four-way x64 server with the highest storage density available (up to 24 terabytes in just seven inches of rack space) at very low cost. What's more, SDRS uses 15 times less energy than other solutions in the market today, while retrieving data 20 times faster. The solution has also been created with an eye to the future, providing direct access to source data and providing options to seal generated disclosures to requesting authorities. This helps to ensure evidential quality beyond the immediate confines of the communication provider's environment and helps address legal and civil liberty concerns around the directive. Sun is tracking the evolving ETSI standards for remote data query and hand-over to ensure that the solution will continue to meet future requirements.

Collaborating with CopperEye

By integrating Sun's revolutionary Sun Fire X4500 server with Coppereye's disruptive technology, specific records can be retrieved from within billions of rows of structured, unchanging data in seconds versus minutes or hours. This helps to eliminate the cost and complexity of addressing the EU data retention requirements with traditional data management technologies. Communication Service Providers can now achieve a high-performance end-to-end solution both economically and ecologically without compromising data security or integrity.

"The powerful combination of Sun's industry-changing Sun Fire X4500 server platform with CoppereEye's innovative live archiving software is the perfect match for users who need to store and access vast amounts of compliance records at speeds and price points previously unobtainable, crucially without compromising data security," said Darrell Jordan-Smith, vice president, Communications Industry, Sun Microsystems. "The marriage of these two disruptive technologies provides massive performance with a tiny physical and energy footprint."

Further information regarding Sun's Secure Data Retrieval Server can be found at http://www.sun.com/telecomm