Arco Announces New IDE Backup Device DupliDisk Makes Drive Mirroring Easy and Affordable

May 03, 1999, 17:41 (0 Talkback[s])

HOLLYWOOD, Florida -- Arco Computer Products, Inc., www.arcoide.com, a leading provider of low cost IDE disk mirroring technology, today announced the DupliDisk-POS, a real-time backup device designed for small chassis PC users who want the security of a duplicate hard drive but not the high cost of a SCSI RAID system.

Until now, disk mirroring--writing data to two drives simultaneously--has been pretty much restricted to computers outfitted with SCSI hardware but the high cost of SCSI systems has made RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) mirroring too expensive for most businesses to implement on a wide scale.

Unlike earlier DupliDisk models, which have all been designed for use with the standard 3.5-inch disk drives used in desktop and tower model PCs , the DupliDisk-POS provides disk mirroring capability for the smaller 2.5-inch form factor drives. These are popular for use in the small chassis computers commonly used for point-of-sale and other specialty computer systems where box space is at a premium. Because the DupliDisk-POS does not require a bus slot, it offers considerable flexibility in placement within the computer chassis.

The DupliDisk is capable of mirroring up to two pairs of IDE, E-IDE or U/DMA drives of any capacity. If a hardware failure disables one of the mirrored drives, the DupliDisk automatically shifts operations to the functioning drive. Visual feedback is available via LEDs on the unit's optional external panel. When the external panel is installed, LEDs change color to indicate a failed drive. An audible alarm also alerts the user of the drive failure, but there is no interruption of service. The system continues to function normally until the user can find a convenient time to power down and install a new drive. ARCO's ACP software provides a quick and easy way to rebuild the new drive.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
ARCO's unique patented intermediate controller design provides continuous automatic hard disk backup and disk fault tolerance through RAID 1 technology. Once plugged into an onboard IDE controller and attached to the primary and mirror drives with cables provided by Arco, the DupliDisk operates transparently. All data sent from the PC to the primary drive is automatically duplicated to the mirroring drive but the system (and end user) sees only the primary drive.

The DupliDisk uses no jumper settings and requires no drivers or TSRs so installation is a simple procedure. Because it requires no device drivers, the DupliDisk is essentially operating-system independent. It has been tested with systems running Windows 3.x, 95, 98, and NT, as well as OS/2, DOS, Unix, Linux, Solaris386, BSDI and Novell NetWare. Manufacturer's suggested retail $250.

ABOUT ARCO
ARCO is an IDE technology company. It offers ISA and PCI bus versions of the DupliDisk as well as both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch Bay Mount units and a Direct model that seats directly onto the onboard IDE.

Contact ARCO at: ARCO Computer Products, Inc., 2750
North 29th Ave., Hollywood, FL 33020, (phone) 954
925-2688, (fax) 954 925-2889, (e-mail) arco@arcoide.com,
(web site) http://www.arcoide.com.

Editor's Contact: Donna Barron
(954) 925-2688 e-mail: donna@arcoide.com
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