Firestreamer – the Perfect Virtual Tape Library
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Cristalink Limited is a company that specializes in the development of applications and device drivers especially for Microsoft Windows. It was founded in Auckland, New Zealand in 2002. Cristalink’s latest software, the Firestreamer 4.0 Release Candidate, is now out in the market.
Firestreamer 4.0 Release Candidate is practically a virtual tape library that is a redesign of the new version that supports a maximum of 8 virtual tape libraries with as much as 255 tape drives and an amazing 60,000 storages slots for every library. It allows your digital video camcorder to turn into a highly-reliable data storage device that can store as much as 12 Gb of file content in a standard mini-DV cassette. Because of the patent-pending technology it uses, Firestreamer has the ability to make the DV recorder appear like a regular tape drivers to the different applications in the PC.
What Firestreamer does is provide seamless integration into the existing backup software that is tape-based. It now has the ability to gain access to a broad range of non-tape storage media that allows long-term and also off-site data retention without having to have tape drives. Firestreamer also comes with a built-in compression of data.
Firestreamer lends support to storage mediums like files that are on any storage device that can be accessible directly, NAS, SAN, external HDDs, Blu-ray, RDX removable disks. HD DVD, DVD, Iomega REV and so many others. The Microsoft Backup Utility is now able to back up by compressing and encrypting directly into the external HDD, Iomega REV, NAS, Blu-ray, DVD, and the rest.
Firestreamer could run on all sorts of 32 and 64 bit versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008. It is compatible with Microsoft System Center Data Protection as well. A free-of-charge fully functional 30-day trial period is available for download at Cristalink’s website: http://www.cristalink.com.
In the installation of the device driver that sets up the virtual tape drive and the control panel, there are three things to pay attention to. You need to know about the welcome screen, the location where you will install the driver and, of course, the End User License Agreement. During the process of installation, the system is scanned for drivers or any filters that would deter the proper installation of Firestreamer. Installation is simple and the uses of Firestreamer are immense. Users would be at awe of the huge amounts of data the PC can now store in terms of videos.