With EMC's geographically dispersed disaster restart (GDDR) software, customers can take a holistic approach to automatically restarting host mainframe systems, critical applications and Symmetrix DMX storage systems to enhance information availability and minimize the impact of outages.

According to EMC, GDDR software is up to 50 percent less expensive than existing solutions. The storage giant also claims competitive offerings require lengthy planning processes, complex custom scripting, extended debug and test periods, and expensive, long term service contracts.

"GDDR software delivers the highest levels of availability and assures automated restart consistency across applications and implementation methodologies via a proven, standardized software product," according to EMC's VP of storage product operations, David Donatelli.

"With GDDR, we're providing IBM mainframe customers with a cost-effective solution that enables them to meet stringent recovery time objectives and enhance the reliability of their restart and recovery operations while helping to relieve associated IT resource constraints."

The parameter driven software can automate failover operations during planned outages such as maintenance operations and upgrades, and test disaster restart operations without writing, verifying, and maintaining custom scripts.