MangoSoft's Virtual (Disk) Medley, Medley99 pools disk space to create a virtual network drive.
MangoSoft this week updated its software that pools unused disk space on networked
PCs, creating a Windows-compatible "virtual file server."
Medley99, priced at $249 per user, appeals to small-business owners because
it provides sophisticated file sharing without requiring dedicated server
hardware, which can be expensive and hard to administer, according to MangoSoft representatives.
Medley99 is a more streamlined, faster upgrade to its predecessor, Medley98,
according to Scott Davis, MangoSoft's chief technology officer. It employs
fault-tolerance and load-balancing techniques borrowed from mainframe computers and
large network file servers to keep the virtual drive running even if a PC goes down.
This means you can add a PC to a live network without disrupting the other
PCs and without copying the drive's data. Another advantage over dedicated file
servers is that the drive's capacity grows with the number of PCs on the network. So networked
users have a shared drive that can grow in size, instead of having to upgrade a server's physical storage.
"It's a dynamic, very easy to use, fault-tolerant solution for small
business," Davis says.
After installation, the Medley99 drive shows up in Windows Explorer like any
other drive. It has full Windows security and file-sharing capabilities, Davis
says. The process doesn't always go as smoothly with network operating systems like Windows
NT and Novell Netware, or with competing network-attached storage appliances and NT server hardware, Davis adds.
"A lot of people don't need NT--it's overkill," says Tamy Slattery,
MangoSoft's director of product management.
Medley99 is sold only through value-added resellers and is not available in
retail stores. Most small-business owners prefer to buy from VARs because they
can provide extra network expertise and setup help, Davis says. A list of MangoSoft VARs
is available on the company's Web site.
