Stanford Diehl
If you're not ready to spend thousands of dollars on full-blown networked HSM, there's an affordable way to test the concept on a small scale. Infinite Disk 2.1 ($129) from Chili Pepper Software ((800) 395-1812 or (404) 339-1812; fax (404) 513-7411) adapts the HSM concept to your personal desktop. As unused files age on your hard disk, Infinite Disk automatically migrates them to tiered storage.
The first level of migration is file compression. If you haven't used a file for a specified length of time (the default is 12 days), Infinite Disk compresses it onto the hard disk. If the file is still inactive after three months (or after any interval you specify), Infinit
e Disk removes it from your hard disk and stores it to off-line media, leaving a zero-length pointer behind. When you access the file, Infinite Disk automatically restores it to the hard drive.
It's a slick idea and a godsend for electronic pack rats who never seem to have enough disk space. Even if you're fairly diligent about deleting old files, you might need help winnowing out those obsolete files accumulating in your Windows directory. And Infinite Disk doesn't require endless disk management sessions. Installation is a breeze, and disk migration is fully transparent.
Chili Pepper designed Infinite Disk as a ``hands-off'' solution: You install the software and let it do its thing. Consequently, for the most part, you must buy into its philosophy of full automation. You can't, for instance, access the off-line archive directly to remove files from it. The archive simply keeps growing as files are moved into it, and there's no way to remove files except by first restoring them to your hard dr
ive.
Infinite Disk supports any off-line device with a DOS drive letter assigned to it. However, one obvious off-line storage technology--streaming magnetic tape--is not directly supported. Infinite Disk Pro, which should be available by the time you read this, will support QIC (quarter-inch cartridge) tape drives. It also has a redesigned interface and will have a list price of $149.
The Limits of Infinite Disk
We tested the software with floppy disks, an Iomega 150 MultiDisk Bernoulli box, a MicroSolutions Backpack parallel-port hard drive, network drives, and a Pinnacle Micro M/O drive as off-line storage devices. We even got around the tape-drive limitation by using a slick utility from TapeDisk ((800) 827-3372 or (715) 235-3388, fax (715) 235-3818). The company's TapeDisk software can assign a DOS drive letter to most SCSI tape drives, making them visible to other Windows or DOS applications (including Infinite Disk).
We had some complaints about the software i
nterface. Like Windows' File Manager,
Infinite Disk displays
the main directory tree in a left window and subdirectories and files in a right window. But we couldn't get Infinite Disk to alphabetize the main directory tree by name (as you can do in File Manager), so it was hard finding directories quickly. And you can't double-click on subfolders from the secondary tree (right window) to navigate through folders; you can open folders only from the main directory tree. This limitation can be annoying, especially if you're accustomed to working in File Manager.
We also wanted to delete and move files from the interface, but there was no delete option. The DOS version supports file deletions, but the Windows version doesn't. If you're sifting through your hard disk looking for old files to migrate, you should be able to quickly delete files that you know are no longer needed. The good news is that Infinite Disk also installs as a menu item in the Windows File Manager, allowing you
to migrate files, recall files, or protect files (preventing migration) directly from the File Manager interface.
Infinite Disk uses conventional DOS memory even when running in Windows (on the plus side, the program's TSR takes up about 30 KB of low memory, and the new version will require only 9 KB). During our evaluations on a 60-MHz Zeos Pentium, we had to free some conventional memory to get the software to work properly. On a few occasions, the software inexplicably bumped us out of Windows, dumping us to the DOS prompt. But we never lost data or had trouble accessing migrated files.
Automated Disk Maintenance
Infinite Disk is best suited for users who want a transparent solution to disk management. If you're running low on disk capacity but you don't have the time or temperament to clear away the usual jumble of unneeded files, Infinite Disk will do the job for you.
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The Infinite Disk interface displays the main directory tree in the right window and files from the selected directory in the left window. Icons show files that have been compressed (level 1 migration) and archived (level 2 migration). Infinite Disk also installs as a menu option in the Windows File Manager.
A Smaller Version of Infinity
