Fujitsu Software Technology Corp.'s powerful Softek Replicator provides block-level data replication for Unix and Windows platforms, providing a heterogeneous solution that can help IT managers at organizations with diverse networks.

In eWEEK Labs' tests, Softek Replicator, which began shipping last month, was easy to implement on Windows- and Solaris-based systems and was extremely flexible. (HP-UX and AIX are supported as well, with Linux support coming next quarter.)

In terms of capabilities and price, Softek Replicator fits between hardware-based replication solutions such as EMC Corp.'s Symmetrix Remote Data Facility and less-expensive software-based solutions such as NSI Software Inc.'s Double-Take.

Softek Replicator ranges in price from $2,300 for single-processor systems to $40,000 for high-end systems with 16 or more processors. In contrast, Double-Take works only on Windows and Solaris platforms and is priced from $2,495 to roughly $7,000 (for the Solaris version with a one-year maintenance agreement).

Softek Replicator is considerably less expensive to implement than hardware-based systems because it lets users replicate data from primary sites to any other type of storage device, be it an expensive Fibre Channel array or an inexpensive ATA- or SCSI-based disk array.

To read the full eWEEK review, click here.