Feature Story

A small ISV is creating an enormous impact on the database market with its open source backup and recovery software. Zmanda, based in Sunnyvale, California, is the maker of Zmanda Recovery Manager (ZRM), an open source solution that provides a simple, reliable, and comprehensive backup and recovery mechanism for MySQL, the world's most popular open source database.

With ZRM, MySQL database administrators (DBAs) can manage mission-critical, high-volume transaction processing environments with confidence. They can backup all MySQL servers running on Linux, Windows, Solaris, and Mac OS X, and they can take advantage of the Zmanda Management Console (ZMC), a set of graphical tools that control backup and recovery across all MySQL servers from a centralized Web console.

That's why Zmanda is among the most successful ISVs, with a growth rate that is nothing short of spectacular. This year the company's backup and recovery products are used in more than 500,000 active installations worldwide. From '06 to '07 its subscriber base increased 900%. The company now has customers in 23 countries, and its subscriber list includes up-and-coming Web 2.0 startups, SaaS providers, Fortune 500 enterprises, and everything in between.

ZRM: A Closer Look at the Capabilities

Zmanda Recovery Manager is a comprehensive, certified, mission-critical solution that brings hot backup and precision recovery capabilities to MySQL. ZRM allows you to:

• Centrally manage all backup and recovery operations for a single or multiple MySQL servers


• Perform hot backups of online MySQL databases via various snapshot technologies without any application downtime or interruption to online data access


• Perform backup that is the best match for your storage engine and your MySQL configuration


• Backup your remote MySQL database through a firewall


• Point-in-time recovery: recover your MySQL database easily to any point in time or to any particular transaction


• Visually parse MySQL binary logs for operational and security reasons, and easily identify recovery points


• Get e-mail notification about the status of your backups and receive MySQL backup reports via RSS feed

Open Source Software in the Enterprise Data Center

To be a viable option for mission-critical, enterprise-class deployment, open source software must be fully supported. And Zmanda is delivering on several fronts.

"Our model is very simple," said Ms. Ruckstuhl. "We develop open source software that solves a very broad need. We make this software available for free download from our Web site, along with great community tools for users to get help and advice. This creates a huge community of users, and many of these users find value in our support and value-added services such as a Web-based management console, hot backup and point-in-time recovery capability for MySQL Enterprise-and they buy an annual subscription."

Ms. Ruckstuhl believes that Sun acquisition of MySQL AB adds another dimension to Zmanda's support capabilities. "Sun's acquisition is a billion-dollar stamp of approval on business models practiced by many open source ISVs," she said. "As a result of the acquisition, MySQL is now backed by Sun's $14 billion portfolio of services and support expertise, and Zmanda and other ISV partners have new opportunities to create value-added services that incorporate MySQL." Sun provides assistance with these efforts through the Sun Partner Advantage Program (get details and specific offerings for ISVs) and the MySQL Enterprise Connection Alliance (MECA).