The following is an announcement from Software Architects, Inc.:
Software Architects, Inc., the leading developer of UDF file system technology for computers and consumer electronics products, announced its release of Archivist Pro for MS Windows. Archivist Pro v1.1 enables users to create a permanent record archive system using a standard hard disk drive, Iomega Rev drive, DVD multi drive using DVD-RAM media, or MO drives using either rewritable or write once media.
Archivist Pro provides an easy to use, reliable method of making important files permanent. Simply re-format your hard disk or removable disk using the UDF "Archive" option. The drive will be displayed as a drive letter in Windows Explorer. The drive appears to operate like any standard rewritable or hard disk drive, except that all files and file revisions remain permanently written to disk. No files are over-written. The "updated" files appear as updated in Windows Explorer, but a special application keeps track of all file revision history on the disk. This file history is accessible through the "right-click" menu of that drive.
The special WORM file system software ensures that each file is written to unique data blocks on the media. Once written, a block can never be over-written or altered. When a file is updated, the revisions are written to a separate set of data blocks on the media, and the file system keeps track of the location of each revision. Deleted files are no longer displayed in Explorer, but they remain in tact on the disk, available for accessing through the "history" option of the right-click menu of the drive. Important files that need to be permanently recorded cannot be accidentally or intentionally modified or lost. This ensures a reliable and automatic method for safe-keeping all types of important records, in a manner that addresses some of the new federal guidelines for record retention of medical, financial and other legally sensitive information.
Because the software supports random access memory storage devices, such as hard disk drives, access and retrieval of files is much faster than conventional tape systems. The access time is limited only by the operating speed of the disk drive. There is no recovery application to be run. All files are read directly via the standard Windows interface.
Important records can be audited by their version history. Simply access the "right-click" menu of the drive in Explorer or My Computer, and select "History." Then select a file from the directory display, and its version history is displayed automatically. Each version of each file written to the disc can be accessed by date and time, viewed and copied to another disk drive. In the event that a file has been deleted or modified, each revision or deletion is displayed and is accessible. This provides backup to human error or intentional alteration.
Archivist Pro uses OSTA standard UDF file formats, which are based on an open standard. Access to discs and files in the future is virtually assured, as most modern operating systems support reading some UDF formats, and many third party products are available to support other UDF formats, including the UDF WORM format option.
Version1.1 supports UDF versions 1.5, 2.0. 2.01, 2.5 and 2.6, and supports reading DVD discs containing data or DVD video files.
Key benefits of Archivist Pro include the following:
- reliable for permanent record retention
- easy to use: nothing new to learn
- file version history accessible
- drive interoperability available in mobile environments
System requirements are as follows:
- MS Windows XP Pro or 2003 server 512MB RAM
- standard ATA, USB or FireWire Hard Disk Drive, MO drive, or DVD-multi drive using DVD-RAM media.
Version 1.1 is available now. Price is $500.00. Volume discounts available upon request. Available in English and Japanese language versions.
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