BIOS: Technology Means Business

PKZIP Server 8.1 is the latest software product from PKWARE, inventors of the ZIP file format that has evolved to become a multi-platform standard for efficient data storage and interoperable file transfer. Aimed at larger organisations, the server-based software allows IT organisations to better manage their continually increasing server workloads, improve and automate the efficiency of data storage and transfer processes, and help protect sensitive information being exchanged inside and outside the enterprise by compressing and securing files using industry-standard algorithms. Whilst an overkill for smaller organisations, large business should also be aware that optional and relatively expensive modules are needed to get full functionality from the software. It also lacks support for digital signatures, a feature reserved for the company's high-end SecureZIP Server (£1200 ex. VAT).

Pros: E-mail, FTP and anti-virus integration; SNMP event reporting
Cons: No LDAP support; optional modules are expensive

PKZIP Server 8.1 is used to compresses files of virtually unlimited size, exceeding the 4GB archive size limitation common to other ZIP products, and to create archives in excess of a terabyte in size. It supports the unzipping of any ZIP file as well as TAR, GZ, JAR, UUE, RAR, XXE, HQX, TGZ, CAB, and other commonly used file archive formats. The software also allows up to 262,144 compressed files per ZIP archive, exceeding the 65,535 compressed files limit of some other compression products.

Out-of-the-box integration with common processes such as FTP and SMTP file transfer helps to streamline critical server processes with minimal time invested in deployment and maintenance, and support for event reporting through standard SYSLOG/Event Log and SNMP traps lets you leverage existing management consoles. PKZIP also provides the ability to decrypt and authenticate files using passwords stored on smart cards and USB tokens with support for ActivCard Gold 2.0, Aladdin eToken 2.x, and RSA Passage 3.4.

PKZIP Server supports servers running Windows, Unix (IBM AIX, Sun Solaris and HP-UX), as well as Linux, and allows you to streamline repetitive server tasks including report generation, automated backup and storage of information, and file transfer via FTP (separate FTP application needed) or e-mail. PKZIP can now initiate SMTP mail transfers and supports the automated mailing of files and e-mail attachments. You can specify recipient e-mail addresses and PKZIP then creates secure, compressed message attachments before mailing them to their intended destination. This feature also supports bulk mailing.

The software also features an easy-to-use command line interface (CLI) for automating zipping and unzipping and security functionality within existing data transfer and storage processes. The CLI feature supports scripting for the unattended data processing needs of system and network administrators. However, to get the FTP and STMP capabilities, you must further purchase the Enhanced Data Processing Module, which costs another £150 (ex. VAT, 1-2 servers).

To get LDAP support through the optional Directory Integration Module costs another £194 (ex. VAT), although this is only supported with SecureZIP Server. The OS/400 and mainframe versions of the software are currently in beta and should be out by the end of the year, according to the company. PKWARE's OS/400 and mainframe products share a common code base, and the company is extremely cautious about testing it before rolling out new releases.

PKZIP allows you to compress 'only' files of a specific file pattern or extension. For instance, you might want to compress only PSD or WMA files. On the other hand, you might want to compress all files that begin with the letter 'B' or any other character match. Other 'wildcard' and command-line conventions are also possible, should you want to exclude certain files for example. You can also convert a long file name to a DOS equivalent short file name (8+3) before compressing the file.

Other key features in the server product includes virus scan integration, password-based encryption, and the creation of PKSFX self-extracting files. SecureZIP Server (£1200 ex. VAT, 1-2 servers), another new release, further provides powerful encryption and digital signature functionality powered by RSA Security's BSAFE software to enable data protection that is easy to implement, use and support within a server environment.