SEP Open Sources Its Server Code
Backup specialist SEP is providing additional parts of its data security software under GPL, including disclosing the SEP file backup format.
SEP AG is releasing the source code for its SEP Sesam Multiplex Stream Server (SMS) under GPLv2. It is also releasing APIs and command line interfaces with which users can access the software. SEP's Linux/UNIX client has been open source all along.
SEP AG chairman Georg Moosrainer explains: "The law in Europe stipulates that all businesses and institutions have the ability, without a third party, to recover and read their data. That is why we are providing the open source community with the source code for our Server/Master Server modules. Our users now have the added security that their backed up data will always be usable."
The further licensing and sales model for SEP products will not change because of the open sourcing, however. Components such as the Windows client and the GUI, along with modules for databases and groupware applications, will remain proprietary.
An overview of SEP's open source policy is on its wiki. Downloads as tarballs are available.