Smart Storage Technologies (SmartStor), a subsidiary of MB Technologies, has unveiled the first Advanced Digital Information Corporation (ADIC) Scalar 10K enterprise tape library in South Africa.
As a major component of SmartStor's Storage Area Network (SAN) laboratory, the Scalar 10K is the first library to offer capacity-on-demand scalability and is available in LTO, Super DLT, AIT and mixed media configurations, providing native storage capacity ranging from 35 terabytes (TB) to as much as 881.5 TB and up to 15,885 tape slots. Using a robotic arm to load and unload tape cartridges, the Scalar 10K can perform 450 tape exchanges per hour.
"There is a growing corporate need for SAN data consolidation with capacity on demand, high availability and a full suite of integrated storage network management services," explains Tony Life, executive director at SmartStor. "Consolidating enterprise data and back-ups are clever approaches to storage, but until now, tape libraries haven't had the capacity or the availability needed to support enterprise-level consolidation.
"Tape storage still plays a significant role as a backup tool in network data storage. Not only is it still around 60 percent cheaper than disc, but vaulting tape backups at an off-site location also guards against on-site data corruption from viruses, fire, natural disasters, accidental deletions, and other data-loss issues," says Life.
Says Christo Conidaris, ADIC territory manager, Middle East & Africa (MEA): "When organisations put a major percentage of their data in a single resource, it needs to have easily scalable capacity, provide intelligent SAN-aware management and ensure high levels of reliability and availability.
"The Scalar 10K is the first automated tape platform designed from the ground up to support data consolidation in the SAN era. It is designed to grow with increasing storage requirements and enables users to pay for storage capacity as they need it."
Scalar 10K libraries can accommodate from 700 to nearly 5000 tape cartridges and from 36 to 162 drives and are delivered with extra capacity already installed, which can be activated, in 100-tape increments, using a software key. This provides two major business benefits to large library users. Firstly, the Scalar 10K will cater for the tape demands of most of SA's largest tape environments in one box, which will be a major price advantage. Secondly, because the Scalar 10K comes with additional capacity already installed, users will be able to take full advantage of JIT purchasing and eliminate all of the usual hassles always associated with upgrades.
The ADIC product offers intelligent library management tools that allow all operations and diagnostics to be performed remotely over a Web interface. E-mail alerts are delivered to pre-defined contact lists including SmartStor's Technical Assistance Centres.
Reliability and availability are key issues in the enterprise. This product is designed to offer redundancy and rapid recovery from system faults to keep enterprise data readily available. Cross-coupled redundant AC and DC power is standard for all drives as well as for the library controller. Redundant library control paths to support fail-over are standard, as are dual ports for redundant data paths through the storage network.
Drives are equipped with status LEDs, drives, and power supplies are hot swappable. Physical upgrades fit through standard doors and can be added in less than two hours. The library is completely self-teaching and self-calibrating after new drives or capacity are added. In addition, the product's roadmap includes a mechanical design that eliminates all single points of failure, including the library robot.
Share
Editorial contacts