Spectra Logic Takes Storage Solutions to Next Level

Spectra Logic has introduced five new products and a suite of advancements that the company says meet the complete feature set, capacity and performance needs of the new market of exascale storage.

Topping the list is a high capacity T-Finity enterprise tape library capable of storing more than 3.6 exabytes of data. Powered by Spectra’s BlueScale 12 software management, a single T-Finity library can expand to 40 frames for a capacity of up to 50,000 tape cartridges. In a library complex, up to eight libraries can be clustered using Spectra’s skyway technology for a capacity of up to 400,000 tape cartridges.

The Spectra T-Finity with TeraPack media storage is optimally designed for support of Redundant Arrays of Independent Tapes (RAIT) and provides enhanced performance, reliability and data integrity capabilities. With support for LTO and IBM TS1140 technology tape drives, the exascale-capacity T-Finity offers customers the flexibility to choose the right media type and capacity options to best meet their Big Data storage needs.

Spectra Logic also has rolled out new management software, BlueScale 12, that the company says provides enhanced performance, management, and integration capabilities. With faster barcode scanning and motion code enhancements, BlueScale 12 delivers 35 to 60 percent faster robotic performance across Spectra’s enterprise and mid-range tape libraries, plus 15 to 20 times faster library ‘power on’ times. In addition, BlueScale 12 provides support for CarbideCleanmedia, faster and improved GUI and SSL web certificates and delivers the industry’s first XML-based Open Library API to enable customers’ development groups to directly interface with the system for easy, full integration with their customized software management platforms.

BlueScale 12 is now available on all Spectra T-Series tape libraries providing a common user interface across Spectra’s entire range of tape libraries from the entry-level T50e, distributed level T120, mid- range T200, T380 and T680, and enterprise scale T950 and T-Finity libraries.

Spectra Logic also unveiled four significant exascale tape storage and archiving advancements. The advancements address storage requirements that are critical for exascale data storage – from the smallest, most minute elements to larger-scale capabilities, and include:

-CarbideClean, extending the life of tape media and drives tapes by using a precision carbide blade to pre-clean media prior to shipment to customers for initial use.

-Bulk TeraPack Access Port (TAP) system, which allows customers to import or export tapes 7x faster and more efficiently than before.

-Media Lifecycle Management (MLM) capabilities and reliability advancements to the IBM TS1140 technology tape drives, which are available with Spectra’s enterprise-class T-Finity tape libraries. Spectra’s MLM provides industry-leading tape library reliability and data viability by tracking and proactively alerting customers to replace overused or damaged media. It also performs data integrity verification of the data on tape.

-Spectra Logic also teamed with the archive software developers, High Performance Storage System (HPSS), to provide improved management, handling, import, export and storage, as well as up to 2x faster tape mounts of RAIT sets. RAIT protects users from potential data loss similar to RAID capabilities, historically only offered with disk-based storage systems. The TeraPack is a patented Spectra Logic innovation that maintains a set of tapes with a unified barcode to deliver greater media management efficiencies both within and external to tape libraries.

“As today’s announcements exemplify, Spectra Logic has harnessed 32 years of innovation in electronics, robotics, data storage and software to expand the capacity and capabilities of our T-Series tape libraries to meet the needs of Big Data storage environments,” said Matt Starr, chief technology officer, Spectra Logic. “We have addressed the unique challenges of exascale data storage – from ensuring the integrity of each bit of data on the media to delivering the highest capacity storage system on the market. Today’s announcements demonstrate Spectra Logic’s committed to innovation leadership and to delivering storage excellence for Big Data environments.”