XenData debuts X1 Archive Appliance for LTO, cloud and optical disc to offer archiving functionality in a small footprint

Data storage company XenData launched on Tuesday its X1 Archive Appliance that connects to a network and allows file-based applications to seamlessly archive to LTO external drives, Sony Optical Disc Archive (ODA) drives or cloud object storage. The appliance runs Windows 10 Pro and is powered by XenData Archive Series and FS Mirror software.

The archive appears locally as a single logical drive – the X: drive, and comes with multiple ways to write to and restore files from it. The ‘Share the X’ drives over network and users can write to it and restore from it like any disk-based share. By using the FS Mirror, users can synchronize one or more locally accessible file systems or file shares to the LTO archive. The FS Mirror can create archive drop-boxes on the network that automatically move files to the archive, while using third party applications that integrate with XenData's XML API.

The X1 is available in three models: for LTO external drives, ODA external drives and for cloud. Each model is based on Intel NUC hardware and includes a high-endurance 1.92 TB SSD cache for enhanced performance.

The X1 for LTO connects to an LTO external drive via Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3, and for LTO drives with SAS connections, they may be connected via a Thunderbolt to SAS converter. The appliance manages an unlimited number of LTO cartridges and up to 2 billion files. It enables file transfers that span across cartridges and, when using two or more attached LTO drives, it supports automatic cartridge replication.

The X1 for ODA supports Gen 1, 2 and 3 drives with cartridge capacities up to 5.5 TB. They connect to the X1 via USB 3. As with LTO, the X1 manages an unlimited number of cartridges and it supports file transfers that use the 1.92 TB cache to span cartridges.

The X1 model for archiving to cloud storage supports multiple clouds including AWS S3, Azure and Wasabi S3. The system may be configured to replicate files to different cloud locations and different cloud providers.

The X1 Archive Appliance is immediately available. The models for managing an LTO or ODA external drive are priced at US$5,950 and the X1 for Cloud starts at $2,495.

Science and Technology Facilities Council adopts Spectra Logic Tape Library to process and preserve scientific research data

Spectra Logic announced that the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has deployed a Spectra TFinity ExaScale Tape Library in its Scientific Data Centre facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, with an initial capacity of 65PB and the scalability to meet future data demands. 

The Spectra TFinity library was deployed to function as an active archive for storing and managing the vast volumes of data from CEDA (the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis), which includes a unique environmental science supercomputer and data facility known as JASMIN, and from IRIS, an e-Infrastructure for astronomy and particle physics research.

The new Spectra TFinity Tape Library has an initial capacity of 65PB, with 48 drive bays and a mixture of 17 open-standard LTO-8 tape drives and 16 IBM TS1160 tape drives. By implementing the latest tape drive technology in the new storage system, the SCD is prepared for future expansion. 

The Spectra TFinity ExaScale offers scalability with the speed necessary to meet requirements of demanding environments. From 50 to 40,680 TS1160 slots, users can store over 813.6PB (2.03EB compressed) of data with IBM TS1160 tape technology. With up to 144 drives, they can transfer data up to 207.4TB/hr (466.6TB/hr compressed) using TS1160 tape technology.

Deployed by some of the most recognized organizations in the world, the Spectra TFinity ExaScale provides maximum flexibility by allowing users to select the tape technology that is ideal for business. 

In addition to LTO tape technology, the Spectra TFinity Exascale is also compatible with IBM TS11X0 enterprise tape technology and Oracle T10000x enterprise tape technology, enabling all three in the same library. Current Spectra customers can upgrade to the new ExaScale and enjoy its innovations.

The TFinity tape library can handle simultaneous requests either by using multiple partitions in the library, or by having multiple robotic interface modules (RIMs) active in the same partition. Redundancies such as multiple tape access robots, power supplies, control paths and power distribution units mitigate failure and ensure the system will be able to run continuously, 24 hours per day, seven days per week.