BIOS: Technology Means Business

Tandberg Data today announced the availability of the LTO-3 Half-Height (LTO-3 HH) drive in the StorageLoader LTO.

Combining the LTO-3 HH drive with Tandberg Data's unique 1U tape autoloader promises customers unmatched density and performance in the 1U autoloader space.

The StorageLoader is pitched as the ideal entry-level automated backup solution that combines exceptional storage density and tape library features into the compact form of a tape autoloader.

The 1U autoloader offers users a compressed storage capacity of up to 6.4TB, with transfer rates of up to 432GB/hour, in addition to the product’s already built-in and known features and benefits, such as the removable magazines offering easy bulk loading and off site storage for disaster recovery.

The main technical enhancements of the StorageLoader LTO-3, in addition to doubling the capacity and performance, are the introduction of the ADI interface and LTO-3 tape format with standard WORM support. The autoloader has an integrated barcode reader and comes with 1-year return to factory warranty and first year Advanced Replacement Service.

"With the availability of the StorageLoader LTO-3, Tandberg Data can provide customers with new capacity and performance points in a 1U solution", says Kjell Øyvind Aasene, vice president Product Management at Tandberg Data. "In addition, enhanced features such as WORM support, ADI architecture and an integrated barcode reader make this the most compact and complete autoloader in the market".

The LTO-3 WORM (Write Once, Read Many) functionality will help users to meet regulatory compliance requirements. Government regulations such as SEC and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have established guidelines on how long data be retained, kept secure and remain unaltered. The WORM functionality in the StorageLoader LTO-3 will offer users cost effective, long term archiving, allowing them to store unaltered data for decades.

The Tandberg StorageLoader is a proven platform, says the company, currently available with LTO-1 and LTO-2 Half-Height drives. It is designed for minimum down-time and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The tape drive, power supply and fans are all field replaceable, without having to remove the autoloader from the rack. The StorageLoader's metal construction provides an extremely robust and rugged solution for long term operation. Its multi lingual Web-based remote management will allow for easy system monitoring. The StorageLoader has a unique cartridge load design with two 4-slot removable magazines, which may be ejected by using the front panel interface.

Convenient labelling of the eight data cartridges in the two magazines provides labelled media and controlled storage for quick, convenient and accurate off-site storage. To facilitate disaster recovery plans, bulk loading and off-site storage are easily handled for increased security and convenience.

As businesses today are challenged by exponential data growth, limited backup windows, regulatory requirements and limited resources, the need for affordable backup solutions continues to grow. The entry and mid-range tape automation market is predicted to continue to grow and the LTO technology will continue to be the dominating technology used in mid-range autoloaders and tape libraries. The Tandberg StorageLoader platform is tailored for the industry standard LTO technology and will continue to evolve with the LTO roadmap in the years to come.

"High capacity, affordable storage is a must for all businesses to secure their data for the long term and to protect against any system failures. Tandberg Data has integrated its LTO-3 Half-Height drive into its easy to manage 1U StorageLoader to meet this need", says Hamish Macarthur from Macarthur Stroud International. "LTO has become the de-facto standard, offering both the capacity and performance required in this challenging market. I expect the demand for affordable backup solutions, such as the StorageLoader LTO-3, to continue to grow in years to come."

The new StorageLoader LTO-3 HH is now available through Tandberg Data's established channel of distribution and reseller partners. The Tandberg StorageLoader LTO-3 will ship with a barcode reader, barcode labels, a rack mount kit, remote management, cabling and Symantec Backup Exec QuickStart Edition. It will include a 1 year return to factory warranty and Advanced Replacement Service. The estimated street price of the 8-slot unit with two removable magazines will be $4650. Additional magazines are available at $177.

[Best Tape Drive Pricing UK]
[Best Tape Drive Pricing US]