Media companies have already adopted or are in the process of
archiving important content to LTO media
Backup vs Archive
One of the first questions for an
organization to ask is whether to archive or backup their content. Either approach can help an organization
protect itself against loss of data.
Backup systems are simple, linear systems that record all information
stored on a device from start to finish.
When a device fails, the backup copy will be used to rewrite all of the
information back onto the failed storage device. An archive system will store and restore
only chosen files as needed, not an entire drive or volume.
The problems with backup are:
- The process may take a very long time to write all of the
data back to the failed drive/location.
- Sometimes only one file or a select group of files may be
needed.
- An archive with dynamic access is cheaper and more
reliable than current storage on hard drives or spinning discs. If users can easily restore content as
needed, then the archive can be a powerful centralized storage system.
Archive systems will cost more money, but most media companies
need the rapid access that only an archive system can provide.
Why LTO Archive?
- Security: LTO (Linear Tape Open) has become the gold
standard for IT data backup, with systems widely deployed across the entire
range of medium and large enterprises.
The tapes are certified for 30 years of storage. While hard drives have moving parts which
can fail with either frequent use or long periods without use, LTO is based on
simple stable magnetic storage technology.
- Openness LTFS (Linear Tape File System) is an open
standard allowing LTFS tapes to be read on any device supporting LTFS. LTFS files are as easy to use as hard
drives, with desktop drag and drop for ingest and a self-describing unit, so
users can open a LTFS tape from any compatible Windows, Linux, or Mac system
- Larger capacity and faster than before: LTO 6 tapes now hold
2.5TB with a transfer rate of 160MB/s.
If compressed, a tape can hold 6.25TB with a transfer rate of
400MB/s.
- Cheaper than hard drives, physical media, and nearline storage
systems: LTO 6 tapes sell
for market prices of about $100, which is expected to decrease over time. This makes it cheaper to store large
quantities of data on LTO.
The following diagram
shows options based on your organizational need for LTO.
Listed
are some popular options. Contact us
for more details and more choices.
Make LTO
Option 1:
An appliance such as the 1 Beyond Net
Drive (starting at $6,995) can be used to ingest content from popular camera
memory cards. Different versions of the
Net Drive have different card readers, but they all have the ability to play
most common camera formats, store content on an internal hard drive, and make
multiple copies simultaneously to LTO tapes and hard drives as needed.
Option 2:
Computer or server with attached LTO
drive using LTFS. By using LTFS (Linear Tape File System), users can mount the
LTO drive like a hard drive and simply click and drag content to the mounted
LTO drive. One popular standalone
desktop model with a SAS connection is the LTO 6 desktop SAS Quantum $2400 (http://www.quantum.com/Products/TapeDrives/LTOUltrium/LTO-6/Index.aspx).
Option 3:
XenData
X2500 $5690 (see below under manage content).
Option 4:
eMAM Vault: $59,900
(see below under manage content).
Store LTO
LTO
media can be stored in automated appliances and robotic tape libraries. These systems store the cartridges inside
the system. Like the arm putting the
vinyl LP onto the jukebox, the LTO library system automatically pulls the
correct LTO from the slot to read or write.
A library system can have one drive or multiple drives, and they can
scale to enormous sizes for petabytes of content. Some libraries support additional tapes
stored offline “on the shelf”, with notifications sent when somebody needs to
put a given tape into the system. Some
LTO libraries have built in storage (hard drives) to act a buffer to store some
of the content for rapid delivery on demand.
With an automated system, content can be
written and restored quickly to LTO tapes.
Without a library system, staff needs to find the correct tape(s) and
put them in the library system as required.
Instead of investing in a library system, many small organizations store
tapes on the shelf, but this is unfeasible for larger organizations or large
quantities of content.
LTO robotic systems require special HSM
software systems to manage the LTO library.
Empress has partnered with many of the leaders in this field including
SGL, XenData, QStar, and CrossRoads. We
can support library systems from many vendors including Quantum, Qualstar, HP,
SpectraLogic, Atempo, and Cache-A.
Sample
systems are:
CrossRoads
Strong Box 35tb NAS Appliance starting at $15,500
eMAM Vault can also store the content (see
below under manage content)
Manage Content
Archive
systems have considerable benefits for data security and cost savings, but
these are irrelevant if users do not have effective means of finding and using
the information they contain. Effective
management can turn an archive system into a powerful shared central repository
storing all of the content of a major organization.
Out
of the box, a tape drive or LTO library will have only basic tools for
organizing the content. A standalone tape
drive will have no memory of the tapes it has produced and what content each
tape stores, so users must use paper logs or a spreadsheet to track where
content is stored.
A
XenData x2500 connects any computer to a single desktop LTO drive. In addition to creating LTOs from digital
media, a desktop XenData x2500 maintains a list of content put on each LTO tape. It will keep a folder list of all tapes
made and what content is in each drive.
Sharing this desktop information to other network users is a cost
effective means for users in the organization to locate media. Users can then get the right tape to put
back into the drive. This system only
supports a list: it will not allow
browse, preview, and other collaboration.
eMAM
Vault: an integrated turnkey system
that can create LTO, store the media, and manage the content (http://www.empressmam.com/emamvault.htm)) This powerful system combines the best of all of the options
above. $59,900.
It can
create LTO tapes from an attached hard drive or other local source. It has a powerful dedicated server to manage
the library and store the media.
Included with 12TB of storage, it can store some of the content in
current storage for faster response processing.
The library includes XenData management software and a Spectra Logic T50
library to store up to 75 TB of internal storage, with additional offline “on
the shelf”.
It has most
of the features of the eMAM system ( http://www.empressmam.com/workflow.htm) to manage content, including
browsing, sharing, approval, annotation, and delivery for any authorized users
worldwide from any web browser.
