Spectra Logic this week enhanced its tape library line with the addition of new enterprise-level encryption key management technology as well as a new appliance that adds 10-Gbit Ethernet connectivity to existing tape systems.

The new Spectra TKLM encryption key management software for Spectra Logic's T-series tape libraries is based on IBM's Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager, said Molly Rector, chief marketing officer for the Boulder, Colo.-based storage vendor.

Spectra TKLM, which is hosted on an appliance of the customer's choosing and is separate from the tape library, differs from the company's existing BlueScale encryption management that is embedded in the library, Rector said.

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"It provides data protection while providing a simple, scalable way to manage the encryption keys," she said.

The Spectra TKLM is compliant with FIPS 140-2 level 1 and with Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP), which Rector said allows users to consolidate multiple devices' encryption key management.

It provides full life-cycle support for encryption keys, and it can manage over 1 million keys, with each tape having its own key, Rector said.

Lead time for orders for the Spectra TKLM is three to four weeks in order for Spectra Logic to customize the implementation for customers' specific requirements.

Solution providers can be involved in deal development and management and sell Spectra Logic professional services related to setting up the Spectra TKLM for customers with multiple libraries and multiple sites, she said.

A single appliance provides the encryption key management, while multiple models provide high availability, she said.

Spectra Logic also introduced a new 10-GbE iSCSI solution that allows data center customers to upgrade existing tape libraries to the high-speed networking protocol, Rector said.

"Originally, 10 GbE was too expensive to upgrade or deploy across an entire IT environment," she said. "Today, however, it's widely adopted. But Fibre Channel is often the only way tape libraries can be connected. We introduced an iSCSI-to-Fibre Channel bridge to connect to our tape libraries to allow customers to completely remove their Fibre Channel infrastructures, if they want."

Rector said the new appliance is not a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) technology, but instead is a 1U appliance that allows Fibre Channel tape libraries to connect directly to 10GbE networks.

For smaller libraries with up to four tape drives, a single appliance is adequate, Rector said. Multiple appliances provide the required bandwidth for larger libraries, she said. A single appliance lists for $9,967, she said.

About 75 percent of Spectra Logic's U.S. business goes through channel partners, Rector said.

PUBLISHED OCT. 31, 2012