ADIC Brings Modular Tape Library Family To Channel
ADIC's new Scalar i500 can be ordered by solution providers in one of three base configurations, depending on capacity requirements, said Steve Whitner, corporate marketing manager for the Redmond, Wash., company.
The configurations are a 5U model with up to two drives and 36 cartridges, a 14U model with up to six drives and 128 cartridges, and a 23U model with up to 10 drives and 220 cartridges. Capacity for all three models can be expanded with multiple 9U, four-drive, 92-cartridge expansion modules.
That expandability should be a key benefit for the channel, said Whitner. Adding expansion modules -- including hooking up the robotic tape picker -- can be done in less than five minutes, he said. "We offer simple ordering for the channel," saidWhitner. "There are only five SKUs, total."
The Scalar i500 can be partitioned into up to six virtual tape libraries, each as small as a single cartridge, Whitner said. The i500 also allows tape media to be mixed within a library. All configuration information is exported to flash memory, for quick restoration.
The library additionally includes technology for the proactive monitoring and alerting of various conditions, such as pending faults, bad drives or media, expired cleaning tapes and old firmware.
The Scalar i500's management capabilities are based on the SMI-S industry standards, which means they work with storage resource management tools such as EMC's ControlCenter.
The new libraries are scheduled to ship at the end of November, starting at about $21,000 for a 5U model with one drive and 36 tape slots.
About 75 percent to 85 percent of ADIC's North American sales go through indirect channels, said Whitner.