ADIC To Double Enterprise Tape Library Capacity, Add New Intelligence

The Redmond, Wash.-based company has doubled the capacity of its Scalar i2000 array, to 3,492 cartridges, or up to 2.8 petabytes of data, using LTO-3 tape drives, said Jeff Eckard, enterprise product marketing manager at ADIC.

That extra capacity now allows the tape array to handle nearly 3,500 cartridges using a single robotic arm, Eckard said.

ADIC also added new intelligence to the array, such as the ability to hot-swap defective drives without rebooting the library or changing the software, Eckard said. In addition, the Scalar i2000 now offers better firmware management capabilities, ensuring consistent firmware versions across drives and partitions.

The upgraded Scalar i2000 also implements the Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S), an industry standard for implementing third-party software tools across multi-vendor storage devices. According to Eckard, ADIC is the first company to implement the new standard.

ADIC also introduced iLink, a diagnostics application aimed at helping the company speed service time and cut costs while remotely managing tape libraries, said Katherine Sears, service marketing manager at the company. With iLink, ADIC technicians can generate a log listing all devices connected to the library, then quickly resolve problems such as bad media, software issues or connectivity issues, said Sears.

"Our goal is to help our customers and partners get to the root of the problems quickly to minimize customer disruption," she said.

The upgraded array and new diagnostic tools are scheduled for release late next month, Eckard said.