Quantum Scalar i6/i3 LTO-7 Libraries and StorNext AEL6

Quantum Corp. announced a Scalar storage platform optimized for storing and managing the increasing volumes of unstructured data.

These products based on this platform are the Scalar i6 and Scalar i3 tape libraries and the StorNext AEL6 purpose-built rich media archive appliance. This Scalar platform is the latest addition to company’s multi-tier portfolio of workflow, hybrid flash, object-based, cloud and tape storage that enables customers to maximize the value of their data in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Addressing massive unstructured data growth
Customers are contending with massive growth of unstructured data, including video and other rich media types:

• Media and entertainment companies transitioning to 4K workflows.

• Security and video surveillance deployments adding more high-definition cameras and sophisticated analytics.

• Cloud storage providers expanding their customer base.

Tape can play a key role in addressing the challenges of unstructured data growth, providing data protection, active archive or long-term cold storage – including protecting against ransomware with an offline copy. In addition, tape continues to be cost-effective than any other storage medium, as reflected in the following chart:

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Efficient tape storage today
This Scalar storage platform takes the benefits of tape to the next level. It offers storage density – twice that of earlier-generation rack-mounted libraries – enabling organizations of all sizes to reduce their data center footprint and further reduce their storage costs. As an example, Scalar customers can vault tapes within a system to provide on-premise, monitored cold storage for less than $0.001 per gigabyte, or $0.0014 per gigabyte per month – a fraction of the cost of public cloud storage.

Other innovations contributing to Scalar’s efficiency include:

• 80 PLUS° certified power supplies, a feature of the Scalar platform, minimize power and cooling costs and reduce the impact of data centers on the environment.

• Firm’s iLayer proactive diagnostics resolve issues before they affect operations, to maximize library uptime and minimize operational expenses.

• Embedded compute capabilities eliminate the need for external application servers.

• Policy-based data integrity checking – with the ability to move data off suspect tapes – and in-library active vaulting enable the storage of petabytes of data reliably and cost-effectively for years.

Enhanced user experience
Consumer IT has raised expectations for the user experience in the data center. As a result, this Scalar platform modernizes and enhances the user experience with features such a new HTTP-based interface; automated setup, configuration and management tasks via web services; an intuitive, swipe-based local user interface design; and interaction via mobile devices.

Three offerings based on Scalar platform
The first tape products based on this Scalar platform are designed for three distinct environments:

Scalar i3 configurations
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• Scalar i3 – Scalable, efficient. For SMBs, the Scalar i3 delivers a level of simplicity and scalability, providing up to 3PB of storage in 12U of rack space.

Scalar i6 configurations
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• Scalar i6 – Intelligent. enterprise-scale. Scaling up to 12PB within a single 48U rack, the Scalar i6 is targeted toward demanding workflows and enterprise environments.

• StorNext AEL6 appliance – Powering media workflows. The StorNext AEL6 combines the Scalar i6 library with firm’s StorNext data management software, enhancing the StorNext AEL line of purpose-built, archive storage appliances for media workflows. StorNext enables easy access to data stored on tape, with options for CIFS, NFS, and RESTful interfaces.

The Scalar i3, Scalar i6 and StorNext AEL6 will begin shipping next month, with list prices starting at $8,500 for the Scalar i3, $25,000 for the Scalar i6, and $42,500 for the StorNext AEL6.

Mark Chessler, manager, senior marketing and vendor relations, T2 Computing, Inc., said: “Our customers are increasingly using tape in new and innovative ways to cope with a flood of unstructured data. We anticipate that the Scalar tape platform will fill a critical and growing need for customers seeking to efficiently reap the value of their data.“

Steven Hill, senior storage analyst, The 451 Group, said: “Tape continues to represent an extremely viable option as a low-cost storage platform for large-scale, unstructured data. Using a combination of fast and dense LTO-7 plus a highly efficient library design, Quantum’s new Scalar platform focuses on giving tape libraries a far more flexible and intelligent role in the long-term protection, management and accessibility of unstructured data.“

Geoff Stedman, SVP, product and solutions marketing, Quantum, said: “Tape has long been synonymous with backup, but its future is as an enabler of efficient unstructured storage. Use cases like cloud-based cold storage, video production, video surveillance and autonomous car design are ideal for tape, and Quantum’s new Scalar platform offers the most efficient tape storage available for these environments.“

Resources:
Scalar platform
Video exploring Scalar platform’s features and use cases
Interactive demonstration of Scalar platform