Qualstar Expands Rack Mount Tape Library Family

Qualstar Corporation announced the immediate availability of the RLS-8444H, the newest member of its widely regarded RLS-Series Rack Mount Tape Library family designed specifically for archival storage, backup and data protection applications.

The RLS-8444H Rack Mount Library houses up to four IBM half-high LTO 3 or LTO 4 Ultrium tape drives to provide the high data transfer rates that users need to handle their ever-expanding data security requirements. Using LTO 4 drives, the library’s native data transfer rate exceeds 1.7 terabytes per hour. With built-in hardware data compression, the transfer rate can exceed 3.5 terabytes per hour.

The RLS-8444H ships with 44 tape cartridge slots, delivering over 35 terabytes of native capacity using LTO 4 format drives and media. Most data types can be compressed at least 2:1, yielding real-world capacities exceeding 70 terabytes. The RLS-8444H uses only 5U (8.75 inches) of rack space, making it an ideal choice for small and midsize companies faced with rapidly growing data retention and protection requirements and limited space.

“The RLS-8444H extends our broad family of innovative, cost-effective rack mount data protection solutions,” said William Gervais, president and CEO of Qualstar. ”Backing up and archiving data to magnetic tape secured offline is still the most dependable way to isolate and protect critical information. Automatically removing media to offsite storage is a fundamental advantage offered by tape library-based data protection that disk-based offerings lack.”

Like all Qualstar Simply Reliable rack mount tape libraries, the RLS-8444H includes Q-Link, a browser-based remote library manager that enables users to control any unit from across the room using the local intranet, or from around the world via the Internet. Q-Link enables administrators to configure the library, monitor operations, control access and receive e-mail alerts using a built-in, policy-based event notification system. Q-Link delivers significant savings by allowing companies to deploy and manage effective backup data protection to remote locations that lack on-site systems administration.

The RLS-8444H, like all other Qualstar tape libraries, is sold and supported worldwide through selected, authorized Resellers.