GB Labs Brings Out LTO Space Archive Device ($13,995)

GB Labs LLP, supplier of networked storage systems for the digital film and professional video industry, announced Space LTO Mini.

In a new line of archive devices, Space LTO Mini delivers a capacity tape system that offers long-term storage, plug and play usability and broadcast-level reliability. Space LTO Mini will be unveiled at NAB 2012.

With 1.5TB storage and a 140MB/s write speed, LTO-5 tape is made for HD file backup. Because this speed exceeds the sustained transfer speeds of desktop systems and most NAS and SAN systems, most LTO-5 appliances to date have employed scrubbing techniques to slow the transfer process in compliance with the appliance’s fluctuating data rate. The inevitable wear and tear on the tape from this shuttling technique has been a major concern for media organizations. Many fear to entrust their media to stressed magnetic tape whose shelf life may be compromised as a result.

Working in conjunction with international television corporations, GB Labs has developed a system with the sustained data rate required to transfer files to LTO without the need to continually adjust the tape speed. Pre-configured with a 2TB RAID-5, Space LTO Mini delivers read/write speeds that are tested in the field. Its performance can consistently match the write speed of the LTO for painless data transfer.

Speaking at the launch of the product, sales and marketing director, Ben Pearce, noted: "LTO drives are very energy efficient while their capacity and speed make them a great prospect for the industry. However, broadcasters are interested in the long-term security of their assets so preserving the integrity of the tape is of great importance to them. We are delighted to be the first to deliver a solution to this problem."

With media archiving a long-term project, GB Labs has coded their new unit to write industry-standard XML and the TAR open backup format. This future-proofing will ensure data compatibility and interoperability with third party systems for decades. The Space Manager product will allow the Space LTO range to collaborate with asset management systems to automate metadata capture into the XML file.

Space LTO Mini’s openness extends beyond the archived files themselves: based on GB Labs’ technology, the device can be deployed in any operating system environment, including Windows, Mac OS and Unix. Furthermore, as a networked device, it is plug and play with control via web access.

Space LTO Mini is available at $13,995 / £8,495.