Automated Tape Libraries Arrive

Advanced Digital Information Corp. (ADIC) is announcing a family of automated tape libraries, called the Scalar series, that uses Sony AIT tape technology.

The three new libraries include the 220, 480, and 1000 models, which scale in capacity from 1.4 terabytes to 82 terabytes of compressed data. All of the libraries use both 50GB and 70GB capacity AIT media (both figures are compressed data). The products will be upgradable to support AIT 2 drives -- to be introduced by Sony in early 1999 -- which will increase capacities to 100G bytes and throughput to 12M bytes compressed data.

AIT tape cartridges, sporting a silicon chip on the housing that acts as a file index read by the drive, have significant cost and performance advantages for use in libraries, said Steve Whitner, ADIC's director of marketing.

ADIC's Scalar 220 houses as many as two drives and 20 AIT tapes for a capacity of 1.4 terabytes. The 480 can control four drives and 80 cartridges for a capacity to 5.6 terabytes. The 1000 model scales to 48 AIT drives and 1,182 tape cartridges, offering more than 82 terabytes of compressed data capacity.

The 220 and 480 can be configured to attach to multiple SCSI buses. The Scalar 1000 TCP/IP network backup and Fibre Channel models are available and support DLT and 3590 drives and media. The units are compatible with Unix and Windows NT backup software from Computer Associates, Legato Systems, Seagate Software, and Veritas.

The new Scalar models are available now, priced from US$14,400 for the 220 model with one drive, to US$51,995 for a 1000 model outfitted with two drives. Pricing for the Scalar 480 was not available.

Advanced Digital Information Corp., in Redmond, Wash., is at www.adic.com.