Advanced Digital Information Corp. (ADIC) last week announced one of the first iSCSI-capable tape libraries for small and midsize enterprises.
The Scalar 24 and 100 are now iSCSI-enabled, allowing IT managers to increase back-up performance by connecting the tape library directly to the Ethernet network.
Of the tape library manufactures out there, only ADIC and Spectra Logic Corp. support iSCSI.
The iSCSI standard, which has had server adapters and drivers available for some time, is just now starting to see storage arrays and libraries that are iSCSI-enabled. In the last year, EMC Corp., Network Appliance Inc. and Hitachi Ltd. have either announced iSCSI capability for their storage subsystems or have announced their intent to support it. In networking gear, Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. and 3Com Corp. support iSCSI.
Analysts says that 2004 will be the year for iSCSI.
"iSCSI is taking a lot longer to take off as a technology because the lack of targets," says Jamie Gruener, senior analyst for the Yankee Group. "This won't get resolved until the later half of 2004, which pushes real volume deployments of iSCSI into 2005 and beyond."
The Scalar 24 starts at US$17,500; the Scalar 100 starts at US$22,700. Existing Scalar 24 and 100 users can upgrade their libraries to iSCSI for US$4,500 and US$5,500, respectively. The capability is expected to be available sometime this quarter.