Spectra Logic Libraries Gain iSeries Connectivity via LXI

Published: May 2, 2006

by Alex Woodie

iSeries shops can now use Spectra Logic tape libraries to back up their servers, Spectra Logic and its partner, OS/400 backup software developer LXI, announced yesterday. By putting LXI's OS/400 Backup Director (formerly OmniServe) router between the server and the library, the Spectra Logic devices can now recognize the iSeries' proprietary datastream, giving users one more option when it comes to tape.

Having options is a very good thing when it comes to storage devices on the iSeries. Although it has softened its prices from the past, IBM still charges a hefty premium when it comes to hard drives and arrays and, to a lesser extent, tape drives, autoloaders, and libraries, for its proprietary line of midrange servers. Memory for OS/400 servers is also obscenely expensive compared to standards-based servers, but that is another story.

When it comes to tape drives and libraries, there are just a handful of companies that have done the work to support the iSeries, and most iSeries customers still purchase their tape drives directly from IBM. Spectra Logic, a Boulder, Colorado, manufacturer of physical and virtual tape libraries, previously offered no support for the OS/400 server with its libraries, which are offered in a full array of tape technologies, including LTO, SDLT, SAIT, and AIT, and even a SATA disk module that fits into tape drive housings.

That changed yesterday, when Spectra Logic and LXI jointly announced an expansion of their partnership to ship Spectra Logic tape libraries equipped with LXI's OS/400 Backup Director, an "intelligent" bridge/router that allows servers to share tape drives, disks, and other storage devices, over SCSI and Fibre Channel interfaces. Last year LXI bought the company that manufactured the device, which used to be called the OmniServe ("LXI Launches Virtual Tape Library, Acquires TD Systems"). (Just a note on the name: While what LXI is now calling the OS/400 Backup Director offers the capability to make a number of drives appear to the iSeries as a full-fledged IBM Model 3580 LTO drive and therefore gain the throughput benefits that connection entails, it also provides storage virtualization capabilities to a multitude of other server types, and is not strictly an OS/400 product. In fact, LXI is close to announcing support for Hewlett-Packard's Non-Stop fault-tolerant OS.)

As part of the deal, SpectraLogic is reselling LXI's OS/400 Backup Director device, and LXI is reselling SpectraLogic hardware, as well. Pricing for the OS/400 Backup Director starts at about $10,500. SpectraLogic is also referring customers to LXI for potential deals on backup and recovery software. LXI is one of the few independent vendors offering native support for the iSeries-as well as the capability to manage backups on Windows, Unix, and Linux servers from the iSeries--with its MMS product.

While LXI has historically focused on the software side of the backup and recovery equation, it's also familiar with the options available to iSeries shops when it comes to hardware. According to LXI vice president of business development Lon Gretillat, who recently joined LXI from iSeries service provider Kingland Systems, some people are seeing red when it comes to staying Blue on iSeries tape.

"We have a lot of people interested in alternatives to IBM," Gretillat says. "Most of the time, they feel their hands are tied because they have no other choice besides IBM. Some people like the IBM stuff. Some people hate the fact they have to buy IBM."

There are some third-party tape vendors supporting the iSeries--including Sun Microsystems' StorageTek division, eStorage, and GST--but having more options is always better. With this announcement, all SpectraLogic libraries now support the iSeries via the OS/400 Backup Director (OmniServe) device.

SpectraLogic Offerings

SpectraLogic predominantly uses Sony's proprietary 8mm AIT technology with its K line of libraries, and uses the open-standard half-inch LTO format with its T line of products, although there is some cross-over on the high-end T series.

SpectraLogic's AIT backup solutions start with the Spectra 2K, a 17-inch tall, rack-mountable library that can support one or two AIT-3 or AIT-4 drives via SCSI or iSCSI connections, and from 15 to 30 slots for AIT tape cartridges, giving it up to 15.6 TB of capacity using the latest fourth-generation AIT technology. Next is the Spectra 10K, which is actually a smaller product than the 2K, although it offers more capacity. The 10K can hold from one to four AIT drives, and scales up to 40 slots, giving it maximum capacity of nearly 21 TB when using the latest AIT-4 drives.

Spectra's "Gator" line, including the Spectra 20K and the Spectra 64K, are targeted toward larger IT shops. The 20k is a 14U device that can hold up to eight AIT-2, AIT-3, or AIT-4 drives, supports from 30 to 200 media slots, and offers a maximum capacity of 104 TB. The big Gator, the Spectra 64K, supports up to 32 AIT drives across 100 to 645 cartridge slots, giving it a maximum capacity of 333 TB. The 64K is an imposing beast of a storage machine, as it stands six-and-a-half feet tall, and occupies 46U of rack space.

Spectra's LTO line of products starts with the T50, a petite (4U, or seven-inch) device that can hold two standard LTO-3 drives, or up to four LTO-2 half-height drives. It supports from 10 to 50 media slots, giving it a maximum capacity of 40 TB of data. The T120 is a 14U device that can use up to six AIT or LTO drives across 120 cartridge slots, giving it a maximum capacity of 96 TB when LTO-3 drives are used, or 156TB when SAIT-1 drives are used.

The biggest library in Spectra's arsenal is the T950, which can be populated with LTO, SAIT, or SDLT tape drives, or even Spectra's SATA disk-drive modules that plug into tape drive slots, called the RXT SabreDrive. The T950 can use from two to 24 tape drives or SabreDrive disk modules, giving it a range of capacities and throughputs. Up to five T950s can be linked together, giving it up to nearly 8 PB (petabyte) of capacity (using a full complement of high capacity SAIT-1 drives with compression turned on).

SpectraLogic offers a range of other add-ons to its products, including encryption and write once, read-many (WORM) for archiving.

"LXI's hardware products and software services are a perfect fit with Spectra Logic's extensive product line," says Nancy Oliver, LXI's president and chief executive officer. "By taking advantage of the IBM emulation technology and the advanced capabilities of LXI's tape management and backup-recovery products, the IBM data center now has faster, more secure and completely recoverable backups with little impact to existing infrastructure."