IBM Brings Drive-Based Encryption to Midrange Tape Library

Published: February 14, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Need to secure those backup tapes? If your shop is big enough, you might be in the market for IBM's latest backup technology, the TS3400 tape library, which packages high-end, hardware-based encryption capabilities in a midrange body.

The TS3400 is a compact, 5U device that supports up to two TS1120 tape drives. These are the drives, introduced last fall, that use IBM's proprietary 3592 linear Serpentine tape format (which it used to call "Magstar," but doesn't anymore).

With up to 18 cartridges stored in two magazines, the TS3400 offers up to 12.6 TB of native capacity, or 37.8 TB at 3:1 compression. Data speeds down from any type of server over fast Fibre Channel connections at speeds up to 104 MB/sec per drive.

The library will ship in March and start at $30,000. IBM also co-announced, with Cisco Systems, a new storage fabric switch, the MDS 9124, that offers advanced 1, 2, or 4 Gigabit/sec capabilities. It will become available later this month for $4,830.

IBM heralded the TS3400 as a major breakthrough in storage price-performance. "For the first time ever, we're making drive-based encryption capabilities on an enterprise-class tape drive available in a tape library solution suitable for a wide range of midsized companies," says Cindy Grossman, vice president of IBM's tape storage systems.

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