Can An SAS Tape Drive Connect to a Dell PERC 6i SAS RAID Controller?
Question:
We a new Dell PowerEdge with a PERC 6i Integrated SAS RAID controller. We also utilize a tape drive connected U320 LVD to an internal Adaptec PCI-X SCSI Card. We need to upgrade the tape drive to a larger unit and we’re considering an SAS unit. Can it be directly connected to the PERC 6i unit and direct it to show as a tape drive in Windows Server 2003?
LTO_Moe:
Tape drives do not traditionally work on RAID adapters, which are optimized for disk.
DLT/DDS4 Tape Life Cycle?
Question:
How long should DLT/DDS4 tapes last on 2 – 4 weekly cycle (ie. used either once or twice a month)?
LTO_Moe:
Comparatively, DLT tapes are fairly reliable. We would replace tapes with new media
InStock Featured in PowerSource Online Magazine
InStock was recently featured in the January 2009 issue of PowerSource Online magazine. The article is entitled “Tape Storage Solutions (The Surprisingly Green and Cost Effective Approach)”. In the article, InStock President and CEO, Steve Cline talks about the tape storage industry and how it plays a key role in a company’s long-term storage plans.
LTO4 Drive Compatibility
Question:
Officially, the newest drives that manufacturers appear to support in the Dell PowerVault 136T / Adic Scalar 100 are LTO3. We have LTO2 drives now, but they just aren’t quite cutting the mustard anymore. We want to take advantage of the built-in encryption capabilities of LTO4, as well as the increased performance. Has anyone here gone against manufacturer recommendations and tried installing LTO4 drives in their PV136T or Adic Scalar 100 library? If so, what was your experience?
LTO_Moe:
In most cases, the library simply won’t recognize the drive.
What type of compression do you get on a LTO-4 Drive?
Question:
I want to know some personal stats of companies using a Quantum or HP LTO-4 Drives for their tape backup? I will be using it with backup exec. and an estimated time of backing up 300GB of data not based on specs but by experience.
LTO_Moe:
The tests we’ve done on LTO-4’s have them running consistently at 107 to 113MB/sec (up to 6.6GB/min).
Introducing – LTO_Moe!
Ethan Moe is our Senior Technician at InStock. He is the “go-to” guy for questions like, “What type of compression do you get on a LTO-4 Drive?” and “Can I connect an SAS tape drive to a Dell PERC 6i SAS RAID controller?
Overland Inventory Now at InStock!
We have the Overland Storage tape backup libraries, drives and parts you need – available in our inventory. These are ready to ship out ASAP! We’ve just received:
Overland PowerLoader (Mfg. Part #: 103572-003)
Overland AIT Loader (Mfg. Part #: 103479-002)
Overland LoaderXpress (Mfg. Part #: 103576-001)
Overland LoaderXpress (Mfg. Part #: 103541-001)
Quantities are limited – call Instock at 877-786-2533 | 858-810-3931
The Green Education of Your Customers
Although the concept of thinking “green” when it comes to recycling, carpooling, and water conservation has been gaining momentum for many years, its application to the data center is relatively new. Educating your customers on how they can curb their overhead expenses by utilizing tape storage is one of the keys to closing the sale.
8 Advantages of the InStock Trade-In Program
Are you upgrading or replacing your current tape storage system? Here are eight of the many reasons to work with InStock. Call us today at 1-877-786-2533 (858-810-3931) to discuss your current system, how we can help you upgrade to a data backup system to fit your current and future storage needs. We’ll also demonstrate how much InStock, Inc. can offer you for your trade-in and how we can solve the question of “what am I going to do with this other library?”
Selling Preparedness
The November 30, 2008 issue of VARBusiness has an informative article on how some small and mid-size businesses are making sure that they are more prepared when disaster strikes and how solution providers can help their customers. The article notes that folks in the areas affected by 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina learned from the difficulties they encountered and how they’ve become more prepared for future catastrophic events and how the companies outside the hurricane areas are less prepared. “But customers who live farther away from such disasters that have devastated entire cities or caused many fatalities, such as Hurricanes Ike and Katrina, and 9/11, are less likely to have learned the importance of disaster-recovery plans and infrastructures, solution providers agreed.”
Tape Density Outruns Disk
According to a recent white paper entitled, “The Tape Advantage: Benefits of Tape Over Disk in Storage Applications,” published by Henry Newman at Instrumental, Inc., the tape industry has invested in the development of their density – and it has paid off. “Tape density from 1991 to 2008 has increased 3.75 times more than disk density. On a yearly rate, enterprise tapes rate of increase is 3.78 times greater. Looking at the past eight years, tapes have increased from 40 GB to 1,000 GB of native storage, or 25 times greater. However, with enterprise disks, the increase over the same period is only 4.2 times. No matter how you look at this, tape is increasing in density faster than enterprise disk.”
Read the entire white paper, which highlights tape’s advantages over exclusive disk environments in the areas of:
- Power usage – Potential density roadmaps – Performance – Reliability
- Removability – Scalability costs – Ability to support WORM – Encryption
