History 2005: Quantum PX510 in Competition with StorageTek SL500

To fill the gap between its M2500 (6 drives/100 cartridges) and PX720 (20/726) tape libraries, Quantum has designed a new mid-range tape automation product in an 18U form factor, the PX510 with 1 to 10 drives, 171 to 201 slots and mixed LTO or SDLT capability, for a maximum 80TB capacity.

Underlying the move was a desire to position its product line more effectively opposite the recently announced StorageTek SL500 (18/575) libraries, particularly in terms of price. With the latter unit, incidentally, StorageTek returns, after a 3-year absence, to HP, a longstanding Quantum OEM.

The main originality of the library, with its new robotics, is a pass-thru system that allows for the automatic transfer of cartridges from one unit to a second, placed above the first, to arrive at a 36U unit with 2x the capacity, up to 161TB.

SCSI and FC interfaces are offered, with iSCSI arriving by the end of the year.

Other models of the library will be permutated on the new platform, to be available next September, according to Gramar Hunt, EMEA product manager.

A sample price: $70,000 for configuration with 5 SDLT60 drives and 171 slots, remote management software included.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 209 on June 2005 from the former paper version of Computer Data  Storage Newsletter.