Quantum Automatically Migrates Content From Suspect Tape to Another One

Quantum Corp. announced enhanced archiving capabilities through its new Extended Data Life Management (EDLM) feature and its integration with StorNext data management software. As part of the Scalar i6000 tape library’s iLayer management software, EDLM builds on the multi-level media scanning capabilities that Quantum introduced last year for vaulted tapes. EDLM automates the integrity checking of tapes that reside in the Scalar i6000, improving resiliency and helping to protect valuable archived content such as rich media video files that can be stored for years on tape. EDLM integrates with Quantum’s StorNext Storage Manager archiving software to automatically migrate content from a suspect tape based on the results of an EDLM scan.

Quantum also announced plans to leverage LTFS (linear tape file system) as a format for content portability and extended archive applications using its StorNext Storage Manager software and Scalar tape libraries.

Quantum will discuss its new archiving offerings at the NAB Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 11-14.

EDLM enables policies to be set which automate the entire scanning process of data archived on Scalar i6000 libraries. Any archived tape can be proactively scanned, whether it contains primary data or data sent offsite. This enhancement saves administrative time via scheduled tasks that can recur at regular intervals.

EDLM operates concurrently in the background, so tapes can be scanned without any impact to regular library operations. Quick, Normal and Full Scan options provide three levels of data integrity checking of cartridges, and administrators can also create policies to be notified when test results show that data is at risk.

With StorNext Storage Manager integration, policies can be set so that data on any tapes identified as faulty by the EDLM scan can now be automatically copied to a new tape without any action taken by the administrator. Because StorNext Storage Manager also manages where archived data resides, it knows where the newly copied content is stored for future archive access.

StorNext Storage Manager provides high-performance tiered archiving capabilities and complements StorNext File System used in shared digital workflows. There are currently over 6,000 StorNext customer installations worldwide and nearly half an exabyte of content managed under StorNext Storage Manager. StorNext is a file system used in the media and entertainment industry.

EDLM works with LTO-2, LTO-3, LTO-4 and LTO-5 tapes and will be available later this quarter in the Scalar i6000 library.

Jeff Boles, senior analyst, Taneja Group, said: "The importance and rapid growth of rich media is presenting vendors with a tremendous opportunity to deliver innovative archiving products that make long-term storage more secure, seamless, and lasting. Quantum brings a uniquely powerful combination of robust data management technology and deep nearline storage expertise to the table in the 1-2 punch combo of StorNext and their Scalar library series. Those technologies are already entrenched and respected in the Media and Entertainment market and are giving Quantum a focus and footprint for rapid and well-executed innovation. It is clear from today’s announcement that the net result is a well architected solution, and we expect to see some serious adoption in Media and Entertainment, and beyond."

Janae Stow Lee, senior vice president, File System and Archive Product Group, Quantum, said: "Quantum has years of experience in delivering resilient workflow and archive solutions to Media and Entertainment customers. This experience has clearly served us well in understanding the long-term data integrity needs of this market. The ability for customers to seamlessly identify potential tape media exposures and to automatically migrate the data at risk without a system outage or risk of data loss is of extremely high value to customers with large, valuable inventories of rich media. Any customers with lingering concerns about the risk of migrating film assets to digital tape need no longer worry; the combination of EDLM and StorNext should eliminate the risk of data loss in properly managed environments."