University of Bristol Selected Spectra Logic Rather Than Quantum LTO Library

Spectra Logic Corporation announced that the University of Bristol has selected Spectra
Logic’s T680 library to offload less frequently accessed data from the primary
disk storage to an active tape archive.

The University of
Bristol has over 5,300 employees and around 20,000 students. It has
more than 100 buildings hosting its faculties (which include arts, engineering,
medical and veterinary science, medicine and dentistry as well as social
sciences and law) and student facilities such as the union, libraries and
accommodation.

The university’s central IT infrastructure team is managed by
Graeme Cappi, who has overall responsibility for all IT systems related to
office and registration data, corporate databases and email as well as course
materials and associated documents and images. With a virtualised
environment, providing over 450 servers to backup in central services, it was
decided that the University needed to create an archive and migrate less
time-critical data to a tape library in order to free up costly primary
storage.

Harvey Ditchfield,
senior system administrator, consulted VAR. After considering its options, the university
decided to opt for a proof of concept trial-run for a few months with a Spectra
Logic T200 tape library. Using StorHouse software from FileTek to move the data
from primary disk storage to the active tape archive means that the data held
on the library is always readily available.

Harvey explained: "Cost of storage was an important
consideration so a tape library was a no-brainer. We looked at the Quantum
i6000 but were particularly impressed by the density and security aspects of
the Spectra Logic libraries. We also liked the way that Spectra Logic is
interested in a relationship for the long-term and they were really helpful in
ensuring that we had everything we needed from day one of the trial-run."

After a trial, a decision was made to purchase the T680, which has greater capacity than the trial T200 model with 42 rack units
giving up 2PB of compressed storage with the LTO-5 tape drive and media
technology deployed in the library. The T-680 also includes the
security technology that initially attracted the university to choose Spectra
Logic, namely integrated BlueScale Encryption to provide added AES-256 bit
security for stored data and Media Lifecycle Management which records over 40
data points every time a tape is loaded, giving statistical and
diagnostic information so that integrity of the data on the tapes can be
ensured and managed. By deploying Spectra Logic’s Certified Media and
BlueScale interface together, Graeme Cappi’s team can manage, track, and report
tape usage from creation to retirement.

Bristol University’s T680 currently uses LTO-5 tapes which have a capacity of 1.5TB native
and 3TB compressed each with throughput speed up to 140MB/s and 280MB/s respectively; they also help consolidate the university’s primary
storage, while managing less media. Post installation, the University of
Bristol is migrating data into its Active Archive to help offload the primary
storage and to more efficiently manage backups.

"We currently backup over 120TB’s a week, so
the ability to move infrequently accessed data off primary storage and into an
archive is an essential part of our future strategy.Not only will the university’s T680 help offload their primary storage today with up to 1PB
of uncompressed capacity in a single rack, but the library will continue to
help them by scaling to multiple petabytes in the same footprint as they adopt future
LTO generations," said Brian Grainger, Spectra Logic’s SVP of WW
sales.

Harvey added: "We’re very
happy with our Spectra Logic T680; it needs very little time spent on it and
delivers in all the ways we want it to. We’re seriously considering buying
another one."

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University of Bristol Deploying FileTek StorHouse
With integrator Cristie Data