Features - Storage Innovations:

SONY EXTENDS 500GB SAIT TECHNOLOGY TO NEW BRANDED DRIVES

Sony Electronics is raising the stakes for high-capacity backup with a line of branded tape drives based on its SAIT-1 format. The 500GB native capacity of the new SAIT-1 drives will exceed that of any other tape drive currently on the market by at least two-fold, making them an ideal choice for both server and network backup.

With the ability to store up to 1.3 TB of compressed data on a half-inch tape cartridge, SAIT-1 will be the first standalone drives to break the 1TB capacity barrier. Sustained data transfer rates for the drives will reach up to 78 MB per second (30 MB/sec native) for efficient data recording and fast data recovery.

The external SAIT-1 drives will feature either an Ultra-SCSI or a 2Gbps Fibre Channel configuration, with the latter offering consolidated backup from a high-speed storage area network. These drives will easily fit into 19-inch racks when used with rack mount kits that are available separately.

According to Steve Baker, vice president for Tape Storage Solutions at Sony Electronics' Business Systems and Solutions Company, SAIT-1 drives will offer capacity and performance not feasible with other current half-inch tape technologies, as well as substantial scalability headroom.

"SAIT-1 drives will embody a new level of storage capacity and performance, and they will be poised to maintain tape's cost per gigabyte advantage over existing disk technology," Baker said. "Customers working with large databases, video production and broadcast applications, e-commerce transaction processing, surveillance and medical imaging should embrace a standalone drive like SAIT-1, which combines high data throughput with unparalleled capacity and low cost of ownership."

Branded SAIT-1 drives will leverage Sony's reliable Advanced Intelligent Tape (AIT) architecture in a 5.25-inch extended drive footprint. The drives' high data storage capacity is achieved by combining the data density advantages of helical-scan recording with the longer and wider tape usually associated with linear tape drives. For seamless use, Sony SAIT-1 drives will be supported by most major operating systems, as well as backup and management software applications.

As one of the largest recording media manufacturers in the world, Sony is also producing SAIT-1 tape cartridges. SAIT-1 media is based on Advanced Metal Evaporated (AME) tape technology. Through the AME process, nearly 100 percent active magnetic material is evaporated onto a substrate and then coated for exceptional durability and data integrity.

"The magnetic properties, storage density and durability of AME tape technology make it a natural choice for SAIT-1 media," Baker added. "We were able to leverage existing manufacturing capabilities to develop SAIT-1 data cartridges, and we're confident that they are of the highest quality and durability."

Plotting the AIT and SAIT Roadmaps

Sony has already set the record for tape storage density by demonstrating 11.5 Gb of data on a square inch of tape, which Baker expects will enable the company to extend its AIT roadmap to a sixth generation and its SAIT roadmap to a fourth generation member before the end of the decade. Sony's aim is to continue to double capacity and performance with each new generation of AIT and SAIT drives.

Standalone SAIT-1 Drives Incorporate the Following Specifications:

• Capacity: 500 GB Native, 1.3TB Compressed (2.6:1)
• Areal Density: 735Mbit/inch2
• Transfer Rate: 30 MB/sec Native, 78 MB/sec Compressed (2.6:1)
• Interface: SCSI Ultra 160 or 2Gbps Fibre Channel
• Buffer Size: 72 MB
• Dimensions: 2U Height
• Media: 600m AME, Half-inch Width Tape, One-reel Cartridge, R-MIC
• Heads: Super Laminated (read) / Hyper Metal Trimmed (write)

Choice of SCSI or Fibre Channel Interface

SAIT-1 drives will be available with either a SCSI or Fibre Channel interface for simple and flexible network connectivity. The Fibre Channel port can accommodate network speeds up to 2 Gbps to address the fast-paced storage needs of network environments.

Helical Scan Recording Technology

Helical-scan recording technologies, based on a very stable rotating drum/head platform, permit accurate and reliable data recording at very high track densities. This efficient packing density, typically up to five times greater than most linear-serpentine recording technologies, provides industry leading, space-efficient solutions.

Advanced Metal Evaporated (AME) tape

SAIT-1 media is based on AME technology, which represents a culmination of over 50 years of Sony innovation and experience in magnetic tape technology. The AME tape formulation, with diamond-like carbon coating, offers extraordinary durability and reliability, up to 30,000 media uses and an estimated media archival life of up to 30 years.

Head Technology

HyperMetal, Super Laminate Head Technology provides SAIT-1 drives with higher signal output than conventional heads, thereby promoting a higher level of data integrity.

Remote Memory in Cassette (R-MIC)

The non-volatile R-MIC chip built into the data cartridge provides quick media loads and allows fast searches to data. The R-MIC chip contains the tape's system log, search map and user-definable information, allowing the drive to advance at high speed directly to any file on the tape.

Reliability

The reliability of SAIT-1 drives result, in part, from innovative features, such as an automatic head cleaning system and an effective "leader block" tape threading system with a simplified tape load path. The drive cooling system is isolated from the sealed tape mechanism, thereby limiting airborne contaminants from entering the tape path and affecting sensitive components.

Scheduled to ship in July, the external standalone SAIT-1 drives are expected to be priced at $14,000 for the SCSI model and $16,000 for the Fibre Channel configuration.

Sony-branded storage solutions can be purchased directly through Sony's professional services organization, as well as through Sony-approved distributors, reseller partners, value-added resellers (VARs) and system integrators.