Features - Storage Innovations:

SPECTRA LOGIC FIRST TO SHIP ISCSI TAPE LIBRARIES

Companies looking to implement storage networking and consolidate backups in the most simple and cost effective way can now do so with Spectra Logic's native iSCSI tape libraries. The recently ratified iSCSI standard enables storage networking over IP infrastructures, and Spectra Logic libraries with integrated iSCSI support ensure easy implementation and administration of backups in IP environments.

Spectra Logic offers a comprehensive iSCSI tape backup product line spanning from its enterprise libraries to a networked, stand-alone tape drive. With the Spectra 64K and 20K libraries shipping today, customers can back up data effectively over IP networks without the need for an external bridge device, affording greater reliability and reduced management cost. The departmental-sized Spectra 2K tape library and the networked, stand-alone tape drive, NAStape, will also be shipping this quarter.

"iSCSI allows users to better match their storage network to application requirements in an affordable and simplified manner," said Bill Reed, Spectra Logic's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "Adding iSCSI to our existing NDMP and Fibre Channel library options offers Spectra Logic customers complete flexibility in storage networking, including the option to backup to a single library over both a LAN and SAN."

Spectra Logic iSCSI tape libraries extend the benefits of storage resource consolidation beyond the Fibre Channel SAN. With Spectra Logic's library partitioning feature Shared Library Services (SLS), customers can partition their library to connect to iSCSI and Fibre Channel SANs simultaneously, making data consolidation and sharing easy throughout the enterprise.

"iSCSI offers the potential of excellent interoperability in a SAN environment," said Fara Yale, research vice president at Gartner Inc. "Familiarity with IP Ethernet infrastructure should be a key driver in users' acceptance of this technology in SANs."

Pricing

Pricing for Spectra Logic's full iSCSI tape backup product line vary by product, and upgrade options are available for existing library customers. Full iSCSI pricing details are available upon request.