The Gator Architecture
Spectra
Logic’s enterprise tape library architecture meets the needs of mid-range
to high-end datacenters. If your goal is to centralize backup and restore
operations across a heterogeneous enterprise, nothing compares to the Gator
family of tape libraries for performance, connectivity, reliability, storage
and return on investment.
The
entry-level model (Spectra 12000) is scalable up to 120 cartridges and
eight tape drives with a minimum configuration of 60 cartridges and two
tape drives. The largest model in the family (Spectra 64000) delivers state-of-the-art
enterprise data management with up to 640 cartridges and 32 tape drives
in a single rack—the industry’s highest storage density.
Click on a specific characteristic of the Gator line below, or scroll down to view all the details.
Gator Architecture Details
RuggedPicker Design
At the heart of the Gator design is a counter-balanced rack and pinion picker mechanism. This picker can perform more than 600
tape handling operations per hour and has been designed to surpass two
million mean cycles between failure (MCBF). In the rare event that the
picker needs to be replaced, simply loosen a set of captive screws and
slide the entire assembly out through the front panel. In less than ten
minutes, the assembly is replaced and you’re moving tapes again.
High Availability Features
To ensure maximum uptime, the Gator
family incorporates a number of high-availability features into the library
design, including hot-swappable drive modules (shown at left), control
electronics, host interface electronics and N+1 redundant Power Packs in
addition to closed-loop tape drive control and built-in drive diagnostics.
Size
and Storage Density
The Gator
family offers the industry’s
highest storage density, allowing you to manage a massive amount of data
without wasting valuable space in your datacenter. The Gator family is
scalable up to 640 cartridges and 32 tape drives—all in a standard NEMA
19” rackmount enclosure.
AIT Advantages
Equipped with Sony’s Advanced Intelligent Tape (AIT) drive technology, the Spectra Logic Gator represents the industry’s most advanced combination of drive and robotic technologies. The latest AIT-3 drives offer best-of-class performance and storage density in a cost-effective and reliable solution. The Gator architecture allows upgrades to newer
tape technologies as they become available, protecting your investment
well into the future.
Unparalleled
Return on Investment
No tape
library in its class delivers a lower total cost of ownership than the
Gator automated tape library. Spectra Logic’s extensive upgrade program
protects your investment for years to come. The Gator’s open architecture
gives you the flexibility to use the “latest and greatest” tape drive and
interface technologies when you need them, and still leverage the most
cost-effective technologies where they make sense.
Performance Upgrades
The Gator architecture enables you to increase
library throughput—by adding more drives or upgrading to new drive technologies—without
requiring library downtime. Gator Drive Sleds are user-installable and
hot-swappable, making drive changes painless.
Capacity
Upgrades
Tape library capacity can be easily and quickly be upgraded (literally in minutes) simply by activating a software key via the unique 'Capacity on Demand' feature. The increases can be performed in increments of 15-slot segments (3.9 TB per upgrade).
The Spectra 12000 is upgradable to more than 31 TB. The Spectra 64000’s maximum capacity is over 166TB.
Connectivity
Upgrades
The Gator design allows you to select from multiple
interface technologies to best fit your environment. Any combination of
SCSI and Fibre Channel can be configured within a single Gator library,
offering you the ultimate in flexibility and control as your enterprise
infrastructure changes.
Shared Library Services™
A
key advantage of the Gator architecture is Shared Library ServicesTM (SLS). Allowing you to allocate a Gator’s resources across your enterprise, SLS
provides support for heterogeneous platforms, software applications, tape
drives, media and interface technologies— all within the same library (click
on diagram at left to magnify). No other tape library family gives you
as much control and flexibility.
The Gator interface architecture is based on
hot-swappable Quad Interface Processor (QIP) boards. QIPs are the foundation
for SLS and are available in the latest interface technologies including:
S-QIP (HVD SCSI), L-QIP (LVD SCSI) and dual-port F-QIP (Fibre Channel).
A single QIP controls up to four drives and can be configured into two
logical libraries. The Spectra 12000 offers a maximum of four logical libraries;
the Spectra 64000 offers up to sixteen.
Other
Gator Features
Best-of-Class
User Interface
All models in the Spectra Logic Gator
family are equipped with a color touchscreen user interface, making day-to-day
media rotations a breeze. The graphical user interface provides intuitive
access to library configuration, status and diagnostics, as well as front
panel access to media and drives.
In
addition to the user interface, the Gator includes management capabilities
such as SNMP, modem and ethernet connectivity. The Gator can also be maintained
via Spectra Logic’s Virtual Control Panel using the latest HTML and Java
technologies.
Media
Management
Cartridges are quickly added or removed
via the convenient entry/exit pack. Cartridges can be accessed via Spectra
Logic’s touchscreen user interface individually or by cartridge pack. The
removable entry/exit pack is equipped with an integrated dust cover, protecting
your valuable media throughout media rotation cycles. The Spectra 64000
is equipped with dual entry/exit packs. All models include an electronic
barcode reader.
Software
Support
The Gator can be managed by a wide range of
software applications on virtually all platforms. SLS™ partitions
can be configured to emulate other drives and libraries—including most DLT robots and the Spectra 10000
—for instant software compatibility with a variety of backup, HSM and archival products and environments, including
Microsoft® RMS.
Serviceability
One
of Spectra Logic’s primary design objectives was to virtually eliminate
downtime. Service and upgrades can be completed without moving the library
out of its environment, and in most cases, without requiring library downtime
or resets.