News
Quantum introduces new Scalar LTFS appliance
April 2012 by Marc Jacob
Quantum Corp. unveiled the Scalar LTFS (Linear Tape File System) appliance which offers new modes of portability and user accessibility for archived content on LTO tape. It features a NAS front-end and is based on the LTFS open-standard for content formatting. Because it works with existing application and file system tools, LTFS-based content is easily managed, transported and accessible for long-term data protection and archival storage. The Scalar LTFS appliance can also be used to import and export LTFS open-standard media into a StorNext File System. This flexibility provides a cost-effective content distribution alternative for cloud services and applications such as video archiving.
Scalar LTFS Appliance
• For broadcasters and post-production facilities, the NAS interface on Scalar LTFS enables media files captured on digital recording media such as XDCAM disk or P2 SSD to be easily copied onto LTO tape. This frees up the high-end digital media for reuse, saving the cost of additional expensive media. The Scalar LTFS appliance presents files stored on tape as a file system, making it easy for users and applications to organize and search archived content.
• Customers using Quantum’s StorNext File System for high-performance collaborative content creation can use the Scalar LTFS appliance to import content from production sites on LTFS tape into StorNext. Likewise, StorNext can leverage the Scalar LTFS appliance to export content in the open LTFS format for portability to other sites, partners or customers.
• Scalar LTFS helps content providers offer low-cost cloud applications, such as image archiving in the cloud where higher latency SLAs are acceptable. When a customer requests images that are archived in the cloud, a provider can use Scalar LTFS to copy content on to tape and send it to the customer. The tape can be transported and read from any LTO tape device regardless of what application is used.
• With the ability to access up to 10 PBs of archived data, Scalar LTFS scales as content and performance needs grow. Files can be dragged and dropped to LTFS tape cartridges in Quantum’s Scalar® libraries and partitioned directly from the user’s native file browser.
• Scalar LTFS appliance will be available in three models (enterprise, departmental and SMB) beginning in June 2012. List pricing begins at around $15,000.
